Surreal Succulents: A Fantasy Garden at Ganna Walska Lotusland

"Salvador Dalí Meets the Desert"

Landscape designer Eric Nagelmann created a theatrical display for a collection of 300 rare columnar cacti donated by Merritt Dunlap at Ganna Walska Lotusland in Santa Barbara. Tons of boulders, basalt columns, and slate-gray mulch form a labyrinthine path leading to a dramatic overlook. Viewing the collection from above feels like a desert canyon on another planet. "I keep hearing, 'I thought I hated cactus, but I love this garden,'" says Nagelmann.

Info: Ganna Walska Lotusland (tours 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Wed-Sat through Nov 12, resuming mid-Feb; $15; reservations required; 805/969-9990)