The campo in July
In July the countryside around here is brown and barren. Long gone are the pretty and colourful wild flowers of spring and the grasses have dried out. The fruits on the wild fig and pomegranate trees have yet to ripen and it is not the season for olives nor almonds.
Flowering agaves
There is one splash of colour to brighten the countryside. The agaves are now in flower.
Close up
The bright yellow blooms look stunning against the clear blue sky.
Against the mountains and sky
In the spring the mature agaves pushed out their trunks from which have shot out these colourful flowers. When they finish blooming the agave will die but when the trunk hits the ground the flowers which have developed into tiny agave will take root in the parched soil
Las Hortichuelas Altas
These photos were taken early this evening near Las Hortichuelas Altas.
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About Margaret Merry
I grew up in Falmouth, Cornwall, England where, after leaving Falmouth High School, I spent a year at Falmouth School of Art. Then followed three years at Hornsey College of Art in London where I obtained a Diploma in Art and Design. I then spent a post-graduate year at the West of England College of Art in Bristol where I gained an Art Teacher?s Diploma and a Certificate in Education of the University of Bristol. I lived and worked in Truro for over 30 years and became one of Cornwall's most popular artists. My paintings have been exhibited in New York, Tokyo, Paris and London and have been bought by collectors from all over the world. I have published 4 books which became local bestsellers - 'The Natural History of a Westcountry City', 'Margaret Merry's Cornish Garden Sketchbook', 'Sea & Sail' and 'Tidal Reaches'.
In 2002 I moved to Spain and now live on a farm near the historic town of Loja in El Poniente Granadino in the Province of Granada. I now get my inspiration from the dramatic mountain scenery of Andalucia which I finds lends itself to the medium of pastel and the old towns and villages which I prefer to capture in watercolour.
I have written and illustrated 3 children's books - The Wise Old Boar, The Lonely Digger and The Adventure of Princess The Pony - which are being published in the USA. The Lonely Digger is now available to purchase on line at www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TheLonelyDigger.html and The Wise Old Boar at www.strategicbookpublishing.com/TheWiseOldBoar.html . The books are inspired by the wildlife and landscapes around my home.
They look great against the blue sky