11 October, 2013

Be careful what you wish for

It may come true. We wanted a large space to make a garden. Our panhandle is a long driveway with a large square in which our house is roughly centred.

The Story of Elephant’s Eye

Chapter 5
Karoo Koppie and friends

Under the ash trees

Two ash trees thirty years old decided where the house was built. He wanted Ungardening Pond. I wanted formal walled Paradise and Roses.

Washing lines and white pelargoniums

Came the morning when I stood with a sinking heart looking across half a field ten metres wide and twenty-five metres across, between the house and the inherited apple trees. We had plans. A second line of fruit trees. A chequerboard of paving slabs - but he vetoed that. At our False Bay house we found … my chequerboard waiting.

Karoo Koppie foliage, colour and texture

What is a Karoo Koppie?

When I first wrote about our Karoo Koppie, a reader asked – but, what is it? Home to the aloe. There is the Nama Karoo a place of semi-desert, wide open spaces rolling on to an eternal horizon. Since it is a desperately dry place, they plan to frack!! Karoo violets were on my bucket list, that vibrant blue of gentians, and I almost trod on them! The Little Karoo, beyond our mountains, where the succulents are adapted to winter rain. We had an off-grid holiday in the Tankwa Karoo.

Karoo Koppie at Elephant's Eye

Karoo Koppie

Our next landscape feature was up a bit, using the builder’s rubble from our house to provide good drainage for succulents. We step into a different ‘climate and landscape’. Open and exposed to the sun all day long. In August 2008 we did the first planting. October 2009 we made it larger. A nectar haven for the sunbirds when the plakkies and the aloes are flowering in winter. Predominantly South African succulents – but I couldn’t resist the colour and structure of Moroccan Aeonium and Mexican Echevieria.

EELR Elephant's Eye Light Railway

EELR Elephant’s Eye Light Railway

His wish granted for a garden railway with a little Mamod steam train bought in London. I used Nandina to echo the apple trees.

Mediterranean Sun Circle

Mediterranean Sun Circle

We have no lawn and the eye needs somewhere open and quiet to rest in the garden. We moved our Mediterranean Sun Circle. First choice was too shady, and the beautiful ‘stone’ circle was hidden. It makes a logical break between the arid Karoo Koppie and the damp hollow of Apple Creek.

Folie de MMIX

Folie de MMIX

Our ‘house in the trees’ was built in 2009. He has replaced the glass in the clerestory window – foiling Chocolat who used the opening to reach his mezzanine gallery.

Evening Rays at our Karoo Koppie

Evening Rays

On the morning sun shadier round end the Karoo Koppie faces into one of our tall ash trees. For a change of pace, I planted formally, in long lines, radiating out, the low evening rays of the sun, but staying with the Karoo Koppie’s succulent theme. A logical division using the Plectranthus neochilus against the Blue Border.

It all began beneath two ash trees in 2006

Before in July 2008 looking from the ash trees to the washing lines
between the apple trees and the rain water tanks 

Chapter 4. Of Snow and Rain Gardening We moved in May 2007, and in June we had floods. The Ungardener rain gardened.
Chapter 6.  Sun kissed at Paradise and Roses My roses have South African companions.

Pictures by Diana and Jurg
text by Diana Studer
- wildlife gardening in Porterville,
near Cape Town in South Africa

(If you mouse over brown text, it turns shriek pink. Those are my links)

26 comments:

  1. Diana - You and the Ungardener certainly put a lot of effort in - there is no comparison between the (house) garden you purchased in 2007, and the one you now have.

    Absolutely stunning!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a wonderful treat to see all that you and the Ungardener have done through the years. You have a beautiful haven, uniquely yours.

    Thank you for sharing. I've been inspired this morning by your post.

    FlowerLady

    ReplyDelete
  3. The garden looks so grown up. As if it has been there for years and years. It must be sad to leave all that behind. The new owner shall be very thankful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once I was too young to understand why gardeners said you need mature trees. Having been gifted with the ash trees, I do understand.

      Delete
  4. All that hard work resulted in a fantastic transformation. I have no doubts though that the rewards made it all worthwhile.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My ash trees occasionally drive me crazy with all their shade but I love the feeling of coolness they bring to the garden. I would have such a hard time leaving an established garden. Does your new house have large trees?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did chose the next house, for the garden again. We will have trees, some quite tall, but not the wide expanse of garden.

