Today’s big news is the Spring Show and Sale of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society, which will be held Saturday and Sunday in Watsonville. See the details in “This week in the garden” (below).

Gardening with succulent plants can be part of our preparation for drought conditions, a future possibility that we should not ignore, despite the lush growth supported by recent rains.

For a growing community of gardeners, succulent plant gardening is an intriguing and absorbing aspect of the horticultural experience.

Quick review of cacti and succulents

Succulent plants are native to various regions with lengthy dry climates. These regions occur within North, Central and South America, with many genera in Mexico and Africa. South Africa, in particular, is the habitat of numerous succulent genera.

Some of the world’s areas are inhospitable to succulents: Antarctica, the nine deserts of Africa, Australia’s Outback and Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth.

Succulent plants have evolved to store moisture in their leaves, stems or roots, and capture moisture from fog. This survival strategy succeeds within numerous plant genera, resulting in an extraordinary diversity of forms.

A large group within the succulent world is the cactus plant family (Cactaceae), which includes 127 genera. The phrase, “cacti and succulents,” acknowledges the size of this plant family, while also recognizing that cacti are succulents.

Landscaping with cacti and succulents

The Monterey Bay area’s climate is well-suited for including succulent plants in the garden. The many different forms and colors of these plants and their blossoms invite optional approaches to gardening with succulents.

They represent an opportunity for creativity in garden design. Here are a few approaches to selecting and grouping succulent plants in the landscape:

• Native habitat: California, Southwestern United States, Mexico, South Africa, Madagascar, etc.• Genus: Collect species within a genus of interest. For example, my garden includes growing collections of agaves and mangaves.

• Cactus: Unless you are spine-phobic, cacti varieties present a wondrous range of long and short spines, all defensive but some looking fierce.

• Size: In addition to the ever-popular design of “tall plants in back” some succulent plants grow to impressively large, architectural forms that can be garden highlights.

• Foliage color: Leaf colors include many shades of green, as well as reds, yellows, purples and others. A combination of contrasting foliage hues can be striking.

More about the MBACSS Show and Sale

The sale will include a large variety of cacti and succulents, enabling gardeners to select inexpensive small plants to add to their landscapes. The sale provides the opportunity to choose from hundreds of plants. Vendors are happy to share their information with you about the plants you take home.

The sale also offers unique pottery containers designed for cacti or succulents, providing attractive options for the display of visually appealing specimens.

In addition, the sale includes special items for the management of these plants, such as long tweezers for weeding and cultivating, and dressings and interesting stones to decorate plants in containers.

The concurrent show will include hundreds of exceptional cactus and succulent specimens, expertly cultivated and displayed by members of the society. Visitors can observe and appreciate exemplary specimens. A panel of judges will award ribbons to the top entries for each genus. Show viewers also will be invited to vote for the People’s Choice awards.

MBACSS President Mary Cross commented, “The show provides an in-depth learning opportunity because the plants that are entered are labeled with their names and origins. Going to the sale/show can be like going to a museum — there are hundreds of different kinds of succulent and cactus plants and hand-made pots to look at and learn from. You don’t necessarily have to buy anything. It is fun to see the varieties, watch the prospective buyers and talk to folks about succulents.”

This week in the garden

The Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society will present its 2025 Spring Show and Sale for two days: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

This event will be held at the Portuguese Community Hall, 124 Atkinson Lane, Watsonville. Admission and parking are free.

Advance your knowledge

The internet has multiple sources of information about succulent plants. Explore these:

Success with Succulents, the website of author Debra Lee Baldwin (debraleebaldwin.com); Wikipedia, with solid info on any plant family or genus (search by botanical name); PlantZAfrica (pza.sanbi.org) the website of the South African National Biodiversity Institute; and Succulent Plants of the World, an iNaturalist website (inaturalist.org/projects/succulent-plants-of-the-world).

The Cactus and Succulent Society of America has posted video recordings of presentations expert growers and tours of large-scale shows. Browse to YouTube and search for “cactus and succulent society of America.”

Mark your calendar

Seasonal plant sales and shows provide Monterey Bay area gardeners with opportunities to learn about different categories of garden plants, and to add plants to their gardens.

Forthcoming columns will feature these local events:

Santa Cruz Iris Society Annual Show, April 26 and 27, London Nelson Community Center, Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Orchid Society and Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai, combined show and sale, May 3 and 4, Capitola Mall, Capitola.

Enjoy your garden!

Tom Karwin can be reached at gardening@karwin.com