Photography school

What could be worse than my regular pictures? My cameraphone pictures. If you squint, you can sort of make out Euphorbia "Red Martin" (which was definitely not chosen for the name). It's blooming now: clusters of little chartreuse flowers on dark red stems with olive-y leaves.

Also blooming, in the next pot over, is Callistemon viminalis "Little John". Bottlebrushes, in the form of small trees frequently "pruned" with hedge shears, are common here (almost Strelitzia-common), but they may not be familiar to east-coasters. They bloom almost all year. What I wanted to show was the striking effect of the rich golden pollen sprinkled over the deep burgundy(?) "flowers" [I have no idea what is going on, technically speaking, in these inflorescences]. This picture will give you a better idea.

I nearly killed these plants before I realized that drought tolerant + terra cotta pot = water every other day. They've recovered, but they're both looking a little leggy.