Spanish weather is perfect for collecting cacti

THE hot climate of Mediterranean Spain provides an ideal environment to grow cacti and other succulents which would have to be grown indoors back in Blighty.

There is an enormous variety available, and they are particularly useful for those lacking green fingers or who only spend part of the year here, since many demand relatively little care and attention.

Choose a humus-rich, free-draining, gritty or sandy growing medium, and try not to place them in areas where moisture collects, since they tend to fare badly if roots become waterlogged.

They can be planted in window boxes, rockeries, raised beds, or pots, so you can easily build up an interesting collection on a terrace or rooftop if you don’t have a garden.

Better still, small plants can usually be picked up very cheaply from garden centres, and the weather favours quick growth, so you can easily experiment with the plants’ often remarkable forms.

Do bear in mind that some cacti can have pretty vicious spines, so if children frequent your garden the more prickly varieties should be avoided.