Alluaudia Procera - Madagascar Ocotillo

Alluaudia Procera or Madagascar Ocotillo looks like a piece of art to me. I was not quite sure if this one was Alluaudia Comosa, given they are so similar, and it is also confused with the Ocotillo.

After some research, I have concluded that this is Procera. 

Anyway my intention was to show the sculptural characteristics of this succulent in front of modern architecture, and all the texture that was added to a plain building.

The pictures belong to my personal archives, 2021. See how beautiful the succulents garden of this building at the San Diego Zoo looks with the combination of round bushes of Money Plant and low ground covers Sea Fig or Pig Face.

The Money Plant enclosing the Alluaudia Procera, adding volume to the group.

Here, the Madagascar Ocotillo in combination with more cactus and succulents, along a path.

On the left and at the end of the succulents path, an Acacia is depicting a turning point. 

Here is a macro photo of the Acacia, the succulents in a lighter green tone behind.

 

African Cycads- Encephalartos

 

All pictures copyright Myriam Mahiques personal archives. 2021.

We have lots of Palm trees in California, but these African Cycads (Encephalartos) are really impressive, it is such a beautiful view to see the leaves intersecting with different tones of greens, and close to us, given they are not tall, they grow up to 10 feet (3M).

It is interesting to know that they contain starch and a starchy type of bread can be prepared from the center of the stem, hence the other common names of "Bread trees", "Bread Palms", or "Kaffir Bread".

From Wikipedia: "All the species are endangered, some critically, due to their exploitation by collectors and traditional medicine gatherers. (...) EU Annex A. CITES prohibits international trade in specimens of these species except for certain non-commercial motives, such as scientific research." So I consider myself lucky to have enjoyed their view. Keep on reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encephalartos

I have taken these pictures at the San Diego Zoo. Please do not reproduce without my permission.

Screenplay, Montreal

 

I'm suscribed to V2com.news from which I get information about contemporary architecture and interior design. But this post was different, it is related to a 10 day workshop in Montreal, Canada. As follows:

Montréal, Canada, 2021-06-30 - Invited by the UQÀM School of Design to present an intensive 10-day workshop, architect Jean Verville, professor at the School of Architecture at Université Laval, offers a collaborative work gamification laboratory. Exploring the notion of an event as a means of activating a reappropriation of the deserted city, but also of demonstrating the interdependence of individuals and their participatory responsibility, Verville introduces students to a method tracing his professional process, from ideation to realization and to diffusion. As the professor and his special guests submit themselves to various challenges to activate the production of heuristic tools, the students develop a repertoire of more than 5,000 shapes, collages, models, materials, details, and lexicons, without justification of origin, meaning, or possible interpretations.(...)

I think the work of these students is fantastic. So absolutely creative. And what is more, is the relationship with the human body, with both architecture and landscape. So conceptually explicit here. Photo credit: Maxime Brouillet Photographe + DES7029  

There are more pictures on the site, the link is here:

https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/press-kits/1010-18/screenplay-032830dc-2216-435c-9321-01461b0549d6