Yep, but unable to post to this forum. I only use rocks, in my garden, I may have a few horse shoes and perhaps other rusted objects, I want the attention on my plants and not other things. I grow other things other than cactus, so I don't think a wagon wheel would be approp. I did find a skull in Africa, for me that would be approp. Norma

agree that cacti are sculptural so anything else artificial detracts. just my opinion.

I've been using fake pre-Columbian artifacts in an attempt to make my gardens look like scary ruins you might stumble upon in Mexico. So far I can't claim much success.

I got these as souvenirs in Mexico. I'm always looking for similar junk, but they're not as easy to find as I'd hoped.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Itecata, I like your C&S garden..Your souvenirs are interesting. Not scary though, lol.

Norma's right about adding structures to a succulent garden, but a few figurines shouldn't be the main focus. Guess it depends on who's doing the looking..Some people see sights as a whole, others are totally oblivious, yet many see each plant and object individually..An observent PI would study plants and statues as separate entities.

Have you checked Ebay..Sometimes you find the weirdest 'junk' at garage and Estate Sales..Toni

when it comes to decorating, to me less is always more. All I have is a south asian style bhudda in what passes for my succulent garden.

When I'm out 'inspecting the grounds' with coffee or a soda, I usually dribble a bit on him for good luck.

Thanks for the input. I'm not one to put clutter in my other gardens so I think I'll decorate this one the same.
Do you have any flat-type junipers or other scrawny looking evergreens in your gardens? Remember I'm zone 4 so my cacti may not grow as fast as the rest of yours do, and I'd like some quick fill.
Peggy

I only have 2 indoor container gardens but both have a plastic stegosaurus figurine peeking around the side of the pots.
There's also a short and squat terra cotta garden gnome with a very tall hat.

Hi Peggy, last week I did landscape my friend's xeric garden.
I've posted a bunch of photos in Bromeliads Forum.
Please take a look at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Landscaping my friend's xeric garden

Beautiful Alluadia comosa and Decarya madagascariensis, never seen plants the large!

holy cats, what's that orange plant and how do i get one?

very nice garden!

Awesome, awesome garden Stephania! I highly recommend that everyone visit the thread he liked to. There are a *bunch* of great plants there!

Thanks you guys (^_^)"

Blutaski, that orange plant is actually a bromeliads, Aechmea blanchetiana.

The potted zig zag plant is great too. Only larger I have seen is Cactus Jordi's...that and his Welwitchia,oh man. I never would have thought outdoors anyplace in the state.

Well, i don't have anything big in the way of hardscaping - except for maybe my air conditing unit! haha. I do have small rocks here and there in this area but i'm looking to add a couple more (and larger ones too). This is a very young landscape (mostly done this past summer). There are many plants that are too small to see here like aloe arborescens, aloe marlothii, several agave desmettiana variegata, agave angustafolia, a cordyline australis, beaucarnea recurvata, crassulas, aloe saponaria and soon a couple of aloe broomi and aloe dichotoma. Can you already tell this is going to be really crowded? haha. Also there is the constant pulling/moving of washingtonia palms, phoenix canariensis palms and fig seedlings that pop up where the birds drop their business. This area is underneath our chimmney, which is a favorite spot for the birds to relieve themselves. Notice there is a large fig seegling behind the pachypodium. That one sprouted this summer, and if i leave it there, it will take over by this coming summer.

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And here is a smaller, more detailed succulent garden. I am constantly adding plants here. This is just a section of the succulent garden, but there are medium rocks, and old wood stump and a small dear antler to add extra interest (the antler is one of the juvenile antlers that the bucks shed before growing the adult ones, so no harm was done to any animals).
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Hi Cali 369 (^_^)"
Your garden will be shaded with those 2 Traveller's Palms
(Ravenala madagascariensis) If you really like it,
you could move them to the backdrop.

Also, you can hide your air condy with some light patition - bamboo or wood hedge.

Is that segment-leaves plant infront of Pachypodium a Cussonia paniculata?
It's been my favorite pachycaul since I saw them in South Africa years ago.

It's me with a nice specimen of Cussonia at a winery in Cape Town.

Your Aloe marlothii will be a man-size bloomer like this one.
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Ha ha..also your Aloe dichotoma could be... :-P
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Well, let back to the real world, you can rearrange your xeric garden as nice as...
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Thanks for the suggestions Stephania,

Those two are Strelitzia Reginae, not Ravenala Madagascarensis. I probably will follow your advice though, and move it to the background. The segmented-leaf plant is a papaya. Those sprouted all by themselves from some organic plant material i dumped to add nitrogen to the soil. i think they could be some sort of dwarf papaya since they are beginning to flower.

Here are "a few" pics of my zone 5b garden in s.e.Iowa from summer/winter and with cactus and palm protection