Among spring blooms noted in his book are purple Canterbury Bells, California Buckwheat, Bigelow Coreopsis, and hot pink ...

Come springtime in Southern California ... and after that you'll likely still find desert lilies galore, fluttering red ocotillo tips, fuchsia cactus blossoms and more through April across ...

You want to mimic a sandy or rocky soil like you might find in a desert in California or Mexico.' One easy way to do this is to use a cactus-specific potting mix, which will contain plenty of sand ...