The noise of long hot dry days, has been broken
by the clear signal of autumn. We can garden in shorts and T-shirt without
desperately seeking shade. An Easter weekend which brought us a grateful
soaking of 34 millimetres of rain.
Our Southern hemisphere mediterranean autumn,
walks hand in hand with Northern gardeners delighting in spring. The garden is
stretching gracefully.
 |
| Lampranthus seedheads open in the rain |
Walking on our Karoo Koppie I found
flowers in a subtle range of colours. Wait, those should be a star-spangled
lemon yellow in September! The vygie
seedheads had opened in the rain.
Now the sun is out, they revert to tightly shuttered brown Lampranthus capsules.
Now the sun is out, they revert to tightly shuttered brown Lampranthus capsules.
 |
| Dew on Pelargonium tomentosum |
My shade-loving Pelargonium tomentosum is
planted along the South-facing wall of the house. In the mornings the velvety
minty leaves are veiled with dew.
 |
| Watsonia, Boophane Veltheimia, Chasmanthe |
Literally overnight the Watsonia bulbs push up a few inches of sharply speared leaves. Veltheimia works steadily on her couture opera
coat. Boophane spirals its fan of
leaves. Chasmanthe raises the first
thumb of leaves, which will grow so tall that the plant keels over. Our garden
year begins!
 |
| Nerine sarniensis, Oxalis ??, vlei lilies and Kniphofia |
I have been collecting indigenous bulbs for
about 30 years, since I began gardening. The pots have grown confused, the
labels lost. Each year is a guessing game – as I attempt to restore the labels,
and sort thru the bulbs. There have been industrious little pink Oxalis. The first one I expect is Lachenalia rubida, not this year. We have buds shimmying
on Nerine sarniensis the ‘Jersey’
lily. Because I did, cut back Plum
Creek, I can see the pots of vlei lilies sprouting!
 |
| Tecomaria for the sunbirds |
For our sunbirds, April is bringing the first
flush of Tecomaria. The yellow and
the peachy-apricot. Big Red is not ready yet. Beyond the nectar flowers, the
little birds hop happily thru the bushes on bug and spider patrol.
 |
| Jasmine, pelargonium blue sage, Dimorphotheca jucunda |
Jasmine, pelargonium, blue sage and the first
vigorous flowers on the purple Dimorphotheca jucunda. I still need to find the Van Staden’s daisy, white flowers on tall
stalks. And the yellow Buttermilk has left me in the lurch.
 |
| March lily |
The March lilies Amaryllis belladonna are running a little late this year. Not
as many flowers as last year, but I do still see buds coming thru.
 |
| Bietou |
My bird-planted bietou, Chyrsanthemoides monilifera. A daisy bush that walks
proudly, as tall as I am.
This post was early for Bloom Day (15th). Foliage Followup on the 16th for Pam @ Digging. And Wildflower-Wednesday on the 25th. Every plant on this post is indigenous to
South Africa. What book inspires you for Earth Day this April?
- wildlife gardening in Porterville, near Cape Town in South Africa
(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink. Those are my links.)
I love this time of the year. Seeing the first bulbs starting to sprout and waiting impatiently for flowering time. My Chasmanthe are the first - leaves already quite tall, some Freesias popping tiny heads through, My Bietou planted recently so only waist high, but flowering profusely.
ReplyDeleteHoorah for respite! 34 mm counts as some REAL rain. I'm impressed by the Lampranthus for opening its seed heads when you have moisture and locking them up tight again when you don't. Overall, New Mexican plants seem to buckle down more and endure, where South African ones seem to be incredibly wise opportunists. (Over-generalizing, I know.)
ReplyDeleteWe have much needed spring rain this week. I'm sure you are pleased hte heat of summer is fading and warm (second spring) autumn is arriving. Christina
ReplyDeleteI am so enjoying Spring this year as the weather has been fairly good for Ireland...dry and sunny. I hate when I lose labels as I'm not great for remembering names. One of our dogs also steals the labels and chews them so that adds to the problem. I still enjoy the plants as much even if I don't know it's name.
