With water restrictions likely to remain part of life in Western Australia, many people are looking for waterwise garden ideas. A Palm Springs-inspired garden of cacti and succulents is one of the most striking – and one of the easiest to care for.

With its desert plants, clean lines and relaxed mid-century feel, Palm Springs style is a timeless source of inspiration for both interiors and gardens.

A garden suited to Perth’s climate

Danny Murabito of Instant Gardens created a Palm Springs-themed garden for a Plunkett Homes display home in Wandi.

“This type of look is ideal for Perth because Palm Springs has a very similar climate,” he says.

The garden features a collection of cacti and other drought-tolerant plants.

“Cactus are very easy to grow, they require little maintenance and they are used to going for long periods without water or food,” Danny says. “All the plants chosen for this garden are extremely hardy.”

The plants and materials

Along with curved garden beds, rustic corten steel and crushed stone, the garden is filled with tree aloes, yuccas, dracaena, sedum, kalanchoe, crassula and festuca.

“A lot of these plants are drought tolerant, so they really are very easy care,” Danny says. “The grasses and succulents we have used are fast growing but the cactus are very slow growing. Some of the cactus we planted are more than 10 years old.

“We also used large feature limestone boulders and fine south-west river stone to create that desert feel.”

Sourcing cacti in Perth

Danny says cacti can be hard to source in Perth as there are only a few large growers, although some smaller suppliers have access to stock.

Larger cacti can be expensive, but he believes they are worth it. “There are hundreds of varieties of cactus and succulents and many have the most beautiful flowers in a wide variety of colours.”

Like Australian native gardens, cactus and succulent gardens are a wise choice for people building a new home, and they work particularly well with modern architecture.

“We had an amazing response to this garden, people love that it is so different,” Danny says.

Low maintenance, more relaxation

Kevin Dickens of Plunkett Homes says visitors to the display loved both the garden and the interior design, which carried the same theme.

“It’s different but people definitely like it,” he says. “There’s something glamorous about it and it is very luxurious.”

Kevin says people spend so much time working that they want their home to feel like a retreat, where they can truly relax.

“With a low-maintenance garden, people can see themselves spending less time on maintenance and more time on relaxation and I think that’s a big part of the appeal here.”

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