What could be sweeter than nectar, and this female Amethyst Sunbird seeking sweetness from the flowers of a Krantz Aloe? Continue reading “Sweet sunbird, sweet aloe”
A pond or water feature can add liveliness to even the drabbest of backyards. No, I am not promoting a garden makeover, but thought I’d share something of the enjoyment I get from our garden pond, not least because a variety of wildlife get to enjoy it too. Continue reading “Just pondering: Reflecting on our garden pond”
Last evening I was thinking about what to post as a ‘favourite’ photo when the phone rang. It brought the news that a close friend had died that afternoon. Continue reading “Shine on”
The buds of the Powderpuff Tree are so tightly clenched that they almost resemble berries. The transformation of the buds unfurling almost one stamen at a time to become flowers is particularly eye-catching. Continue reading “Transforming from bud to flower”
Beautiful when it flowers and highly sought after for the traditional medicine trade, this member of the Hyacinth family is one of my favourite plants both in the wild and in our garden. Continue reading “From dormancy to delicate blue: ‘Scilla natalensis’ in the garden”
This strange fungus blooms occasionally on old wood on a small tree in our garden. For a few days only, it is thick and jelly-like before rapidly shriveling and drying. Continue reading “Ear today, gone tomorrow”
The curves of the Calla Lily softened in the late afternoon sunlight. Continue reading “Calla curves”
Completely dormant in the winter, in the very early spring the leaves of the River Crinum emerge, forming a crown of long green straps. And then a green spear emerges rising to almost a metre in height as the buds start forming at the tip, eventually opening into white and pink lily-like flowers. Continue reading “In the pink in the spring: River Crinum”
I set myself a personal photo challenge, to photograph only spring flowers in the garden in a short space of time. So, I had to capture what were there, even those flowers that were not “at their best”. Continue reading “One fine spring day: Thirty-minute photo shoot”
