November in our False Bay garden

 by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

UPDATE - I forgot about our Earth tremor around midnight 16 November. Thomas and I both felt the ripple and heard the rumble. A heavily laden truck going too fast across a speed hump?! Wind gust ripping off the roof?!               

For my Advent wreath my garden gave me, ivy and Dusty miller leaves. Dwarf papyrus flowers around the base for the photo. Alstroemeria gave four generous flowerheads.

 

Advent Wreath

 

Advent Wreath from above

Finally, after lockdown, I have new glasses. I spent the last week reprogramming my brain, to read with glasses. Battled to see my laptop (standing is fine, but sitting!) Sunday we took a long drive around Cape Point for me to practice seeing while I drive.

 

Paulsberg and Judas Peak at Cape Point

 

I have a new camera waiting in its box, but, new glasses have made my 'old' camera much more efficient. Come Through the Garden Gate with Sarah Down By the Sea in Dorset with our wide eyed garden art owl.

 

Garden art owl

 

My sister moved and I am looking after the bonsais. Two will stay with me.

 

Four bonsais

 

Strelitzia nicolai and edible banana are related if you climb the taxonomy to Zingiberales. Lady's fingers are bulking up slowly.

 

Strelitzia nicolai
Lady's fnger banana

 

Citrus colours. Fierce orange furry Leonotis. Tahiti limes developing. Psychotria capensis is called lemoenbos for the flower colour.

 

Citrus colours for November

 

Iceberg roses are delicious, but the spotted beetles say white  Bauhinia is even better! Flowers are too chewed, and too high, for my camera.

 

Iceberg roses and chewed Bauhinia

 

Citrusy pelargonium with raspberry and white ivy pelargoniums.

 

Pelargoniums

 

Blue indigenous beauties for Wildflower Wednesday with Gail at Clay and Limestone in Tennessee. Purple Streptocarpus and azure Anchusa capensis (Cape forget me not)

 

Streptocapus and Anchusa capensis

 

We moved to this house six years ago. How time flies! Garden plants have two speeds - full steam ahead or reverse. Calpurnia aurea has recovered and is full of leaves. Tapestry hedge was octopus arms lolling across the pavement - I spent yesterday afternoon reining it in. But my Rotheca is still sulking, it has leaf buds, but they refuse to leaf out! Fed, and rain watered. New Plectranthus must also be tasty, stripped of all leaves - watered and wait. Next door (palm side) has hacked off the tree outside our kitchen window - will have to trim the bounce back on our side.

 

We are anticipating a very quiet Christmas, not the usual family lunch, as our COVID infections are climbing again in the Eastern Cape and in Cape Town.

 

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Pictures by Diana and Jürg Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

 

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