Of leaves, cameras, and comments

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

I started with a Kodak Instamatic. Now with my third Canon the camera hears me - no, not the flower behind or in front, nor the twig over there, or the wall way behind! Disconcerted by a magnifying block - which checks politely - this leaf, in all its alarming detail??

Crassula and coral aloe

For Pam @Digging's monthly Foliage Follow-Up the camera and I collected leaves for texture, colour, and interest. Autumn Fire flames on the Karoo Koppie are Crassula and coral aloe.

White variegated leaves

To light up the blue and purple flowers in Cornish Stripe I choose leaves with white variegation. Cyperus, Plectranthus madagascariensis, and Marble Chips Coprosma.

Silver leaves

Silver leaves for the pink flowers at Spring Promise and the new camera captures the down on Dusty Miller, with Dymondia lawn, Santolina curls and nutmeg Pelargonium in blue grey.

Succulent selection

Succulents on the Karoo Koppie. Red Aeonium and spotted Aloe. Teeth on Aloe marlothii. Golden new leaves on spekboom. Reindeer antlers on Cotyledon orbiculata. Glossy green on Pink Joy and my botterboom. Sansevieria live on the shady side of Froggy Pond, a lush formal rank (except where Thomas bowled them over!)

Grass seedheads

Seedheads on the volunteer sedge Ficinia out front, and the dwarf Cyperus fireworks in the pond.

Boophone

Boophone a bulb planted for the rippled fan of leaves.

Shrubs and smalls

Almost invisible leaves on luscious garlic buchu. Feathers from Californian poppy. Each Pelargonium has leaves which bring their own charm of form and fragrance.

Trees and talls

Huge fronds on Strelitzia nicolai and edible banana. Silver and green of Brachylaena. Dark mirrors on Diospyros whyteana. Berries for the birds on Searsia. Hibiscus tiliaceus hearts and Dombeya generous hands. Butterfly of Bauhinia. Delicate silver new growth on bietou.

On a beach walk I appreciate many focus boxes, which help me maintain the horizon, and to agree on what we are looking at - only this, or all of that? I SEE what is on the screen in bright sunlight.

Canon G9 PowerShot X was chosen as the best pocket camera of 2016. I don't want a dead weight burden, or lenses to change. It has a larger screen and sensor. Chosen by the Ungardener as he better understands camera tech. I will work slowly thru the manual, away from Auto.

Fish Hoek beach

Instead of writing on my watermark then reducing each image using ZoomBrowser Ex, I added the watermark with 50% transparency, and compressed to 700 pixels on the long side - click batch convert on FastStone and done.

Altho I have traffic from South Africa, I almost never get their comments. Thanks to ex-pat Desert Missus  and Dani at EcoFootprintSA for flying our flag on my blog.

I battle with Wordpress. With Google Plus comments which refuses to use my Blogger profile, or my active G+ profile. I will not login again to use Disqus or Livefyre or whatever. I won't use my personal Facebook profile to comment.

I blog for visible engagement, your comments. I make it easy to comment, even anonymous, but I moderate comments so there is nothing that I won't invite into my virtual home. 10 out of 10 to Amy at Small Sunny Garden who requires website and name, click click, and I comment.

I would like my comment on yours to let your readers come to my blog - as I expect to find YOUR blog when you leave me a comment. Encourage my readers find their way from your kind and much appreciated comment back to your blog for more of you.

I invite you to join us at Elephant's Eye on False Bay. Please subscribe as you prefer

via Feedly,

or Bloglovin,

Email with Feedburner,

or Facebook

Pictures by Diana Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

Teal blue text is my links.

To read comments if you are in email or a Reader, 
first click thru to the blog)

Thanks for comments that add value. Maybe start a new thread of discussion? BTW your comment won't appear until I've read it. No Google account? Just use Anonymous, but do leave a link to your own blog. I would return the visit, if I could ...
I welcome comments on posts from the last 2 months
Danke für sinnvolle Kommentare. Die werden erst veröffentlicht nachdem ich sie gelesen habe. Es können auch Bemerkungen sein die in eine ganz andere Richtung gehen.