ReplyDeleteI never realised Lampranthus seedheads were so attractive. The more time I've spent on your blog, the more I buy indigeneous plants. You have (and are still) teaching me a lot about gardening.
ReplyDeletePS: Your cats are adorable. Sending kitty kisses for them ...
Autumn is a great time of year here too. After the wet and the summer, the garden starts looking more presentable. It's fantastic to hear you've had rain and there's a break in the heat for you. There's lots of things coming to life around your garden. The Amaryllis is beautiful, and I love the Bietou.
ReplyDeleteYou know I adore your native plants...these are gorgeous and so many....the Tecomaria have me intrigued and wishing I could grow them here as a native...the cats have the right idea I think!! Enjoy the bit of respite and rain....
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder that it's Bloom Day -- although it's pouring rain outside. Maybe my vintage wildflower pics will be my blooms today. Yours are lovely. I especially like the first picture.
ReplyDeleteI love learning about native plants from around the world. I really look forward to reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers, especially the March Lily with the water droplets on it - Stunning!
ReplyDeleteLove to see cats in the garden, too.
Have a blessed day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie
I didn't realise it was dew on the Pelargonium on my first glance and thought it was natually on the leaf!.......very fuzzy indeed. I've lost so many labels that now when I buy a new plant or bulb I'm determined to include it in a blog post so that at least I'll have some record. The blue sage is a beautiful flower and I can't wait till our frosts go away as cape daisies/Dimorphotheca are always a favourite of mine for summer though I think the breeders have now done something to the plant dna so that they open more during dull days. Do your Dimorphotheca close on dull days?
ReplyDeleteThe longer I blog, the more I understand why people say they use their blog as a garden journal. Digital and searchable!!
DeleteIf you were to come to Namaqualand for the spring flowers - you would be reminded, on cloudy or windy days the flowers close. Before 10 or after 4 (on a still clear day!) the flowers display. And they face into the sun, so if you look the wrong way, nothing to see. Eminently civilised!
Read the post on the broken apostrophe, bet you made some eyebrows jump when you left a comment...lol.
ReplyDeleteChocolat is well names, and I love "remember the line" they do resemble ballet dancers don't they..taking a master class.
Now I am completely confused about the seasons where you live. I understand it's winter coming on, but shouldn't some plants be going dormant, instead of growing? Or does the cooler temps trigger something?
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
Our plants rest in the summer heat, aestivation not hibernation. The trigger for leaves and flowers and sprouts and growth, is not warmth, but blessed rain. We walk together, north and south, waiting then revelling. That is the California style mediterranean climate for you.
DeleteI find time and again, how I marvel at the exotic and unusual plants I see in all the foreign countries on GBBD, yet at the same time, they have similar qualities to every garden in the world, terra cotta pots not quite filled out, sleeping cats, sunny spots for sitting, etc. Thanks for a window on your garden world.
ReplyDeleteI guess rail activity is going to have to be curtailed for a while... Congrats on the real rainstorm. We got a nice end-of-the-season drenching recently to complement your start of your rainy season. It makes up a bit for the dwindling daylight and reduced time you can enjoy the garden (in daylight at least). I enjoy plants will wonderfully tactile foliage, and your pelargonium looks like a great example. I'm wishing you a little more genuine precipitation this season.
ReplyDeleteThe train is always on the do next time list. Some assorted engineering awaits.
DeleteWow, those are amazing blooms considering things are winding down for you. Interesting, my Tecomaria is blooming right now as well, and the hummingbirds like it. Happy Bloom Day!
ReplyDeleteOh, what book? Well, maybe "California Native Gardening - A Month By Month Guide". I know the author, and even if I didn't, I just love the writing.
There's railway tracks?! with tunnels even. how did I not know this? does the train run through every once in awhile? perhaps shocking unsuspecting cats from their naps...
ReplyDeleteChocolat will tell you - in his entire LIFE - there has only been one train. He doesn't even remember it. But we live in hope. It is all on display after 6 weeks of steady cutting back in the Apple Creek.
