Across our valley to Riebeek wotsit

We travelled the dirt road across the wide valley to the twin towns of Riebeek Kasteel and Riebeek West. Once upon a time there was a heated argument – where shall we build the church? They built two, and today the towns flow together.

Blackheaded heron 

It is the season for waterblommetjies. Aponogeton distachyos. Literally ‘small water flowers’. Cooked it becomes the traditional waterblommetjiebredie. (I recently read about translating bredie, not ‘stew’ as in getting in a stew, but slowcooked and mellow, a casserole). Oh and we discovered the blooming flowers smell glorious. Left to nature, every tiny pond formed by winter rain is now filled with a sheet of these raised spikes of chunky flowers.

Waterblommetjies with vineyards looking back to the mountains

Looking to Riebeek West and the Kasteelberg

Aponogeton distachyos

We went to explore a new nursery. Remember Org de Rac? The landscaper Corne Pretorius has a nursery in Riebeek West. I had high hopes of finding indigenous plants, suited to our soil and climate. First we drove up and down, searching, until we found it.

We found sweetpea bushes. Podalyria with silver velvet leaves and pink and mauve watercolour washes of flowers. No tiresome fiddling with planting seed each year. This, is a sweetpea presence. Karee Searsia/Rhus. And now, he tells me, let it grow 4 or 5 trunks from the base – don’t try to force a lollipop. They will go near the waterfall to hide the neighbour’s garage. A tiny succulent in a thumb pot – leaves of cream and green with fuchsia margins – forgot to ask its name. Aristea in pink, not the usual deep blue. That will go in Plum Creek, as it grows where its feet stay wet.

And – what is that, a yellow Tulbaghia?  That is the Ifafa lily, a Cyrtanthus. Come and see … and he took us to the neighbour’s garden. Conjure up an image of the Lime Walk at Sissinghurst. Trees formally laid out, each with a square at the base of the trunk, filled with mille-fleurs. SHE wanted daffodils. He said, try the Ifafa lily. I stand, my mouth hanging open in wonder, engraving the image on my mind’s eye. Camera in the car, this was unexpected!

Close your mouth, Diana! Imagine an Elizabethan ruff, a mille- fleurs in a perfect singing-canary yellow. Why ever do we in South Africa battle to grow a few ratty daffodils, when we could have this?? He tells me the plants come from the Eastern Cape, so they need some summer watering. Plant them under a tree, which you will anyway be watering thru the summer.

Then we wound and wove back thru his own garden. A fieldstone waterfall. A plantsman’s garden, each plant provoking a question, unfolding a story. The Jurassic Park garden, with cycads and Equisetum (corralled in a small tub and closely monitored against any invasive intentions!) Fragrant blooming orchids in a hothouse, built of recycled materials and a joy to look at, with a tiny bubbling fountain and a rill to keep the air moist. Sigh …

Even the sheeps on the hills is lonely on my new False Bay garden blog

Pictures by Jurg
and words by Diana of Elephant's Eye
- wildlife gardening in Porterville,
near Cape Town in South Africa
(If you mouse over brown text,
it turns shriek pink. Those are my links.)