Cactus Dish Garden

Start your cactus planter out with a wide dish that is at least 3 inches deep. To ensure proper drainage of your garden, pour a 1-inch layer of pea gravel into the bottom of the dish. Doing so will help water drain faster out of the bottom of the pot so your plants aren't sitting in too much moisture.

When handling cacti, we found that two pairs of gloves did the trick in preventing needles from piercing our fingers. Put on neoprene-coated work gloves, then put on thick leather work gloves over the neoprene ones. Carefully place cacti atop the pea gravel in whatever formation you'd like. Be sure that the bases of the cacti are 1/2 inch lower than the lip of the dish.

To ensure that all of your plants are at the same height level in the dish, break up roots as needed. Use a scoop or large spoon to fill in the dish with cactus soil.

Editor's Tip: Don't mix cacti and succulents in your dish garden—although they're both desert plants, they have different water requirements.

For a final touch, add a top layer of decorative rocks or sand. Place your cactus garden in an area with full sun. Although cacti are rugged plants, they don't like temperature extremes. So keep them far from any heating or air conditioning units. Water your cactus garden sparingly, as cacti appreciate dry conditions.