The purple shall govern

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

Someone (I am not nearly such an organised gardener!) has flipped a switch in our garden. It is autumn, let there be purple. Seven of these plants I was pleased to find established in the garden. I worked around what I found. Moved some. And I am enjoying filling the gaps with those I love - purple sage, Rotheca and Barleria. For Cornish Stripe (blue and purple with white) I still need purple daisies as a groundcover Dimorphotheca jucunda. A year ago the garden was purple, but this year I miss my Limonium and Felicia - both thoughtful, and the inherited violets which have vanished.

Hypoestes aristata
Ribbon bush

Hypoestes aristata inherited in purple and white. There are seedlings volunteering all over the garden, which will need careful rearranging and editing. Called ribbon bush as the petals curl back to gift wrap the garden.

Foreign April flowers

Lavender and Mexican sage joined by my new purple sage, three foreigners among the indigenous.

April shrubs
Septemberbossie
Oxford and Cambridge

Two indigenous shrubs. Septemberbossie Polygala myrtifolia found in pots which we moved across to the far side of our garden. STILL need more nurturing to get past the neglected twiggy look. Oxford and Cambridge Rotheca came with us in a small pot from Porterville.

Plectranthus species

Tall shrubby Plectranthus ecklonii and sprawling stoep jacaranda Plectranthus saccatus are residents. I brought gazillion Plectranthus neochilus to join them.

Barleria
April violets

New favourite is April violets blooming on cue for the first time. Barleria obtusa  in a soft periwinkle blue.

Plumbago

Inherited Plumbago is the original and perfect sky blue with softly purple honey guides. Joining Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day at May Dreams Gardens in Indiana. 

Human chain
Zuma must fall

Friday the 7th of April we joined the human chain stretching from Simon's Town to Muizenberg and on in groups all the way to Parliament. Zuma must fall - he has the very doubtful claim of uniting the country. Against him.

The purple shall govern - is a memory of the apartheid government using water cannon with purple dye against protesters in September 1989. The year the Berlin Wall fell. Our protest was peaceful, from the frail elderly to small kids.

Katzenleiter
Cat ladder

Thomas has had lessons in being a Swiss cat. Climbing lessons, advanced as he has to turn himself around on the steps. Himself is a bit sturdy to leap up onto the wall (as our other cats could). Up went more easily, and he really enjoys being on Neighbourhood Watch. Down ... he prefers the shortcut of pouring himself along the wall. But he has learnt to come down the top two steps, then pour. And he begins to take himself up there, without the teacher chivvying him along. Hmm now takes himself out for the evening and has to trigger the light at the front door when he wants to come back IN!

The Ungardener has built him a four step ladder. There were offcuts from the PVC barge boards which replaced the rotten wood on our 'conservatory'. Swiss cats who live in upper storey flats often have a Katzenleiter, a cat ladder from the window or balcony zigzagging down to the ground.

Inspiring Thomas

Thomas walks carefully across the curved top of the gate to reach the inspired half of the wall.

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