May Flowers

I wanted to end the month the way I started it, sharing some of the flowers we are graced with around here in Spring (click on photos for a larger view).

Such as these delicate Limonium delicatulum (or acelga salada; if I remember my Botany classes correctly, certain species of Limonium are endemic to the Spanish coast, and in general they're quite rare).

A close-up on the tiny flowers:

And here's another Limonium species:

And our cheery Asteriscus maritimum:
And while all those purple flowers I photographed on trees a month ago are gone, there's a new group of trees out that are bursting with royal purple! I love these (although they can be a nuisance to having a clean car). They remind me of Mexico, of a plaza in front of a church we went to occasionally after our parish priest was transferred there. The whole plaza was surrounded by these and at this time of year it was like walking through a purpple cloud: lovely delicate flowers in the boughs above your head, and the flowers that had begun to fall beneath your feet. Does anyone know their name?

Close-up on the flowers:
Finally, do you remember that tree stump in my first flowery post (Earth Day)? Oops, now that I look at it you can;t tell in the picture entitled "new growth" that it's a stump. Well, you can still see the changes:

New growth indeed!
Hmmm... I like sharing pictures. Perhaps I'll get into the summery mood and share snippets of the Mediterranean with you these next couple of months. If for no other reason than to drive you insanely jealous share the beauties of this region! ;o)