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
 

Advent Wreath from above
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
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
Garden art owl
 

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

 

Four bonsais
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
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
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
Iceberg roses and chewed Bauhinia
 

Citrusy pelargonium with raspberry and white ivy pelargoniums.

 

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
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.

 

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.

 

Comments

  1. I love the arty owl, Diana, and I think you did a great job with your advent wreath - the papyrus flowers were a great touch! I've postponed my appointment with an eye doctor since March and, with Covid surging here again, I expect that visit may wait until we have our vaccine immunizations next year. We're hunkering down again here and minimizing all but the most essential errands. Even though I wasn't out-and-about much to begin with, I'm already feeling more confined as another lockdown looms just down the road.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. South Africa is trying to avoid another lockdown, as the unemployment and lack of income is grim.

      Last year, I looked at frames, and said, I'll come back in February. Not!

      Delete
  2. Your owl is so cute, would certainly love it in my garden. Christmas will be different for so many this year, our area is climbing in covid numbers as well. I'm sure you are adjusting to the new glasses, and you will be using that new camera soon. Stay safe and well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Advent Wreath is beautiful--simply elegant. I always enjoy your photographs of the flowers and other plants, and the evolution of your garden.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hope you get those glasses sorted soon. We too have an iceberg rose. Sadly no roses at the moment. B x

    ReplyDelete
  5. Like you post. Enjoyed all the colorful flowers.

    Have a great day. John

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely seeing your advent wreath it reminds me of childhood Christmas spent in Germany. Your owl has a great perch overlooking the garden! It's amazing how much you have achieved in the six years in your garden, we too have just reached our sixth anniversary in our home! Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  7. "New glasses have made my 'old' camera much more efficient": Ha! Of course your landscape is always blooming and colorful, but springtime must be especially brilliant in your locale. Thanks for sharing the beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love your wreath. It is so cheery on a gloomy day like today. Looking at the sunshine and bright flowers makes me miss summer...but not all the work.
    Jeannie@GetMeToTheCountry

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your arrangement is beautiful. Love the owl, reminds of the great horned owls we have here, and the purple and blue blooms of Streptocapus and Anchusa.

    ReplyDelete
  10. There is so much to enjoy in this post, Diana. Your Advent wreaths seem to get better every year. The Alstroemeria blooms are a pretty touch. I don't grow them because they are difficult to over-winter here. The owl is adorable. I love Iceberg roses -- elegant! P. x

    ReplyDelete
  11. That's a beautifully unique advent wreath! And what a pleasure it is to see colorful flowers in the garden again, after we just had our first snow.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your wreath is beautiful. Congratulations on new glasses--I need new ones desperately (current ones either broken, scratched, or bent). but am waiting waiting because of course of Covid-19.

    Nice the beetles went for the tree instead of the roses.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have been impressed how the dermatologist, optician and our GP have made the needed changes - including perspex screens added for our mutual protection. Less income from wary patients coupled with extra costs against COVID.

      Delete
  13. Your Advent wreath is beautiful, Diane, and so nice that it came from your garden. Happy December!
    Amalia
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your post is just like the sort of letter my mother used to write to her friends back in the UK, but with glorious pictures. The beauty and sundrenched views are most welcome at this time of the year, to help dispel the greyness. The dwarf papyrus flowers were a brilliant choice to your arrangement.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The owl is a delight. The bonsais are great too.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your Advent wreath is amazing! After the lookdown all opticians are closed here. I was wondering how to get new glasses in case of an emergency. I’m not comfortable buying glasses online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder how you can get online glasses adjusted to fit?

      Delete
  17. Why is it called Judas Peak? It looks like a face, looking at the sky. We once experienced an earthquake in Tokyo. Such a strange feeling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have another Judas Peak at the far Hout Bay end of the Twelve Apostles behind Camps Bay. But I don't know why this Cape Point one is Judas?

      Delete
  18. What a wonderful wreath!

    I'm loving seeing the beautiful flowers. It's a very wet autumn/winter here.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Such colour and somehow it shocks me that Covid impinges on even your lovely part of the world. Have a good Christmas despite it all.

    ReplyDelete