Wildflower Wednesday and Dietes our wild iris

Gail at Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower Wednesday is usually my chance to walk around the garden – collecting what is blooming to attention. But they must be indigenous, native to South Africa. As I did last November. Today our wild iris Dietes will monopolise this WFW. It began life as part of my free seed allocation for members of the Botanical Society based at Kirstenbosch. Now it is SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute  which hosts the PlantZAfrica site I like to use. Biodiversity e.g. barn swallow migration and climate change.

Dietes grandiflora

Dietes grandiflora has that American habit known as walking onions.

Spring Promise at Paradise and Roses

I love striped roses, inspired by Rosa mundi. Spring Promise is PINK. Chaim Soutine striped in shocking pink and white.

Chaim Soutine

Cape mountain leopard on camera

The Ungardener returned to Driehoek in October, still hoping to help trap Spot, the Cape mountain leopard.

Driehoek dam

While Dr Quinton Martins of the Cape Leopard Trust has traps set, he needs help monitoring 24/7. That is where the Ungardener comes in, as a volunteer.

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.

Some corner of a foreign field

Remembrance Day. Poppy Day.

Poppies grow, between the crosses

Summer Gold at Paradise and Roses

Turn away from Winter Chill, and gaze at Summer Gold, where the sun shines down and we battle with overexposed photos. The first hot summer breeze turns my mind to lowering the blinds.

Looking out the other livingroom window

I want the foliage to support the colour theme and provide texture and interest. Even flowers, regardless of whether the roses are game, or out for the count. I choose first, indigenous, adapted to hot summer, wet winter, clay soil.

Winter Chill at Paradise and Roses

November is rose month. Prompted by Ludwig's Roses Newsletter, I fed them. Puttering around the Paradise and Roses garden dead-heading, I harvest for vases. Imaginary tabletop in mind, I prune the stalks down to the new low. Cut out the extra fork, so the remaining bud can flourish.

Oyster Pearl

I chose to add a lot of indigenous plants. Winter Chill with pale and white roses, has suffered from my enthusiasm. Only two roses have survived competition with vigorous neighbours, who claim their food and drink. I do I do cut back the Dusty Miller hedge. Quite hard so it looks scraggly. Just weeks later we are back to the battle of – but, I’d like you to be knee high!