Cacti aren't the boring, prickly, cucumber-esque blob that takes up space on your windowsill anymore! Growers these days have developed incredibly diverse, colorful varieties of cactus and succulents that are real attention-getters. As you can see from the article photo, cacti are now grown with flowers that are every color of the rainbow, and they're just as easy to take care of as the old versions.
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Here's a few others that steal the show:
Sedums such as "Dragon's Blood", and "Blue Spruce" have brightly colored foliage, not to mention dark lilac and yellow flowers, respectively. They are an excellent container choice for a long planter or a low bowl. They are also a stress-free spreading groundcover in the garden.
Jade (Crassula ovata) is an easy-going plant that takes little maintenance. You can find it in green, dwarf, or variegated varieties. It is a great summer container plant, but in the Birmingham climate it will need to be brought inside and put near a sunny window through the winter months.
Portulaca, or purslane, is an excellent choice for hanging baskets because of their trailing foliage and brightly colored flowers, not to mention not having the hassle of taking them down for watering nearly as often!
These summer-smart plants are some of the easiest to take care of, because they store water in their fleshy leaves, allowing them to go for long periods without water. However, despite their resilience, you should still water them about once every three to four days while the summer heat persists for optimum results.