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A member of the succulent plant family, particularly adapted to arid and extremely hot environments, and characterised by spines. Often flowers at night.

Plants that have thick, fleshy leaves, which enable them to store water and so survive very dry conditions. Almost all cacti are succulents.

, with yellowy pink blooms. Height 110cm.Dahlia 'Preference'Large-flowered cactus type, needs staking to support stems. Height 120cm.Dahlia 'Reputation'Giant-flowered semi-cactus dahlia. Grow in rich soil for best results. Height 140cm.Dahlia 'Rev P Holien

Free-draining compost or cactus compostSilver sandNewspaperSheet of glassPencil (to prick out)Seed trayall year round20 minutes to sowFill a broad terracotta pot with a moist, gritty, loam-based compost, such as John Innes. Firm down and make the surface level

. You can buy ready-made sedum matting, which you simply cut to size and roll out.Bird tablePlastic sheetingWater-retentive mattingTape measureGalvanised tacks1m of 50mm x 12mm timber battenScrews and screwdriverSedum mattingSlow-release fertiliserspring

with holes in the base that is larger than the one in which the plant is growing, or one that is large enough to accommodate the roots.Existing plantNew pot or containerCompostWatering can or hosepipeFebruary - June20 minutesThoroughly soak the roots

.cacti, succulents,greenhouse and house plantssummer, autumn, winterMore common garden pestsAphidsPhormium mealybugThripsWhitefly

Sempervivum and jovibarbaSempervivums, or houseleeks, are hardy, succulent, alpine plants that grow in the wild between rocks in mountainous regions. We picked out ten of the best varieties at BBC Gardeners' World Live 2009.Sempervivum means 'always

In this easy-to-make display, we've combined aloe with a contemporary planter to produce a simple but striking result. Aloe is a succulent plant which, although frost tender, will survive in a sheltered spot in summer. May - AugustMay - October30

Tiny sap-sucking scale insects. They are 1-6mm long, and their whitish, grey-brown shells are covered by protective, waxy scales. The insects don't cause too much damage unless they are present in huge numbers, but some excrete an unsightly, sticky