So I've got this new teeny container garden on the patio in southern California's Zone 9b that I've tried to populate with stuff that looks pretty, smells pretty, is edible, or odd. Please don't hate me but I find these succulent & cacti puppies terribly odd. My husband loves them, the odder the better.

I said to a young person that everyone should have aloe growing somewhere nearby and she looked at me quite seriously and asked: "That's a real law?"

So now have cacti & succulents growing (?) on my patio. I've tried to do them no harm & I have some questions:

Is there a season to their growth?
The things I'd think of as succulents appear to be growing but the cacti just sit there looking spike-y.

I figured out that they didn't want to sit in the hottest high desert sun so mostly based on where they hang out in the local nurseries, I've moved my bowls under the table where they get bright light but not direct sun.

Basic basics? What else should I know or study? I've downloaded a listing of names and pictures so I can learn the names.

Here are some pictures:

Hi Julie,
I am also in zone 9b so our growing environment is similar but not necessarily identical. Where and how your house is situated and what surface area you have to place the plants can differ much between us. So I can only info you in generalities and from my experience for what it is worth.

I find that it is easier to group plants according to similar needs so that maintenance is easier. Planters that you see sold in many places are put together to attract a potential buyer's eye but not necessarily planted for easy sensible care. The planter you have pictured is quite a combination of plants but the groups within have different watering needs, sun exposure needs and soil needs.
You know the saying that "all cactus are succulents but not all succulents are cactus". Your pot illustrates that. They are all succulents but the cactus within are different in maintenance needs. Even the non-cactus succulents can differ from one another in growth rate, height, sun exposure, hardiness, etc.

To simplify what to do with your very colorful and varied pot, you might consider separating the cactus from the non-cactus succulents. For example, make two separate pots. Then read up on cactus in general and see how their growing nature and needs/conditions differ from the other plants. You will find that their grow rates are much slower, they rot easier if maximum drainage is lacking, they bloom only under certain conditions. Some require a good amount of sun and very dry conditions.

Not true with the other succulents. Some can't take as much sun, don't need as much drainage, grow faster and taller or fatter, etc.
So far I see graptopetalum , (small rosettes with stems that will elongate to hang over pot) cotyledon (large flat green-only leaves) , kalanchoe (large flat leaves with red outline), Blue Chalk Sticks (elongated blue finger like leaves that bunch and stand up), euphorbia (triangular, flattened stem, med-dark green), aloe (spiky elongated arms with mottled blue white coloring) and various cactus (straight spiky and curved spikey) that I am sure other ATPers can ID for you.

These plants in general need direct sun. I don't know all of them specifically, but the ones I recognize are all plants that go in full sun all day when outside. All can rot easily if kept too moist, especially when it's not hot.

Thanks @webesemps! That's exactly what I'm gonna do: separate 'em by their growing needs. I had no idea! My husband picked out what he liked & I stuck 'em in a pot. Well-drained, of course. So simple! But I'd not have thought of approaching it that way & for that I thank you! Plus I needed an excuse to hit the garden store...

yeah, "get your hands dirty" to rearrange. Your cotyledon and kalanchoe will get big and chalk sticks will get tall. Keep this in mind when choosing pots...Have Fun!!

I agree on the whole with Bev.

I am also 9b in Central Florida, and can tell you from our sort of 9b that many of the succulents you have in those bowls would fry here in full Sun all day.

Pretty pictures!

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear, thanks for calling me out, I think I'll give up on foruming today, pounding on the roof is making me crazy & this is my 2nd post that doesn't make sense... I meant all need some measure of direct sun, and many I recognize that I have are in full sun when they can be outside, not that all of the plants in these pics are full sun-sters.

And I didn't mean to sound like such a dilettante! Now that they're mine, I feel that motherly obligation to figure out how to 1) not kill them, 2) help them flourish.

I've rearranged: succulents in one well-drained bowl, cacti in another. There's one (the cute dark green spikey guy in the middle if the succulents) that I guessed on. I knew they all wanted different things!

Now I'll just ignore the cactus as they all bite - until they need attention or bigger pots. Those things on them wanting to be "flowers"? They seem glued on and not real at all.

Direct sun, I've learned, means something different in the desert. I'll get 'em plenty of bright bright sunny shade!

Thanks, you'all!

They may seem to be "glued on" , but could also be 'grafted'! May take some 'watching'…In other words…Let them develop…See what happens…

But I'm NOT an afficienado (spell ck) of cactus/succulents...

Yes, the wavy cactus and 2 yellows and one pink look like they were grafted onto euphorbias. I'm also not too familiar with grafted plants but you can look for info on that easily on the web.

Believe it or not Bev, they graft those little guys to sections of Dragonfruit! (Hylocereus undatus)

The colorful little 'Moon Cactus' on top is Gymnocalycium mihanovichii

If you take the Moon Cactus off and plant it separately you will have the start of a dragonfruit plant!

Happy New Year!

I knew somebody would be an 'expert' on that "grafting stuff"....

I'm gonna just leave 'em develop as they like for now, (thx @terrafirma) attempting to make them all as happy as they can be! Both groups already appear happier.

I'm sure they'll do great! Have fun with them and enjoy getting those hands dirty!