Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Many residents of Bahrain live in apartments and high-rise blocks so this week I am going to give some advice on developing gardens in very small indoor and outdoor spaces.
Among the ornamental plants, so diverse and fascinating, are the succulents and such is their appeal that special attention has always been paid to this group by all connoisseurs of ornamental plants.
Their characteristic swollen fleshy parts, curious forms and diversity of shape and colour distinguish them from other plants at large. The ability of succulents to store water helps them survive during extended periods of drought and they require far less attention than other plants in hostile environments.
Very often the ornamental features of cacti and other succulents are not fully utilised because of insufficient imagination and knowledge about this wide range of unusually attractive plants. With a little knowledge, succulents, which are generally hardy, can be used very effectively in landscaping and in indoor and outdoor decorations.
Bowl/tray gardens
Some succulents, like beaucarnia recurvata, dracaena draco, yucca glauca, haworthias and senecios make excellent house plants. A bowl or tray converted to a miniature landscape garden can be used to display many varieties of cacti and other succulents ideal for indoor use - this is a particularly good solution for people living in small, modern apartments.
This type of garden could also be maintained in garden rooms, on verandahs or in bay windows with good sunlight and wind flow.
The selection of plants for bowl gardens is the most important aspect for consideration and your choices must depend primarily on the amount of light the site is expected to provide.
As a general rule the plants which are able to grow in partial shade are good for planting in bowl garden.
Roof gardens and decorations
Cacti and other succulents are often grown in pots for decoration and exhibition.
In roof gardens various succulents like beaucarnia, adenium, sedum and different cacti may be of immense interest.
For verandah and wall decoration, succulents like sedum, aporocactus, ceropegia, zygocactus and epiphyllum grown in hanging baskets or wall baskets can look very attractive.
Rock gardens
For those with a garden area, rock gardens can make a very interesting feature. A well-laid out rock garden with the correct arrangement of rocks and plants can bring great pleasure for many years.
A number of hardy succulents such as adeniums, echinocactus, aloes, sedums, crassulas and yuccas may be conveniently used in rock gardens.
Depending on the site, other types of plants such as dwarf conifers can also be used.
