July around our False Bay garden

 

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

Silvermine bridge suffering from July's winter rain. It was closed last time, but now it dips in 3 places where the pillars were undermined. Municipality must restore it when the weather allows, as the electricity supply across to Clovelly runs thru there. In June we walked across that causeway bridge!

 

Silvermine Bridge in July

Silvermine River sparkling with innocence on a brilliant sunny day - Cape Town winter at its best!

 

Silvermine River

We have had a series of 14 cold fronts. More coming in August, perhaps even September. And cold (he bought an electric blanket) with a fire earlier each evening.

 

Storm clouds rolling in July

Bunch of wimps!! Where are our cushions?! Never mind the unexpected puddles rolling in. Thomas at his freshly filled waterbowl - no wonder his tail swishes wet when he comes in again.

 

Winter weather for cats

Gifted flowers - mostly fynbos with Serruria and Leucadendron. Geraldton waxflower too, which my mother liked.

 

Gifted flowers

For Through the Garden Gate Down by the Sea in Dorset with Sarah. Under the trees are mushrooms - a children's storybook clump, and others with dissolving margins. Milkweed climber has big pods.

 

Garden mushrooms

At Kirstenbosch, took my camera hoping for snow (yes, but too far for my lens). The mountain is called Castle Rock, but now that someone has called it Teddy Bear Mountain I cannot UNsee that. Streams bubbling with foam and raging down towards the sea.  

 

Kirstenbosch in July

Remember the tiny baboon troop that came down our street? The Ungardener met them later up on Brakkloofrant. Thanks to our City's baboon 'management protocols' the 'raiding male' was 'euthanased'. RIP Creamy. Leaving 2 girls and 2 kids unprotected. A last glimpse of little Squeak caring for baby Pip. RIP Squeak. Now there are only 2 girls (Eileen has one blind eye) defending a baby ... SO Inconvenient for wine estates and developments on the urban edge of Table Mountain - National Park AND World Heritage site. Cannot expect residents to live WITH nature, what do you think this place is, a jungle?!   

 

RIP Creamy and Squeak

Our fynbos needs our baboons. Our baboons need to forage in fynbos.

 

Dramatic July sunset

We have been pruning on the sunny between days. Hope August will see more gardening.

 

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

 

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