Our False Bay garden in May

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

On Sunday we drove up to look down on the bay, then walked on the beach. Those 'daily' beach walks were the reason why he moved to False Bay. Sundays we hear the steam train whistle thru, and this week we saw it. Time for a crisp fresh header on my blog.

False Bay beach

The weather is turning to winter and we've had a few fires. My vases are getting tired of either white roses or fierce Bougainvillea.

Wood stove
flowers on the kitchen windowsill

Among our inherited plants the lemon tree is flourishing, both useful and appealing. But Impatiens in a huge pot, a monster purple Buddleja  Mexican sage, and two (one is going) Bougainvillea I'm not so happy about. My potted lime has one fruit and more coming. I've moved the slipper orchid to the protected patio since it has lots of buds!

Lemon tree

slipper orchid. potted lime
Bougainvillea, Impatiens

Aragon and Chocolat enjoy the sun. We have a shadow board of a black cat, and totally confused ourselves when we stood it on the windowsill. Chocolat is not deceived at all. Giraffe now gazes out framed by ta da curtains, and the standard rose is outside the glazed door so we can enjoy it from both sides.

Chocolat and Aragon, Chocolat and shadow
Giraffe from in and out

For End of the Month View . We've added two aluminium and glass screens against the wind for the west patio. Chocolat approves and has claimed the Ungardener's chair. He's there in the day ... and at night when I call out Chocolat chirples back - I'm here, very happy, thanks! 

Chocolat endorsing the new patio screens

We tipped out our compost bin and a hadeda ibis proceeded to work his way around, picking the heap apart and devouring everything he found. As the compost dries and crumbles I'll be able to sieve and use it for the new plants.

Hadeda ibis at compost heap

For Wildflower Wednesday I gather our indigenous to South Africa plants. Plectranthus madagascariensis  and P. oertendahlii have both got delicate spires of white flowers, dancing too briskly for my camera to capture this morning. Both chosen for their leaves. P. madagascariensis in cream and apple green, P. oertendahlii shimmers silver and deep green in the shade.

Plectranthus oertendahlii
Plectranthus madagascariensis 

The Karoo Koppie and pavement planting is beginning to bud and bloom. Plectranthus neochilus has its first flowers. One day it will be an enthusiastic blanket of blue spires. The Crassula planted for its orange leaves has long spires of minute white flowers. Climbing aloe is flowering again after I transplanted it. Pots of Lachenalia rubra are beginning to bloom, nicely opening the Autumn Fire theme the tall aloes will carry in winter.

Plectranthus neochilus, Crassula
climbing aloe, Lachenalia rubra

I need to encourage and plant colour for my vases. Red, salmon and white pelargoniums I could pick, but not enough to harvest yet. Porterville cuttings of Chrysanthemoides monilifera have their first yellow daisies. Chironia baccifera is called tortoise berry, and this is the berry.

Pelargoniums
Chrysanthemoides monilifera, Chironia baccifera

I'm waiting for the washing line pergola before I can continue with planting. Still have hundreds of pots lined up. Something about May. I've written before about the Darling Buds of May and I see the flowers getting ready!

Pictures by Diana Studer 
of  Elephant's Eye on False Bay

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