Succulent Gourds

When I saw these potted succulents , they reminded me a little bit of some patterns on ancient pottery I saw at the Louvre in Paris, so I went to dig up the photos: 

I took pictures of the pottery pieces because I was attracted to the patterns painted on them.  

The artist of these potted succulents, Melanie, grows theses gourds, dries them, burns the designs on the gourds, and finishes them off with succulent arrangements. Each of them are one of a kind and a pleasing combination of pattern, color, and shape. They are beautiful.

Melanie says the gourds do take up room, but are easy to grow, and the greenery is beautiful as the plant grows.

If you are interested in these gourds, as Melanie does sell these, send me an e-mail and I will get more information for you.

San Diego Floral Association 2012 Garden Tour

Over the weekend...

I volunteered for the San Diego Floral Association's garden tour in Point Loma. The weather started out overcast then turned into a beautiful 75 degree sunny day. For the few hours I manned my station, I greeted lovely people who were just as enthused about seeing beautiful gardens as I was. For volunteering, I was allowed to visit the other six gardens that were on the tour. Her are some photos...

The cottage

Wow. Great color for a piano. I want it.

 The piano was a in very large estate and the owners not only invited guest through the gardens, but into part of their home as well.

They had a thing for Dr. Suess

This was the room where Jimmy Carter stayed in 

Can you believe all these wind chimes? 

I wonder what it sounds like when it gets really windy.

A vegetable garden that supplies a local Thai restaurant 

This view from this home was pretty amazing. You can see the harbor, and beyond that is downtown San Diego and the Coronado bridge in the haze to the right.

That was a fun tour. I'll definitely do it again next year.