Greek Aeonium

Some gardens in Paros, Greece look much like those illustrated in Sunset's Western Gardens book and include the same plants one might find in a California garden.  Another botanical drawing, this Aeonium variety Atropurpurem, with its dark purple rosettes, is set against a distant grove of olive trees.  Some of the olive trees on Paros are hundreds of years old and help remind one of the long history of that land.  Growing everywhere in the red, rocky soil they are a welcome sight and produce delicious local olives and olive oil which I consumed in great quantities on my vacation.