      Delete
  6. You've been blessed as I have with a handy man to make your garden dreams come true. Though hard to leave all that you have created... another garden awaits you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love reading the story of Elephant's Eye, as I am only a blogger for the second year a lot is new to me. You two managed to make such a beautiful garden in a relatively short time. It must be a kind of a heartache to leave this place but with your spirit you will start all over again, may be a bit more slowly but I am sure it will look beautiful again.

    ReplyDelete
  8. How your garden has grown! And it is so beautiful; it must be hard to leave. But your checkered paving is waiting for you, so that is an enticement. I once thought of putting in a checkered patio adjacent to the house, and I may yet find a space to put a smaller version, perhaps in the kitchen garden I am planning.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You really put in a lot of effort into the planning and creation of your garden. Wish I had the time to do so

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ... when you are old and (re) tired like us, Firefly ;~)

      Delete
  10. Diana, I find your garden to be really fascinating... and I believe your garden must be quite huge...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. my camera and I have led you up and down the garden path, with borrowed scenery

      Delete
  11. I like your whole approach to old versus new. Will you be moving to the new place soon? Although Myra fully understands the need for our move she is taking it so much harder than I am. Mind you I can understand why she feels as she does as we have been in this place for such a long time. Will you keep both blogs going when you do move? Thanks for the information regarding blotanical.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the property market is quiet, so we wait patiently, enjoying this while we still have it.

      Once we move I'll wind this blog down, simply leaving the posts up to be read (and linked back to when needed)

      Delete
    2. Interesting and probably correct to wind down this blog. I have been thinking that in some way it would make sense to carry on with Aberdeen gardening site and perhaps simply add (relocated) as suggested by another blogger. At the back of my mind I think it would make more sense to start afresh.

      Delete
    3. I put up teaser posts between the blogs, then delete the teaser when THAT blog has its own fresh post. Our climate will still be mediterranean, but moderated by the sea. The garden will be much smaller. There I plan to gradually turn the existing planting to wildlife friendly fynbos. There will be plants in common, our gardening style will carry thru, but it will be a fresh start in every way - blog, people, garden, lifestyle.

      Delete
  12. I love how you created your gardens. Such eye to detail. Taking time. I am going back to that to rethink parts of my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The change between 2007 and now is amazing. It's wonderful to have the pictures of the story. I wish everyone would decide on the location of the house based on where mature trees are.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can't quite believe how much you've managed to achieve, Diana! Whatever the bumps along the way, you've been working miracles. Oh, and I enjoy your blog/your gardens so much because they are so refreshingly unlike anyone else's!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Diana, you have the most amazing garden...designed, and working with nature, and the elements for beauty.

    You mentioned that you don't use WLW anymore, what do you post with? Blogger?

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jen, have you looked at Blogger's Editor recently? You can toggle between Compose mode and HTML, then click Preview for WYSIWYG. It is now easy and friendly to use, and I have a group of techie people whose brains I pick when I do come up against a problem.

      Delete
  16. I love all that you've done - but I particularly like those succulents. I have only just added Aeoniums to the plants I can identify, having seen them in various gardens in Britain this year. I hadn't realised they came from Morocco. I'm not sure how they will succeed in a wet country like ours, though!
    Keep up the good work :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've only just started looking at your blog though you very kindly visited mine once. I was too green to know I was supposed to visit back! Want to make a comment - I find the photographs very hard to see properly because they are all stuck together, they look fascinating but indecipherable. Also I'm sure I could learn so much about South African gardening, blogging, lots of things. But you're sometimes very telegraphic and I can't pick up what you're saying. I only mention it because I would like to! My own blog is very mysterious to some people so we have to be who we are and it's probably not reasonable to suggest you cater for the slower newcomer. I hope you don't find this comment too critical as it is more baffled but admiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jane - returning the visit is friendly, but certainly not an obligation.

      You are not alone is disliking my collages, Alistair in Aberdeen and my husband the Ungardener agree with you. It's my way of dealing with 2 many photos, but I make a point of using some singles.

      Telegraphese, yes I am guilty of. Maybe fire questions at me in the comments? I always link back to earlier posts, which fill in the gaps, instead of repeating myself.

      PS your comment isn't critical, it is feedback from someone who READ my post. Much appreciated.

      Delete

Photographs and Copyright

Photographs are from Diana Studer or Jurg Studer.
My Canon PowerShot A490

If I use your images or information, it will be clearly acknowledged with either a link to the website, or details of the book. If you use my images or words, I expect you to acknowledge them in turn.


Midnight in Darkest Africa

Midnight in Darkest Africa
For real time, click on the map.