We rented a home in San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico for five months, over the Internet, sight unseen, even town unseen. San Miguel is absolutely lovely but it not known for its nature. Well, one of the best "accidental" features of this home was that it overlooked a canyon that was part of the preserve, called the Jardin Botanico. When we bought a membership to the garden, we got a key which gave us access to the back gate - just three minutes away on foot. Heaven. After being in the heart of a city for so long, it just fed my soul to be able to hike around with our dog in the preserves (without having to drive there), to take pictures in the conservatorio, or just to gaze out over the canyon as the ibis flew through on their early morning migration. Many of the following images were taken in the Jardin. Click on any image to see if it's available in black & white. |
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| To end my philosophical musings about the variety of life, I will now refer to my limited knowledge gained from my friend Dory and tell you that the pink hue is most likely due to some chemical in the soil. Or, who knows, it could just be embarrassed. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| Some succulents, like this one, are so floral in their appearance, it's easy to forget how tough and hardy they are.
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| Isn't the variety of life just amazing? I mean, why is this edged in pink? Why is it wavy? Or to quote the little girl at the zoo looking at the giraffe, "What's it for?"
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| There's a "Where's Waldo?" element in this image. Do you see the heart? I hadn't even noticed it myself until Raymond pointed it out. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| This succulent was so small -- maybe two inches across. I like how even though it grows from its center, the outer leaves are still tiny.
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| What caught my eye here was not just the patterns of all these succulent stars, but also the way some of them seemed to glow a little brighter than the others.
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| My desert-loving friend Dory and I spent the morning at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix and we ooohed and aaahed over all the cacti in bloom.
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| I love the contrast of colors and textures on this cactus. There is such a sharp beauty in the desert that catches the eye in a different way than from a gentle flower, say. But it's no less potent.
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| I found succulents in Seattle! click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| A few of my neighbors have these succulents and every time I pass them, I'm captivated by their patterns.
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| Please check out the groupings page to see these as a set.
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| OK, so the thorns at the tips of these might make biting down on them unadvisable, but they sure look like they'd be juicy, don't they? Growing up in the desert I heard numerous survival stories about people sucking the water out of cacti after the canteen was empty. I guess I still see these guys as edible.
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| These tiny succulents looked so cozy all smooshed together. I thought my succulent shooting days were over when we moved to Seattle, but I'm happy I was wrong. These thrive here.
click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| Please see the groupings page to see these as a set.
click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| The way these leaves catch the light and seem to glow really caught my eye. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| When I came upon this succulent, I said to my friend, "This isn't even fair. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, to take pictures of something so gorgeous." I feel blessed to live in a world where nature gives us such beauty. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| I was attracted to the duality of the flow and soft appearance of these flat leaves, and then the OUCH of their points when you get to the end! click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| It was around sunset in San Francisco and the fog was rolling in, making the light very soft and diffuse. I love the way the tiny thorns on this aloe caught the remains of the light. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| One of my neighbors has a delightful succulent garden, and these little guys were very willing to have their picture taken. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| I was so focused on the succulent itself and the play of light on its center, that I didn't really pay attention to the thorns surrounding it. When I uploaded the image on my computer, the contrast of the impending thorns just popped out. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| The succulents in the Conservatorio encompass such a wide range of colors, shapes and textures. This one looked like it was coated with frost, but it was actually a hot day. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| At the Jardin Botanico, there's a "Conservatorio de Plantas Mexicanas" similar to a greenhouse, where the light is diffused in the most lovely way. I added no special effects to this shot - the light was just perfect. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| I was bummed the day I took this because I had wanted to shoot inside the Conservatorio again but it was already closed. That caused me to look at what was outside the structure. Here was this ordinary agave, but the way the sun was hitting it just took my breath away. Its heart looks like it's glowing. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| The perfect symmetry of this succulent is accented by the way the light hits it. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| I was so happy when we got to Newport Beach (after the high desert of Mexico) to discover that one of our neighbors has a succulent garden. So despite the Spanish title, this was shot right here the US. This was one of the few they didn't have at the Botanico. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| There is just something so captivating about the patterns of these plants. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| This lovely was right on the beach near the Balboa pier. And I thought my succulent days were over when I left the Botanico. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| I found this funky succulent at the J. Paul Getty museum in Los Angeles. I almost enjoyed the garden more than the art - it was beautifully done. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| This cactus audience was also at the J. Paul Getty Museum. I feel like they're all facing away from the camera and leaning slightly forward to better hear the head cactus who's on the stage leading the meeting. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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| These agaves are all over the place on Balboa Peninsula, and the light catches their edges and makes them seem to glow. This group can be hung as a series. click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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click here to order a standard print or use the drop-down options below to order a canvas print. |
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