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”
Here in the southern hemisphere, spring has arrived even if with minimal rain. The little rain that has fallen is nothing like “normal” spring rains (remember normal?) and nowhere near enough; we have we had about 10 mls of rain over the past week. Even so the frogs are very vocal in their celebrations. Continue reading “Spring is bursting”
I have always regarded this plant as a mountain dweller, as I first fell in love with it in the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal. Continue reading “From mountains to gardens: Scarlet flowers that brighten winter drabness”
Purple, traditionally associated with royalty, certainly is a rich colour in the garden. As a fan of the colour purple, I started taking photographs of purple flowers in the garden and I share some of them here. Continue reading “Purple-powered flowers”
The glossy red berries of the Solanum giganteum provide satisfaction for birds during the winter months when conditions can be harsh. Continue reading “Winter satisfaction”
Flowering aloes attract many birds and insects, and in the case of the Ashburton Aloe Festival, many visitors too are attracted to this annual event held by the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy. Continue reading “Aloes and gardens, Samangos and forests”
Change is often associated with something unwelcome or even threatening, but the change of seasons that cycle through time is an ongoing process that we and the natural world rely on. Continue reading “Transitions we rely on”
Known as the Tree fuchsia, because of the shape and colour of its flowers, this plant is adaptable, and can be a multi-stemmed shrub or a huge evergreen tree, depending on its growing conditions. Continue reading “A fuchsia to depend on: A feast for the eyes and the birds”
