2 Years!

Two years ago today, Malcolm and I sold our business and started out on our rather hectic new lifestyle as gentlemen of leisure. It has been tough going at times, but with some perseverance we have taken rather well to doing nothing!

It got me thinking about 2 years ago and our holiday in Ibiza during October 2007. Looking back at the photos I took then, I was struck by the flowers which were in bloom in the garden of our villa. Firstly the Hibiscus plants (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis).

Known as Chinese Rose (hence the scientific name), they are familiar to most of us as indoor plants or rather tender garden shrubs. The plants were first named in the mid 18th century by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician. They are well known for their showy, if short0lived flowers. None more showy than this delightful red variety.

Among the other blooms in Ibiza were the Lantanas (Lantana camara). Common in many parts of the world, it's blooms change colour as they open and mature, thus showing several different colours on each flower head.

Native of the American tropics, it has spread all over the world and has been classified as a 'class one' poisonous, invasive plant. There have been many attempts to eradicate it from those parts of the world where it has become a nuisance. The flowers are often grown in butterfly houses as they provide copious amounts of nectar.
It's nice to see some colour on such a dull, drizzly day.