Sunday, September 18, 2011

Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder


A woman in the area grows castor plants in her yard. 
They are the only ones I've seen in the area. 
While not your usual pretty flower, their coloring and shapes are interesting. Other than the plant itself and the woman who grows it, 
nothing seems to like them as they are toxic. 
The plants in her yard have been up to ten feet tall. 
However, I don't think she planted them this year 
because their usual patch is empty, with only a couple small volunteers.


And here is a whole crowd of little purple guys, 
jubilantly showing their faces to the sun. 
They form an entire border edging one back yard. 

2 comments:

dive said...

I behold beauty, Speedway. That castor plant has everything: fabulously shaped leaves, feathery flower spikes, buds bursting like little hazelnuts and cute baby cauliflower flowers. Amazing. I love the way you caught the sunlight through the green leaves and shining off the immature red leaves.

And those little purple guys look so enthusiastic, how can anyone not fall in love with them?

Speedway said...

I thought the castor plant looked almost alien in a setting of tulips, roses and irises. I did like their color and the shapes of the leaves, pods and flowers.

The woman liked them, though and had a small patch, each of them about 10 feet tall. They had no insects on them, no birds, squirrels or rabbits ate them, which was due to the ricin content of the plant. When she pulled the plants up last winter, she wore rubber gloves. She either didn't replant or they didn't grow back.

The little purple flowers form a hedge of sorts between 2 yards about a block from here. Friendly, innocuous fellas --and non-toxic.