Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Monterey - ice plants and artichokes
This past weekend, we went down about 60 miles south to the Monterey Penninsula for an event at the world famous Montery Bay Aquarium. Not a plant-related event, but a food-related event.
However, Saturday morning was sunny, and we took a walk along the bay. Just by the seashore, it never freezes, never really dries out, and never gets too hot or too terribly cold. They can grow a lot of neat stuff there, including some really awesome aloes.
What was in flower, however, was the ice plant. This particular form of ice plant is very small and low-growing, forming a carpet over the sandy cliffs, and displaying these beautiful purple flowers.
We also stopped by the Castroville artichoke festival that morning. There are a lot of vegetables grown in the area, including the only large-scale farming of artichokes in the United States. The fields come right up the the edge of town. There was a vegetable arrangement contest going on, with a few demonstration projects out front, including this charming entry:
Didn't your mom always tell you...don't play with your food?
