My cactus garden on the balcony in Marseille
Brits abroad, we do love our gardens. Much as I would like a garden in Provence, it’s not a practical proposition on a balcony in central Marseille. Cacti and succulents are a viable alternative, they endure the drought when I am not here, have plenty of sunshine and are resilient to the Mistral and the autumn storms.
The weird shapes and colours are intriguing even if the sharp spines and hooks are intimidating and some will irritate if you get pricked by them.
I do get flowers but they’re a rarity, they show usually in the spring. You don’t get a big show like when the desert bursts in to bloom, the flowers are individual, brilliant colours and short-lived. But the garden breaks the view of the Marseille concrete jungle and it’s always different, even if it does sometimes seem that the spiky cacti don’t appreciate my attentions.
Thanks to Terry and to Peter for their contributions