Well earned names

Wistfully looking back at how our garden grew. We garden for wildlife. The most spectacular wildlife in our walled small town garden flies in. The jewelled Malachite Kingfisher has returned to take lunch with us. No, I’ll pass on the frog’s legs thanks.

Malachite Kingfisher, visiting our garden
Thanks to my niece Claire - this young bird has a black bill,
which will turn red when he grows up

The Story of Elephant’s Eye

Chapter 2

Black Stork Island

In June 2009 – ‘Yesterday, out walking, we saw a large black bird, with a red beak, across the field. Next morning out of the sky comes a great, dark, shape; scoops a frog out of our pond and climbs onto the island. A Black Stork! Curiously, although he stands about a metre high, both cats went to investigate. Even a stork passing overhead can see that we have frogs.’ We were enchanted to be in the garden when he landed. I wonder, what we’ve missed, when we were not in the right place at the right moment, aware and looking …

Black Stork on his island IN our garden! 

As the years roll past, my island planting has gone to wilderness. One day soon, I’ll have to borrow his plastic garden clogs and wade into the water and do some spring-cleaning. The silver lining is that the cat is foiled!

Bird's eye view of Ungardening Pond in 2011

He was Ungardening on the roof – clearing gutters, checking the solar panels, enjoying the bird’s eye view. And – please, take some photos for the blog while you’re up there?

Looking at Black Stork Island today

We’ve agreed. In the new garden I will be able to reach the plants growing in the pond, without getting my feet wet. Today Black Stork Island looks as if it just ‘grew’ there.

Rest and Be Thankful

In 2007 we planted a pair of trees across the pond on our wedding anniversary.

Planting trees in 2007

Only a year later, the ratty little sapling is a Tree worthy of the name – living up to the definition – a tree is something you can sit under.

The same tree in 2008, just a year later!

In the early nineties we travelled through Scotland.  There is a place called Rest and Be Thankful. Truly, near Loch Lomond. A mountain pass they constructed, and finally reached the top on a Sunday. (“We” dug out the pond, and the soil was dumped as a berm behind the waterfall, giving us a “High Road”)

November sunset 2009

Rest and Be Thankful is the focus of the garden. Lightly upstaged when Pani’s Falls is flowing. The changing light and weather catches the camera as we glance out.

December dawn 2009

November 2009 - ‘we have cleared the pond of invasive Kariba weed. That is the royal we, the Ungardener got his feet wet. It IS his pond’.

Looking out from Rest and Be Thankful
across Ungardening Pond to Black Stork Island

With my morning bowl of muesli – I look out from Rest and Be Thankful across Ungardening Pond. We have pink waterlilies blooming. We are, thankful.

Chapter 1. Naming of Parts. Pani’s Falls and Ungardening Pond. Does your garden have a naming story to tell?
Chapter 3. Flower Year in our Porterville Garden. From March lilies, to Christmas Agapanthus, there are always flowers in our garden.

Green around your ankles and my February plant in Dozen for Diana. If you were to join me with a Plant Portrait, please leave a link on the new False Bay blog.

(February 2014 blocking back links against spam)

Pictures by Jurg and Diana 

text by Diana Studer

AKA 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.)