Here is another cactus brought to the swap as a tiny rooted cutting by Mike years ago.

I built this cactus bed out along the driveway in front of my deer fence - thinking that deer wouldn't bother cactus. Well when it gets really dry they will eat prickly pear and when they are young and stupid they will dig up or yank out anything just to see what it is.

I am mostly surprised at how quickly cactus and succulents established in this new bed. I had been hoarding a big collection of desert plants for years in pots waiting for the day I finally got around to building up the site. It got planted in late May and by July it looked like it had been there for years!