December in our False Bay garden

 by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

December was a dry summer month. 6 mm of rain (sounds better than only a quarter of an inch) But as our second wave lockdown bites we appreciate that our garden is green on all sides for COVID laps and a soothing view. Looking down Summer Gold.

 

Summer Gold

 

Winding along Woodland Walk for Through the Garden Gate with Sarah Down By the Sea in Dorset

 

Woodland Walk

 

Christmas means Agapanthus. I have only one flower - soft grey blue - Storms River. For Gail at Clay and Limestone and her Wildflower Wednesday

 

Agapanthus Storms River blue grey 

 

I don't want the Tapestry Hedge on the verge to be a chiselled green box (companion to roll on Astroturf). I trimmed back the octopus legs across the pavement, and thinned some of the bulk, reduced the height by careful feathering. Then set the Ungardener, with his ladder and longer reach to wrestle with what foiled me.

 

Tapestry hedge

 

Halleria lucida is filling the hole in the hedge. Looking down Cornish Stripe to our lemon tree, the fronds of Strelitzia nicolai are ours. That top left bulk looms over from next door - difficult to reach (his task again)! My Brachylaena discolor kindly obscures next door's garage wall, those long sturdy arms need trimming yet again - but that I can do.

 

Work to be done in the garden

 

Two metal birds in our garden, the kingfisher at Froggy Pond, the owl in the olive tree. Border of Dusty Miller establishing. Blue pots of tuberous begonia outside the kitchen door.

 

Two metal birds

 

We are still in the Twelve Days of Christmas and my decorations stay up till Twelfth Night, remembering my father's birthday. Flying Dutchman with choirs of angels and sparkly lights - I miss live music!

 

Flying Dutchman with choirs of angels

 

This year I arranged the straw stars as the Southern Cross, four stars with the two pointers at the left.

 

Southern Cross in straw stars

 

Black Friday brought me a new camera - and most of these pictures are from that Canon Powershot G5X Mark II, which the Ungardener is patiently teaching me to use. With a tilting screen and better zoom, then a little bigger and heavier. His pictures of Zöe sleeping, and Thomas who has grown into a distinguished white moustache.

 

Zöe and Thomas 

 

A handful of flowers from my December garden. Vivid blue Cape forget-me-not Anchusa capensis. Cyperus congestus volunteered. Lime gold and green striped Albuca. Picotee edge on Alstroemeria. Tiny bee on yellow Gazania rigens. Yellow starflower Hypoxis. Deepest orange nasturtium. Pink and white pelargoniums both delicately feathered.

 

Garden flowers for December

 

This was our first Christmas just the two of us, no family. High summer, holiday season, but I feel like a bear hibernating. Head down and waiting. Wary and cautious as we step into the New Year.

 

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.