DeleteHi Di, that first flower is unusual with its brown blooms. I wonder what the color signifies for its pollination!
ReplyDeleteAndrea - not really 'flowers', just the seedheads. When they bloom in spring, it will be yellow or pink.
DeleteLovely blooms. I'd love to see the Sunbirds go at them. I also noticed you have a birdhouse in the background. Looks really wonderful in your garden. We have similiar types of plants...they're just different enough to be their own plants but many of the blossoms are similiar to what you'd find here in Tucson. Catmint in Australia has similiar conditions and more the same yet different warm xeric plants for her climate. The only thing different about your area is that you get dew in the morning which probably makes a huge difference for a lot of your plants. Here it's just dry:) Have a good start to your week. Chris
ReplyDeleteIn Camps Bay we also had the moderating influence of the sea, mist, fog, cloud on the mountain. This has been a learning curve.
DeleteIt sounds like a real challenge. Too much moisture and you rot desert type plants...not enough moisture, other plants dry up. I imagine there are a lot of plants that have that silver grey leaf that can handle both like Texas Ranger:)
Deletehmmm sage with masses of purple flowers! I have blue, burnt orange and a soft lilac wild sage in my garden.
DeleteI was going to say that you look ensconed in spring with all that color in your garden only to realized belatedly that you mentioned autumn. I'll have to look back and try to remember how much more colorful your spring is/was. I try to keep labels as much as I can but there seems to be some sort of label spook that goes around the garden from time to time plucking the labels off my plants. Haha!
ReplyDeleteAn utter delight, as always xxx
ReplyDeleteI have to giggle at Chocolat on the railroad tracks. Cats will find the oddest places to take a nap, won't they?
ReplyDeleteCindy at Rosehaven Cottage
The photograph of Chocolat on the tracks with the Nandina on the foreground is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Your fall reminds me a lot of our spring! I have the hardest time remembering plant names. I always think that I would NEVER forget a particular plant's name, but in a year or so it slips me. Perhaps a sign of old age! I do keep labels, but then I forget which ones go with which plants. Chocolat on the railroad tracks looks like a giant in some sci-fi movie!
ReplyDeleteI have such a sense of M. Chocolat's personality (or is that felinality??) from your blog; I love his antics -- although I would imagine that a tendency to sleep on railroad tracks is a behavior that gets weeded out of the gene pool by natural selection pretty quickly!
ReplyDeleteNice to see your flowers responding to the rain. It's been dry here, and people are actually hoping for rain -- 2011's record rainfall and flooding seemingly already forgotten. -Jean
It is alarming to see the rivers dry, in desperate need of our winter rain.
DeleteMore and more, I see bits of your garden and how they fit together...so beautiful. All of your blooms and buds and foliage are lovely! I love the photo of the dew-soaked pelargonium leaf. And the cats are so adorable. And thank you, Diana, for including a link to the Earth Day Reading Project.
ReplyDeleteI love your descriptions, Diana: "Veltheimia works steadily on her couture opera coat" -- so great. Thanks for joining in with pretty foliage for Foliage Follow-Up!
ReplyDeleteDear Diana, Love the jasmine - I bet its perfume is delicious! I'm early with my signature plant this month -- I picked Creeping Phlox. Thanks for hosting the meme. P. x
ReplyDeleteWe've had a lot of rain lately and this are wet, wet, wet which means that we go into winter nice and green
ReplyDeleteI had been looking for your blog since you left a comment about native gardening but no address..so happy I found you.. One of my longest on-line friendships has been with someone from SA..over 10 years now. It is such a beautiful area and I am happy that you have been collecting bulbs and that you garden for wildlife...Michelle
ReplyDeleteThanks for prompting me, went to Gravatar and sorted the link back to my blog.
DeleteI love pelargoniums and have all sorts of scented ones in my greenhouse but the leaf on yours is just stunning. It is rather overwhelming somehow, how exotic your garden feels to me, so different when so much is the same.
ReplyDelete(in life you would be underwhelmed by the brown bits, and the green bits) The camera always lies - as Saxon Holt says.
Delete