To the quiet hills

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

My life has been inspired by mountains. I was born in Camps Bay – that picture postcard view everyone recognises. The Atlantic Ocean stretched away with the Cape to Rio yachts sailing to South America, or the SA Agulhas heading South to Antarctica. As a child our family home was at the bottom of Lion’s Head, beneath the Atlantic end of Table Mountain with the cable station. The chain of mountains stretches away along the Twelve Apostles to a hidden Hout Bay. 

Aragon looking to Paradise and Roses

The Swiss interludes shocked me. Expecting again the picture postcard cliché of snowy Alps – instead I found rolling hills. The Hausberg of Zurich is the Uetliberg – but, but – that’s just a hill, like Signal Hill! 

We decided to return to Camps Bay, to build a house on that slope I had looked across at as a child. At a lonely A-frame house with a tall slate roof – which became our neighbour in the street below. We lived halfway up the Twelve Apostles, where grey winter days enfolded us in clouds and fog, and in the summer the Southeaster gleefully ripped off a roof or two. 

Aragon with the sun highlighting garlic buchu beyond her head

Life is what happens; we sold the Position Position Position. We turned to a large garden in the country looking up to the Elephant’s Eye. Now we look to the False Bay garden, where we will have glimpses of mountain. Enough for my soul to breathe. 

Dozen for Diana 

Inspire at Paradise and Roses

Federal Twist asked 'Where do gardens come from?' inspiring my June choice. Knoffel buchu, garlic buchu, Agathosma apiculata is all about the evocative smell. Returning me to school holidays. Once the air was filled with that distinctive smell, we knew Riversdale, with her Sleeping Beauty mountain, was just over the next rolling hill! 

Knoffel buchu in our garden

This is not a showy plant, but I hadn’t realised quite how tall it would grow. Tiny deep green leaves – this plant is about a delicious smell of garlic when you brush up against it. The flowers are a haze of tiny white feathers, supporting a layer of wildlife. 

It occurs naturally on coastal dunes and grows in clays, on granite as well as limestone soils from Riversdale to Bredasdorp. It belongs to the Rutaceae, commonly known as the citrus family. Prune once the bush becomes untidy - from PlantZAfrica  

Garlic buchu
macro in a Mason jar technique

Almost all the plants of the fynbos are fragrant. If you live, or holiday, in chaparral, maquis, matorral or fynbos  – you will have your own evocative smell that brings back memories. 

Agathosma apiculata, Plectranthus madagascariensis, Tecoma capensis
Bulbine frutescens, Grewia occidentalis 
(Searsia crenata  has TINY flowers = Six) for False Bay in Dozen for Diana)

Beth in Wisconsin of PlantPostings brings Viburnum - ‘inner florets were just breaking bud and sporting a soft peach tint’.

Denise in Holland has found the iris which has 'alles wat ik zocht', everything she was looking for. Including delicately veined petals Iris setosa nana.
From Donna in NY state we have Monarda, beebalm or bergamot 'The plant earned its common name ‘Bergamot’ because the lovely, spicy fragrance of the plant is similar to that of the bergamot orange which is the the source of bergamot oil used to flavor Earl Grey tea'

Agathosma apiculata, Searsia crenata, Grewia occidentalis
Plectranthus madagascariensis, Bulbine frutescens, Tecoma capensis

Buchu and scented pelargoniums are cultivated to harvest the volatile oils for the food industry. Could I use it as a culinary herb? 

Chocolat and Elephant's Eye
by Jurg

It’s enough to make a cat laugh, my father used to say. Chocolat certainly mutters happily, and gives DEEP sighs of contentment in the evening by the fire’s glow. ‘Isn't it deluverly to be warm, and comfortable, and safe with me family! Sigh …’ 

Looking from Groot Winterhoek back to Table Mountain 2 hours drive away
by Jurg

Lush cottage garden waiting for us on False Bay
Taken when we visited for a photo op in March

Looking back to Table Mountain. We will look from Cape Town one day to the snowy mountains we now call home. To the quiet hills Psalm 121

Pictures by Jurg and Diana Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

(If you mouse over teal blue text, it turns seaweed red.

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