Welcome to my Hardy Cactus Garden

Growing frost-hardy exotics in England

Well, it's official - global warming is here to stay (More details on my Climate page - link on bottom panel), so I thought I'd be prepared. I've turned my front garden into a desert - before it happens naturally! I'm not the first to do it, but there aren't many of us - yet!

It's an extension of my hobby of cactus collecting but now that the cost of heating fuel has rocketed, I can save money by just growing frost-hardy plants. Also, I no longer have a lawn to mow and with our current drought order banning the use of hose pipes - I shall never have to water either. The only maintenance I envisage is a little weeding and from next year I hope to see a mass of colour from a "desert in bloom".

As the seasons pass, I will be reporting on my successes and failures and building a gallery of plants in flower.
I finished planting on August 12th 2006 and this is how it looked :

Or this, a view from the gate:

Ralph relaxing in his desert!

Click here for some more artistic views