False Bay garden - in February we pruned our carob tree

  

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

Wanting the chincherinchee for a blog photo, I caught a newly emerged Acraea butterfly pumping up her wings. In the pond a damselfly her mouth stuffed with a juicy fly. On the kitchen counter a prettily decorated torpedo bug - sadly invasive.

 

Garden insects in February

We called in the same team to reduce the carob tree. Sorry I wasn't quick enough to catch that chunk of wood packed at the bottom - the scar from the storm that twirled down the top half of the tree! Much more light to the table and yellow Hibiscus. And a swathe of bright blue sky for Ungardening Pond. Standing on the steps at the front end of the garden, now I can see Brakkloofrant. Brachylaena photobombing.

 

Carob tree pruned

From our skylight - before the carob was as high as our neighbour's gable, while the ridge is below the sunset colour. After we can see the sweep of Brakkloofrant.  

 

View from our skylight

I spent an afternoon carefully trimming the lower branches just clear of the wall. Briskly cut back too far by the team. Luckily the lower branches still conceal their huge new outdoor braai room - concrete everywhere with a stainless steel chimney shining on top. Hibiscus (in the centre) is turning green and filling in.

 

Wall exposed after carob was reduced

Ugly green wall needs newly planted Burchellia bubalina. Planted one in 2014 but lost it. Willing to grow in shade. Also had an overhanging chunk of Searsia crenata, behind the lemon tree, trimmed back to where I can reach.

 

Burchellia bubalina

Brachylaena discolor wants to eat the house. We tackled that one together. Very long sturdy branches, which grow, as you watch.

 

Brachylaena wants to eat the house

Trimmed and stacked neatly, it doesn't look like much, but was another carload for municipal chipping and composting. Leaves shiny bottle green above, and silver velvet below showing that it is daisy family. Light and sky for our Adirondacks. Next - when those fragrant flowers fade, is the tapestry hedge. Also both olives. And Hibiscus tiliaceus - which came as 2 cuttings with a few leaves, now as tall as the carob!

 

After we pruned Brachylaena

Zoë  enjoying my bench.

 

Zoë  on my bench

We have had some fierce summer heat. The roses are lovely, but shrizzle when the sun hits them before my camera. For Through the Garden Gate Down by the Sea in Dorset with Sarah. Potted lime is doing well. Hope my sad Cotoneaster bonsai might also return. Repotted in a deep pot, and watered each hot day...

 

February garden with roses and potted lime

Yesterday we heard Guy Preston on being prepared for wildfire to reach your house. Invasive alien trees. If your palm, cypress, pine, eucalypt, Australian acacia burns down your neighbour's house - don't rely on your third party insurance. Gutters cleared of leaves. Pets and bits ready to evacuate, if warned.

 

Part of Kader Asmal's legacy conserving water and fighting fires thoughtfully. 'April 1995. This was when he was appointed Special Adviser to Kader Asmal, the charismatic law professor who had been appointed Water Affairs and Forestry minister in President Nelson Mandela’s first cabinet of South Africa’s new democratic era. In many ways, Asmal and Preston were kindred spirits, sharing a belief in how to get a job done' 

 

Garden year month by month here, back to November 2014.

 

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