by Diana Studer
- gardening for biodiversity in Porterville, near Cape Town in South Africa
- gardening for biodiversity in Porterville, near Cape Town in South Africa
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| Hypoxis hemerocallidea |
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| December garden roses Pearl of Bedfordview above, Alec's Red below |
On Christmas Eve, I harvested roses before they are toasted by the sun. Today those cut flowers begin to fade in turn. In the garden as I deadhead the bushes, the next wave of buds is opening. Dark red Papa Meilland, clear red Alec’s Red, warm coral Duftwolke, softest pink Pearl of Bedfordview, and gentle pink Perfume Passion.
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| December garden flowers Streptocarpus, blue sage pelargonium, bronze fennel |
In the December heat, the garden flowers are quieter. Mostly in a blue and purple mood. Agapanthus, Plumbago, Streptocarpus and blue sage. With mustardy yellow flowers on the bronze fennel, and pink stars on the pelargoniums.
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| Ungardening Pond, Hibiscus tiliaceus Agapanthus, Hoya |
I've repotted my mother’s Hoya and it is gratefully sending out tiny deep red leaves. Perhaps I'll even get flowers? Last week I chose my final plant in Dozen for Diana and the one day garden in False Bay – buttery yellow Hibiscus tiliaceus
My virtual blog Christmas present is this PencilAndLeaf dragon drawn with love! Today I join Gail at Clay and Limestone for Wildflower Wednesday, fervently hoping that next year I can start fresh, gathering new treasures discovered in False Bay. (Roses, fennel, Hoya and Fuchsia are foreign, all others are Proudly South African)
Pictures by Diana Studer
it turns shriek pink. Those are my links.
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Merry merry Christmas my far away friend, what a beautiful post, such wonderful memories, such beautiful flowers, it always takes my breath away the beauty of your garden, its a joy to visit,
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Diana. I enjoyed the peaks at your Christmas baubles and decorations. Thanks for sharing your memories.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a merry Christmas Diana! How interesting is to see holiday ornaments and plants from the other part of the world! The photograph from 1956 is precious! I like the straw stars and the bird. The Cat's embroidery is lovely. Everything carries memories.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post, and I wish you all the best in 2014!
Oh, Diana, what a beautiful post! You seem to be so in tune with your world!
ReplyDeleteYour Ungardener's wooden bird is delightful.
I'd like to just wish you and yours the very best for the New Year. It's such an honour to get to know a lovely person like you.
Dearest Diana, it was such a pleasure to hear about your family and the connections to your past. Thank you for your trojan work and support of nature and landscape and also for the way you have reached out to so many of us over the years and supported our work. Here's to a wonderful 2014, I hope all your dreams come true:~)
ReplyDeleteOh Diana, your roses are stunning. I feel such empathy with you as the daughter--with your sisters--at the end of your line. It is the same for me. I am an elephant without a herd. A Matriarch nonetheless, with all that implies. May you have a good and healthy new year. I always appreciate your thoughts and knowing you across our big world. susie at www.life-change-compost
ReplyDeletefrom Canada to Australia, Ireland to America - thank you for comments which reassure me my words are heard.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to all my readers (the silent ones included)!
Lovely!
ReplyDeleteA belated merry Christmas to you, too! I love the idea of Christmas roses. Mine are dormant sticks right now. I have some old family ornaments on my tree, too. It's comforting to know they're there. :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for introducing me to Pencil and Leaf -- magical! Happy New Year! P. x
ReplyDeletePencil and Leaf is one of my favourites, that I've treasured since I began blogging!
DeleteOh, that will be fun to experiment with shade-loving plants! How fun to see your holiday decorations. You were a cute little one--the photo with your dad is precious.
ReplyDeleteRoses at Christmas seem so impossibly exotic ! All is brown and drear here in the uk ... but if you look carefully there are some green bulb tips just pushing through the soil. Promise of Spring.
ReplyDeleteA happy and peaceful New Year to you Diana.
Hi Diana.... Happy 2014 to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to read about your 'history'...
You 'arrived' three years earlier than me, so you are my 'elder sister'... :-)
We are also childless, more so by fate...
I love your Christmas display/tree! I would leave it year round. I cannot have a real Christmas tree anymore due to my allergies and must figure out something new as I have many ornaments from my Great Aunt and Grandmother (now passed) that I love. I also love your sole surviving pine cone dusted with "snow!" Happy New Year to you Diana fellow vegetarian!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Diana. The top photo reminded me of the photograph albums that my mother gave each of her 5 children for Christmas the year that my parents sold their house (to my younger sister) and downsized to a mobile home. That album of photographs chronicling my life from infancy to adulthood was a precious one that I still treasure. -Jean
ReplyDeleteA bit sad - but we're needing to do some Christmas decoration pruning. So much has been added over the years there isn't space for them on the tree or round the house. Spect we'll keep memories without reminders.
ReplyDelete