We had an unexpected invitation to spend last weekend in the southern Drakensberg mountains, to which we spontaneously said ‘yes’. Morning walks were a delight and I share here some of the treasures, mostly flowers, that we enjoyed seeing in the grasslands.
Continue reading “Summertime mountain flowers”
Light, texture, pattern and other elements attracted my camera lens to capture some abstract images while on our visit to the Kruger National Park.
Continue reading “Abstract photos from Kruger National Park”
Mopani trees with their butterfly-shaped leaves and variable growth habits are beautiful to look at, and being hardy and nutritious too they support an abundance of life in hot, dry and low-lying areas, such as in the northern sections of Kruger National Park.
Continue reading “Life in the mopane scrub and woodlands at Kruger National Park”
Coming into flower now, after dropping its leaves in the very early spring, is the profusely flowering wild honeysuckle-tree. Flowering on bare stems with the new leaves just starting to sprout it puts on a lovely show.
Continue reading “The wild Honeysuckle-tree flowering abundantly”
Spring rains are falling in our region at least and we are being treated to spring flowers blooming, new leaves unfurling and vegetation generally greening up. So here is a quick share of some of the spring flowers gracing our garden.
Continue reading “Floral treats in the spring garden”
A post on the Ashburton Aloe Festival back in July 2017 (Aloes and gardens, samangos and forests) featured a small potted Aloe ferox (bitter aloe) that we bought at the festival. I said then I might post an update on its progress – so here it is as this winter it flowered for the first time.
Continue reading “First flowering of an Aloe ferox”
This week in the aftermath of the widespread looting and destruction across much of KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng I have few words. Although a semblance of calm might seem to prevail and road delivery routes are opening up, suffering and bereavement, sadness and pain, loss and fear, anger and resentment remain.
Continue reading “Wordless in the aftermath: KwaZulu-Natal July 2021”
The variety in shape, form and colour of the fungi that fruit in our garden, usually during the wet and warmth of summer, is incredible. In addition to the mushroom/toadstool forms that were featured in last week’s post, some other forms of fungi include bracket, crust, puffball, bird’s nest, earthstar, stinkhorn, coral, jelly ears, saddle and cup.
Continue reading “Fungilorious: Four trees hosting fabulous fungi”
To my amazement, not everyone with gardens is delighted to find mushrooms and toadstools growing there. Of course many fungi are in gardens anyway, but they are usually unseen until circumstances are right for some species to seemingly spontaneously erupt into fruiting.
Continue reading “Mushrooms and toadstools in our garden”
letting nature back in 