Wildflower Wednesday in the Groot Winterhoek

As usual, when we hike in the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area, we were the only people there. The only car parked. We did meet a group of young people being trained to maintain the trails.

His grass, backlit with bokeh

Our fynbos is threatened by global warming. Proteas, ericas, bulbs and daisies. The plants could retreat up the mountain slopes, but they are used to paddling their toes in the mountain streams. Those mountain streams flow down to the Voelvlei Dam and supply Cape Town with tap water. Or not! If global warming bites.

In the pond grows, with June's winter flowers

If I was a minimalist, if I had to accept the tiniest courtyard garden, these six plants would satisfy me. A tree for structure. A shrub for shelter. A pioneer to nurse its companions along. A groundcover to carpet the bare earth. A pelargonium to flute in PINK, accompanied by mellow blues on shrub and groundcover.

Kingfisher and reeds

In this tiniest of gardens, as I sit under the tree, there will be water.