Hi everyone! 

September is here - the light is softer and the temperature has sensibly cooled down... and all plants seem to enjoy it! I really hope for a late wave of September blooms on roses and clematis which gave up any activity during the blasting August heat. 

So far nothing really impressive goes on among my chlorophyll darlings so I will wait and post new pics when I will register some activity...

Instead I will share some pictures I took at the Barcelona Botanical Garden a couple of weeks ago. 

Not much was going there either, besides the ferocious Encephalartos - a beautiful and spiny South African Cycad species.

Much more than the Cyca Revoluta (to which I ow some terrific scratches and some painful memories), the Encephalartos is a fierce thing - whith its huge leaves that seem cut out of metal sheets. It is a very sculptural plant provided you can give it the blasting heat it loves and a lot of space in order not to get in too close a contact. As you can see below, it is well armed with dented leaves.... ready to dissuade anybody from coming too near.

This relative of the better known Sago Palm or Cycas Revoluta, was bursting with bright orange red fruit for the joy of all birds and Cotorra parrots.

The size of each seed is impressive - weren't they kind of fleshy - they would make incredible beads in an exotic necklace... alas they will make only a copious feast for the parrots.

The huge fruits are perfectly arranged in rows which burst and spread on the ground when ripe.