California Poppies (Eschscholzia Californica) are quick to bloom and ridiculously easy to grow. You will be charmed by their spectacular, billowing mounds of finely divided, blue-green lacy foliage capped with bountiful golden satiny flowers for weeks from late spring to early fall or fall through winter in mild climates. They come in a wide range of strong colors, such as creamy-yellow, scarlet, lilac, pink, and white. They are grown as annuals in cool weather areas or as short-lived perennials in hardiness zones 8 - 10. Fairly pest-free and low maintenance, they are heat and drought-tolerant. Will self-seed without becoming invasive.

Regarded as one of the most spectacular species in the genus, Ferocactus pilosus (Mexican Lime Cactus) forms a simple or clumping, deep green, barrel-shaped to columnar cactus with prominent ribs adorned with areoles sprouting bright red spines. Bright red-orange flowers are produced from late spring to summer on mature specimens. They form a discreet ring at the top of the plant. Over time, this cylindrical cactus often forms groups, with several subsidiary barrels growing from the main one, their deep green bodies densely covered with bright red spines up their entire length.