Pages

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Inspiration is Everywhere

Aloes are planted in the front, back, and every corner of our garden. For most of the year, they are unremarkable filler plants in the landscape, adding a bit of green among the weeds and gravel. But in the late winter and early spring, they become the center of attention with their beautiful, bizarre flower spikes.
front, Aloe variegata. back, Aloe barbadensis.
This is one of my favorites:
 
The plant is not quite eight inches tall, and hidden under a creosote bush for protection from the sun. I’ve barely noticed it since last summer. Yesterday, I saw this bright spark of red, and was amazed by the number of flowers.
 

The colors were so inspiring I had to make a palette from the photo.
I would never have put those colors together, but don’t they look nice?
 

 
What unusual inspiration have you found recently?

Katrina

2 comments:

  1. Certainly gorgeous colours and an interesting plaant I couldn't possibly grow in my garden with or without the protection of a creosote bush...can you successfully harvest the creosote by the way?
    My late winter early spring garden looks so different to yours!
    I have not been inspired by anything recently but I am uplifted each day when I walk by a Mahonia bush that wafts a beautiful perfume along the street,I have to stop and sniff it each time I pass.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you could produce some creosote if you burned the bush, but it would be inefficient - they are very scraggly and twiggy. They are called that because the leaves have an unusual, supposedly creosote-like smell!

      Delete