Category Archives: plants

artificial

15 Saturday Aug 2009

Posted by in photohunt, photos, plants

≈ 9 Comments

artificial

Today’s Photohunter theme is “artificial”.

When I was in Málaga last week a very common sight in the streets, and especially near restaurants, were biznaga sellers.

The “biznaga” is a small floral arrangement using jasmine flowers. The little flowers head are mounted onto the dried stalk of another Mediterranean plant known as “ammi visage” thus creating the final arrangement. The jasmine flowers are picked at dusk when they are still closed so that it is easier to string them together. At nigthfall the blossoms open turning into an amazing white ball of heady fragance.

Just before I left Málaga I saw the mother of all biznagas (in fact, two of them) being installed at the end of Calle Larios and thought they were wonderful, though they were clearly artificial.

photohunter

Continue reading →

cat grass part 3

30 Thursday Jul 2009

Posted by in animals & pets, home, plants

≈ 5 Comments

cat grass pt 3

Caught in the act!

For all of you who have been following The Cat Grass Saga I’m sure you will all be pleased to know that at least one of them is finally eating the stuff – and I now have photo evidence. Weirdly, Azar hasn’t done any massive projectile grass pukes after the first one the other day. Will hide the grass while I’m away in Málaga next week, just in case.

Sunny remains uninterested, but then, he’s a dog.

flor’s rooftop garden

07 Thursday May 2009

Posted by in food & drink, friends, health & happiness, neighbours, photos, plants, yoga

≈ 12 Comments

la-flor

Yesterday evening I finally got to see Flor’s rooftop garden.

Some of you may remember that I met Flor shortly after going back to yoga in January. Haven’t seen a lot of her recently because she’s been spending a lot of time in Portugal (she has property there with an amazing garden), though she did come with me for my last “chemo picnic” on April 23rd. Anyhow, I’ve been dying to see her place for ages and so after our post-yoga juice break yesterday she invited me to come over after I finished my class with Dr A.

Had a great time, a lovely meal and got to meet Flor’s two cute pups and gorgeous cat. Later on today we’re going to tart up her blog with some of the photos I took, but for now just a wee sneak preview …

Continue reading →

ya es primavera

17 Tuesday Mar 2009

Posted by in health & happiness, plants, sevilla, spain

≈ 10 Comments

blossom

This weekend the first orange blossom (azahar) was spotted in the centre of Sevilla. This is always the first sign of spring for me, though it never becomes “official” until you see the ya es primavera banners across the windows of El Corte Inglés.

For the next three weeks or so the streets of Seville will smell like heaven. I used to wonder why I found the fragrance of orange blossom so soothing until I found out that azahar has many therapeutic qualities, including its use as a natural sedative. Other therapeutic properties of orange blossom oil (aka Neroli) are antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-infectious, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, cordial, deodorant, digestive, emollient, and tonic. It takes about 1000 lbs. of orange blossoms to make 1 lb. of Neroli oil, which no doubt accounts for its rather hefty price tag.

But as lovely as Neroli is, it is no comparison for the delicate scent of orange blossom in the fresh spring air. Wish you could be here…

[ from azahar’s Sevilla ]

viveros casa batlló

21 Thursday Aug 2008

Posted by in animals & pets, home, photos, plants, sevilla, spain

≈ 10 Comments

Yesterday I went back to the viveros to 1) find out the name of my mystery plants and 2) get some baby cacti for the bathroom. Nog and I took the rental bikes and when I stopped to take a photo of the entrance I noticed for the first time that it was called Casa Batlló, just like my favourite house in Barcelona.

As soon as I walked in the woman who sold me the Portulaca (which is indeed its proper name, and does not start with a ‘b’) looked up from cleaning a window and said to me by way of a greeting – “It was an orange one!”. Ha! And I told her the second ‘yellow’ one she’d chosen for me also turned out to be orange and we had a good laugh. Guess you had to be there. Anyhow, I then asked about some baby cacti and chose three – again, one euro each. Weirdly, the man who showed me the cactus section (I think the husband of the woman I’d been talking to) also showed me a type that he said people buy to put next to their computers because they absorb static or something? A quick google has come up with this. Maybe I’ll get one next time. Meanwhile, here are the three I bought (well, two cacti and a succulent) …

Afterwards I wandered around the viveros looking for gatitos and found way fewer than on my previous two visits (figures, since I wanted to take pics of them). And it turned out that the proprietors were also camera shy – a real shame because they were both so charming and would have made for a great photo together with their plants and cats. Perhaps I’ll be able to convince them next time (I have a feeling I’ll be going back again).

Below are a few pics showing the general ambience of the place, including a few cats…

Continue reading →