March and our False Bay garden

  

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

When the garden turns to moody blues Plectranthus and Hypoestes, with Barleria in waiting, we are in autumn. Plectranthus saccatus. Potted Streptocarpus. Felicia. Plumbago auriculata.

 

Moody autumn blues

Nerine sarniensis dusted with gold sparkles in the sun. For Through the Garden Gate Down by the Sea in Dorset with Sarah.

 

Nerine sarniensis

Softly pink and delicate spires with tiny pods, Indigofera jucunda has arching branches with small leaves.

 

Indigofera jucunda

We had a full rainbow. Double if you look carefully.

 

Rainbow, double!

On our verge the tapestry hedge stars Metalasia muricata. Covered in flowers with fresh buds still coming. Wafts of honey and vanilla!

 

Metalasia muricata

Boophone disticha has turned its second ever flower to tumbleweed and the twirled leaves unfurl.

 

Boophone disticha

I moved my two bonsais from their summer shade home, and trimmed them. Hope to get to the bonsai show at Kirstenbosch over the Easter weekend.

 

Bonsais

Pink is one of my favourite colours. Autumn means Hypoestes aristata in this dotted mauve. Always various pink pelargoniums. Deep pink Oxalis came with the garden.

 

Pink flowers for March

For an autumn glow. Tangerine Bulbine frutescens. Hypoxis hemerocallidea yellow stars. Black and white dotted guineafowl feather. Sixties orange Leonotis leonurus. First white Osteospermum fruticosum. Euryops is covered in yellow daisies with fluffy centres.

 

Warm flowers for March chills

Late afternoon Zoe has a shift on neighbourhood watch with the seagull. Make yourself comfortable, put your feet up, all four of them - says Thomas.

 

Zoe and Thomas
(women's work is never done)

If you are on iNaturalist you know about the City Nature Challenge April 28th to May 1st. If your city isn't involved, there is a blanket project for 'everyone else'. The focus is on nature, so wildflowers, or insects and lichen etc. (not cultivated garden plants, pets, or people). I will be identifying for Cape Town, Western Cape, and the Rest of Africa if I can get to it (as I do each day).

 

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Pictures by Diana Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

 

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