Jacques Majorelle 1886-1962

The French painter Jacques Majorelle, son of the renowned Art Nouveau cabinet maker Louis Majorelle, traveled to Morocco in 1917 - the same year as the American writer Edith Eharton - at the invitation of the Resident General, Marshal Lyautey. Seduced by Marrakesh, he settled there in 1923 and bought land on the edge of the Palmerale (Palm Grove) 0n which, the following year, he built Villa Bousafsaf (Villa of Poplars) in the architectural style mixing colonial and Moorish elements. In 1930, the artist added an Art Deco-style painting studio known for its striking "Majorelle blue:" colour. Surrounding these two buildings, Jacques Majorelle created a living work of art: a garden filled with exotic and rare plants that he would bring back from his worldwide travels. In 1947, he decided to open the garden to the public.

In 1980 Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent acquired the Jardin Majorelle to save the site from a real estate project, and moved into the artist's former villa. The latter was completely renovated with the help of American architect Bill Willis and the French interior decorator Jacques Grange. It was renamed Villa Oasis, after the title of a novel by Eugène Dabit, "Villa Oasis ou Les Faux Bourgeois. The restoration of the garden and the enlargement of its plant collection were overseen by the American garden designer Madison Cox and the garden's botanical department.

Bunny-ears Cactus

The Opuntia tribe is one of the two large lineages of cactus. It includes the prickly pears, which have flattened stems, as well as the chollas, which have cylindrical stems. They are found in both North and South America, and include the most northern and most southern species of cacti. Most members of this tribe have spines like other cacti, and all possess tiny barbed bristles called glochids. It's hard to encounter an Optuntia without picking up some of these irritating bristles - often unnoticed until the pain begins.

The Bunny-ears cactus, native to Mexico, is a spineless member of this group, very popular with window sill cultivation. However, don't be fooled by its soft and endearing appearance. Its adorable look has very practical purpose. The tufts of glochids serve to protect the plant and can even absorb fog, transferring moisture to the plant. This is a great advantage in dry environments.

Barrel Cactus

The golden barrel cactus is one of the most popular cacti in cultivation. Its squat, oval shape covered in golden spines makes it highly attractive. Although a bit too large for a windowsill, it thrives as a stunning landscape plant in mild climates. A single specimen is sculptural and eye-catching, while a group planting creates a striking visual display.

The cactus is very easy to grow in dry areas where winter temperatures stay above 10 deg C. Despite its prevalence in cactus collections, the golden barrel cactus has a very narrow natural range and is now endangered in the wild. Decades of commercial harvesting removed many mature plants, and a dam construction in Querétaro, Mexico inundated much of its remaining natural habitat.

Thus, cultivating the golden barrel cactus is not only enjoyable but also contributes to the conservation of the species. Recent generic studies comparing it to the related genus Ferocactus suggest that the golden barrel cactus may be a hybrid between this genus and Echinocactus. This finding led to its proposed reclassification into a new genus, Kroenleinia, though this approach lacks universal acceptance. Interestingly, in parts of Europe, the cactus is nicknamed "mother-in-law's cushion", a term reflective of certain cultural humour themes.