The stone affair continues

When I visited St. Petersburg, Russia, our tour guide told us she loved her city best after a good rain, because that is when the colours of the buildings stand out in all their beauty.  I was doubtful at the time, because for me rain is a big no-no. However, whenever I observe the brilliant colours of the stones in my garden during the watering times I have to admit to myself that our guide had a point.

Here they are, stones of my garden photographed when wet to intensify their colours. In order of appearance, they are: rhino stones; river pebbles; hippo stones; red pebbles from a shop (I think they were called diamond pebbles); tiger eye stones; and pebbles dug from my garden:

The variety of stones is not always intentional. Every time I do the nursery rounds with the intention of buying stones they have something different on offer. The only stones always to be found in Johannesburg nurseries are the white ones, which I avoid as much as I can, though I have purchased a few bags out of despair, because there was nothing else on offer.

When I started digging around my garden in order to add compost to the clay soil, I unearthed several large stones. They are now above ground:

The pebbles pictured below travelled with me from across half the globe. They were stolen from a beach in Montenegro; some of those beaches have the most beautiful pebbles in the world.

The origins of this lovely stone – pride of my garden - are shrouded in mystery. It was a gift, one of the most beautiful I ever received.