May in our False Bay garden during COVID lockdown

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

in Cape Town, South Africa

 

We had good rain in May and fierce windy storms. No flooding, filling our dams nicely. But parts of South Africa wait for rain with empty dams. Hypoestes aristata a haze of purple flowers, feeds bees, that furled petal so intricately spotted. Blue grey leaves of Cotyledon orbiculata work well for my blue and white Cornish Stripe. For Gail's Wildflower Wednesday at Clay and Limestone in Tennessee

 

Hypoestes aristata with bee

The weather suits the aloes which are, wait for it, wait for it, in bud. Flaming red aloe torches against snowy mountains epitomise our Cape winter for me.

 

Aloes in bud
Cotyledon orbiculata bottom right

May garden flowers for Through the Garden Gate with Sarah Down by the Sea in Dorset

Blue Felicia, mauve Plectranthus saccatus, deepest red Lachenalia bulbifera.

Tiny white Crassula capitata, white fragrant trumpets Jasminum angulare, lime gold terracotta Euphorbia tirucalli.

Soft yellow Hypoxis, chrome yellow Euryops daisies, golden orange Tecoma capensis.

 

May garden flowers

Mystery caterpillar waits hopefully on iNaturalist, but has disappeared from my garden. 

Cucullia sp. perhaps??

 

Mystery caterpillar

 

We removed the dead Searsia. Chipped and bagged to solarise. We have three Halleria lucida in our garden. Large one across from the Adirondack patio. Medium one already in the tapestry hedge on the verge. Among the pebbles on the beach at our pond was a volunteer sapling. Potted up and it flourished. Waited a couple of weeks for the sand to settle, and planted tree number 44 in that gap.

 

Halleria lucida for the tapestry hedge gap

We have lemon flowers and tiny Tahiti limes, a steady supply of Iceberg roses (and one rosehip). Perennial basil planted for bees is constantly in flower.

 

Exotic May flowers

 

Paired shell of a giant clam is a souvenir from his travelling days. Thomas, no accounting for taste, finds it a PERFECT pillow. He has his missiles ready, if we move away before he has had enough cuddles, he hurls his weapons after us, with a very satisfying THWOCK. Protea seedheads brought home from hikes, are perfect cat toys, the right size and weight to chase.

 

Thomas on his shell pillow
with missiles ready to fire

 

Zöe dwarfed by Marie Antoinette's towering powdered wig.

 

Zöe in pompadour

 

And sitting pointedly peering into the fire. Something wrong here! This is usually warm?

 

Zöe waiting pointedly for the fire to be lit

 

We wait patiently for Monday when our lockdown lifts to Level 3. We can walk, while the sun is shining! Instead of with vampires from 6 to 9 on a winter morning - we will have 6 to 6. Giving working people some chance of fresh air and exercise. Beaches and parks are still Look but No Entry.

 

Gazing wistfully at Look but DoN'T Touch sea
in COVID haircut and underslung mask

 

Phoebe sings - How long 'till this is over?? Homeschooling dad raising the bar. Her proud granny, one of my original blog buddies; Being Me is an English teacher and writer.

  

Last two library books, still waiting for them to reopen. Maybe July??

 

Beatrice MASINI - The Watercolourist

That was fascinating - escapism from lockdown. A young English woman is commissioned to paint the plants in the exotic garden of Villa Manzoni near Milan two hundred years ago.

 

Kathleen BARBER - Are you sleeping - when you wake up your nightmare begins.

(Could be a tagline for us and COVID) A journalist investigates an old murder case. Her progress is on the web in But WAIT There is More daily posts. Addictive ... until our heroine realises it is about HER.

  

Trawling my own bookshelves

 

Laurens VAN DER POST - The Seed and the Sower

A Christmas trilogy. Japanese prisoners of war. Intense, but beautifully written with deep empathy for every character, both the 'good' and the 'bad'.

 

Edith WHARTON - The Age of Innocence

My father's mother came from New Zealand to visit the family, their two little girls. She stayed for the Duration, as there were no ships home during the Second World War. I never met her, but this solitary book has survived, passed from her son, to his wife, to my sister, to me. I read with double pleasure - for the fine writing, and lingering to wonder why my grandmother cherished this book. Written in 1920 and yet it seems timeless.

 

Choose your parents carefully

  

Meet the doctor leading Africa’s fight to contain the Coronavirus pandemic

 

Cape Town is a hotspot

 

Masiphumelele shows us we can succeed —together

 

How South Africa’s action on Covid-19 contrasts sharply with its response to Aids

  

From the future: life in Denmark after the lockdown

  

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 and Jürg 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. Your comment will not appear until I've read it. No Google account? Use Anonymous, then please include a link to your own blog. I welcome comments on posts from the last 2 months.