Bob

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, writing in the voice of his “greatest detective” character, Sherlock Holmes, presented a tribute to this magnificent natural beauty (read below the photo).

During a brief lull in a criminal investigation (“The Adventure of the Naval Treaty”), Sherlock Holmes took a moment to smell a red rose. The flower, he remarked to his friend Dr, Watson, clearly was evidence of divine beneficence. “Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers,” proclaimed the world’s greatest detective. “All other things, our powers, our desires, our food, are really necessary for our existence in the first instance. But this rose is an extra. Its smell and colour are an embellishment of life, not a condition of it. It is only goodness which gives extras, and so I say again we have much to hope from the flowers.”

Verna currently has “Freedom Roses” on our table. This picture is from a previous batch, but I assure you they are just as nice.

This is one of the “Hen and Chicks” variety of echeveria, a succulent native to the southwest. Hen and Chicks is a stemless rosette that produces bright orange and yellow flowers spring through summer. Depending on the climate, they can also bloom again in the fall.

I took this shot using my old Canon A510 camera. These are currently growing in a hanging basket next to the patio fence. Click for a larger view.

During my after-lunchtime walks, I frequently pass a flowerbed with several varieties of perennial shrubs including this Kaffir Lily which gets these bright orange flowers in the spring and summer. I just bought one from Lowe’s for the patio, but it looks like we either need to put it indoors with the orchids or find a shady spot outdoors. I took this picture a couple of days ago with my little camera. Click for the 640×480 picture.

From WikiPedia:

Clivia miniata (also known as Bush lily or Kaffir Lily, is a species of clivia, from South Africa. It grows to a height of about 45cm in the shade of trees and shrubs, and flowers are red or orange, with a faint, but very sweet perfume.