Hot Cactus, the Echo Park shop that somehow made cacti even cooler than they already were, has recently announced their expansion from simple shop to botanical garden. Huntington Gardens II, an outdoor space next door to the shop, will showcase labeled, rare and exotic cacti specimens from around the world.
They've borrowed a bit of their name from Huntington Library, whom they mentioned in an Instagram post on Wednesday, February 24, announcing their new garden as "a democratic sequel to the better but gated botanical behemoth located 10 miles to the Northeast." We're not sure how Huntington Library will feel about it, but we're totally excited. Hot Cactus already feels like a tiny cacti garden—every time we go we learn something new (and usually spend a pretty penny on something prickly). The idea of exploring even more impressive specimens, for free (!), is making all the cacti dreams we never knew we had come true.
In addition to the botanical garden, on Sundays only, Hot Cactus will operate Huntington Garden II Café (also free!) at the bus stop on the corner, offering a seasonal menu of iced coffee and "breast-shaped pastries." (We're very curious to see how each of these offerings will change with the seasons.)
The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will take place this Sunday, February 28, from 1 to 4pm at 1505 1/2 Echo Park Avenue.
