lithops

Reya asked for a picture of my new computer, so here it is, but it did occur to me that it looks scarcely very different from the old computer which has appeared here before, in situ.  A bit shinier maybe, cleaner and brighter.  And a far superior keyboard which will no longer hoard toast crumbs and general spong.

Otherwise, much the same, at least on the outside ...

But next to my new computer is a new plant which I'm also rather pleased about.

 

I remember a college friend having one/some of these, I was fascinated at the time. They are called lithops - literally "stone-like" - and they really are like little pebbles.  Also rather like little brains or aliens.

I found and bought this one with another London blogger at a delightful nursery in North London, where we didn't find lunch but we did find lithops.

And see how many different kinds and colours there are:

image from here

(and when did amazon start selling plants??)

(i'd have ordered one of these if they weren't out of stock...)

image from here

It will hopefully flower in the autumn or winter.

Whilst googling to learn more about lithops, I found this blog.  Isn't that wreath extraordinary?  I also love succulents and have quite a few varieties in the garden (and some indoors) though my succulents are not as succulent as her succulents. 

But I do have a hanging basket filled with them which is coming along quite nicely, it is a sort of tribute to Barcelona after a wonderful weekend there some years ago when I admired the cascades of houseleeks trailing tumbling and dangling from the balconies.

Given the choice of computer or lithops I would indeed choose the computer.  To say otherwise would be just silly talk.

But I am happy to have both.