A wiener dog's point of view of the garden

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This is what The Tropical Paradise looks like to Macintosh, the good little wiener dog. Although I've read that dogs only see in black and white, and mostly she just follows her nose. Anyway, I like seeing her prowling around, weaving around the plants.

The cycad in the center of the photo is a Dioon spinulosum, a native of Mexico. Behind it is a dwarf date palm, Phoenix roebellini. The cycad closest to you, and slightly to the left, with just one leaf is an Encephalartos villosus, native to South Africa. On the left are the elephant ears (Caladiums) that I transplanted from a friend's yard in Los Angeles. They come back bigger and stronger all the time, have been there for years. The reddish broad-leaf plants are Canna Tropicanas. The fronds that you see sticking into the picture from the right are of one of my tiny zamias, another cycad. And just behind the date stamp is a common houseplant, called a Dragon Tree (Dracaena). They actually grow into small trees in climates like Los Angeles, and are pretty cool at a larger size because you can see why it has the name of "Dragon Tree" - the limbs are shaped, well, like a dragon!

What you see on the ground are olives. I forgot to spray "fruit stop" this spring, and I am getting a bumper crop. What a mess! I like to them it in the garden, but not where I am walking. I hope that Macintosh, the good little wiener dog, doesn't mind!

What a beautiful day!

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