WEEKEND ROUNDUP - LETTER "S"

STARTS WITH "S" - "SURPRISE!" INSECT WALL ART IN AL BALAD

A FAVORITE - "SUCCULENT"

"SHORT" - "SHORT" WINDOW OF TIME TO CAPTURE A GLORIOUS SUNSET

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FRIDAY BLISS

 

Planting Baobab Trees in Jeddah

Lately I have seen several new plantings of baobab trees around the city of Jeddah.  Called the "Tree of Life," the baobab tree is native to the drier regions of Arabia, Africa, Australia, and Madagascar. It is quite an unusual looking tree with an enormous trunk, where it stores lots of water.  Except for a few short months of the year, the baobab tree is leafless and appears as though its roots are sticking up in the air. 

It is known as the Tree of Life for several reasons. It can provide not only water, but food and shelter.  The tree is fire resistant and its cork-like bark can be used for making cloth and rope.  Its leaves are used as an ingredient in soups and there are claims that they have medicinal value.  The baobab fruit is edible and is very high in Vitamin C. Its fruit is called "Monkey Bread" and is described as having a velvety exterior and is about the size of a coconut.

Since it can store hundreds of liters of water, in times of drought the tree can be tapped.  Older trees are often hollowed out to provide homes for animals or humans, and some are even used as shops.  I'm rather excited to see these plantings mature and follow their progress!

Jeddah Spice Market - Sumac

The spice sumac derives from red berries of the sumac bush which grows in the Middle East. The berries are dried and then crushed into a coarse powder.  With its pleasant lemony taste, sumac is used to spice up many dishes in the region, oftentimes sprinkled on top to enhance not only the flavor, but to jazz up the appearance of the dishes. 

Jeddah Cactus

I still haven't figured out exactly what this plant is. It reminds me of a Christmas cactus but I don't think it is.  Any guesses?

Jeddah Building with Plant Wall

Jeddah has some very interesting architecture, ranging from ultra modern glass buildings of unusual shapes to very European style to elegant and classic.  I have to admit I've never before seen a building like this one anywhere else, with a large vertical garden of shrubs and grasses planted on the front side of the structure.  I think it's pretty fascinating.

Theme Day: Smell - Basil on the Street

It was a pleasant surprise to stumble across this healthy fragrant bush of basil growing outside a building in Jeddah.  Someone must obviously be tending to it otherwise it would die from lack of water wince it rarely rains here.

Today is the first of the month, which means it's theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers from around the world,  sharing the wonders of their area of the world pictorially with others.  Each month there is a different theme.  This month's theme is "Smell."

Please visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day of "Smell."