There are many suggestions for making your home seem a little warmer during the winter. They range from adding warmer colors around the home to, well, just turning up the heat. If you want to get a Southwestern feel in your home even when it's snowing outside, you can try growing a cactus.

Cacti are excellent plants for novice gardeners, since they are hardy and require a relatively minimal amount of care. Deborah Brown, a horticulturalist writing for the University of Minnesota Extension, says cacti are succulents that have developed water storage mechanisms to survive in harsh environments. For this reason, you want to be careful not to treat them like any other houseplant and water them regularly.

As with any plant, you should make sure the cactus you buy does not have any major problems. The Cactus and Succulent Society of Alberta, a Canadian horticultural organization, says the cactus should be free of discoloration, insect damage, or scars.

The cactus should be placed in a plastic or clay pot with holes on the bottom to allow for adequate drainage. Kristi Waterworth, writing for SFGate, says the soil should be well-drained and can consist of a mixture of equal parts sand, peat moss, and garden soil. You can also visit a garden store to find a pre-mixed soil for cacti.

Place the cactus in an area where it will receive plenty of sunlight. A south-facing window is ideal, though the cactus can also be placed near a window in the east or west. Brown says that if your home does not receive sufficient light, you can place fluorescent bulbs above the cactus to supplement the sunlight and give the plant about 14 to 16 hours of light.

The plant will do best if the temperature and humidity are kept within a certain range. The temperature should be kept between 65 and 90 degrees, while humidity should be limited to 10 to 30 percent.

Watering the cactus is the trickiest part of its winter care, as you might be tempted to add water regularly. Don Janssen, writing for the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension, says cacti need only a small amount of water to moisten the roots and keep the plant from shriveling. The Cactus and Succulent Society of Alberta says cacti can often go for two months without watering during the winter.

Waterworth recommends periodically checking the top half-inch of soil and adding water when it is dry. Brown says watering that takes place during the winter should be thorough. Continue adding water until it begins to drain out of the bottom of the pot, then discard the excess water to prevent the reabsorption of the liquid through the drainage holes.

Fertilizer can be added during the cactus' growing period in spring and summer. Brown says the fertilizer application only needs to take place once, and that it should have a high level of phosphorus.

If you wish to relocate the cactus outdoors when the temperatures get warmer, you should first acclimate it to avoid damage from scorching. Bring the plant outside for a few hours a day at first, and allow it to stay out for gradually longer periods of time.

Cacti need a little more attention during their growing period in the spring and summer. If you move the cactus outdoors, make sure it is in a sunny and dry location. Deb Wiley, writing for Better Homes and Garden, says natural rainfall is often enough to meet the plant's moisture requirements. If the summer turns out to be hot and dry, keep an eye on the soil to see if it needs watering.

If you like the cactus in its outdoor location, you might consider leaving it there. Wiley says snow cover provides protection to cacti, though they might suffer damage during windy winters with sunlight. Putting a burlap covering over the cactus will help protect it during the season.

As in moving the cactus outdoors, an acclimation period is needed if you relocate the cactus to your home for the winter. Melissa Lewis, also writing for SFGate, says you can begin moving the cactus to an area of the yard that receives slightly less sunlight each day. After a couple of weeks in this location, the cactus can be moved into the house and cared for as usual.

Though you can continue to tend the cactus indoors, you also have the option of putting it away for its dormant period. Lewis says doing so better replicates the natural environment of the cactus and encourages flowering in the spring as well as a stronger root system.

If you encourage dormancy, you should try to find a well-lit room for the cactus that is between 45 and 55 degrees. Waterworth says cacti kept in this way should be watered sparingly and from the bottom.