Except for three heads of lavender-coloured blooms, the buds are mostly still tight on the Sagewood shrubs (Buddleja salviifolia) in our garden. When looking to see if any more blooms had opened I was delighted to discover a small Flower Mantis nestled in the tiny flowers of one of the flowerheads. Continue reading “Flower Mantis ambush hunting a bee”
Today is winter solstice, here down south. The day was warm and sunny, and brightened by the winter-flowering plants. Even though we don’t suffer from frigid temperatures I still appreciate that from tomorrow, the days will start lengthening, albeit imperceptibly at first. Continue reading “Southern Solstice: Celebrating with aloes”
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”
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”
Usually seen buzzing about collecting pollen from flowers, I spotted this carpenter bee taking a walk. Continue reading “Unusually Pedestrian”
Going with the flow of nature is such a natural choice when it comes to gardening. Yet many of us were brought up in a tradition where gardens are controlled and orderly spaces. Continue reading “Live and let live gardening”
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”
Even those who don’t like caterpillars tend to like butterflies, perhaps forgetting that caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies? Continue reading “Take me to your Commodore: Garden butterflies from the African savannahs”
Flowers need pollinating and bees need pollen and nectar. This week’s photo challenge asks us to share a photo of things that complement each other. Continue reading “A good match: Pollinator and flower”
