Autumn Fire at Paradise and Roses

Tea in Paradise with Summer Gold to my right, and to my left (I'm sinister) Autumn Fire. When we built the house I wanted a walled rose garden, face brick to match the house. The most visible of the four beds (when you look out the window, step off the verandah, or walk down the path into Paradise and Roses), I'm grateful that it is the one among the four that works best!

Looking out the window at Autumn Fire

This bed was planted in September 2007.
 2008. 2009. 2010. Autumn flush in May 2011.

Autumn Fire at Paradise and Roses
End of October, then November from the verandah
Down the path to reach out

For Autumn Fire I seek – burgundy or chocolate foliage. I love the impact of a tree with dark leaves among the green. The curved wall, behind which we drive or walk from the road, throws shadow year road. That calls for a foreign deciduous tree as the parasol. Prunus nigra (Canada! plum) bowing down under its cherry sized fruit.

Along the curve I have planted shrubs and trees, making the illusion of a fourth corner. Diospyros whyteana is a favourite tree. No berries so ours must be male. The leaves are a deep green and glossy. In the ebony family with persimmon, ours is found as far as Ethiopia. Halleria lucida tree fuchsia bears its orange tubular flowers on old wood. A tree related to snapdragons and foxgloves, Nemesia and Diascia. Nectar for sunbirds, berries and insects for the other birds. 

Diospyros whyteana, Halleria lucida

In the shade of these three and the wall is Mackaya bella forest bell bush. The only plant in its genus, endemic to the summer rainfall side of South Africa. Also tucked in that shadiest corner is the tuberous begonia.

Mackaya bella

I have a dark lavender, deadheaded since this picture was taken at the end of October.  Weight and heft from large dramatic leaves in a clump of Strelitzia, which has smuggled in an arum lily Zantedeschia.

Dark lavender, Prunus nigra
Japanese maple, Strelitzia regina

Beneath the pillow of self sown poppy is an orange leaved Crassula and there is a Kalanchoe with brick orange flowers coming into bloom now.  

Paradise and Roses. I wanted a striped rose in each bed, Burning Sky with two tone petals must fulfil my need for striped petals.

Burning Sky on a sunny day
and an overcast day

Alec’s Red produced a few huge flowers at the end of October and is busy building the next set of buds.

Alec's Red

Duftwolke kept going, now she has Bunches of flowers.

Duftwolke

Karoo Rose has so many flowers, that Saturday’s rain bowed the wet bunches over. Because of the way nature arranges ‘florid bundle’ roses, so each has its designated place in the sun – one truss in a square vase is perfection.

Karoo Rose

And finally another rose with history. The French family which bred Peace at the end of World War Two. Deep red, velvety and fragrant, a Proper rose – I bring you Papa Meilland. 

Papa Meilland

For info about South African plants I go to PlantZAfrica.

Pictures and words by Diana of  Elephant's Eye 

- wildlife gardening in Porterville, near Cape Town in South Africa

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