29 June, 2012

Wildflower Wednesday in the Groot Winterhoek

As usual, when we hike in the Groot Winterhoek Wilderness Area, we were the only people there. The only car parked. We did meet a group of young people being trained to maintain the trails.

His grass, backlit with bokeh

Our fynbos is threatened by global warming. Proteas, ericas, bulbs and daisies. The plants could retreat up the mountain slopes, but they are used to paddling their toes in the mountain streams. Those mountain streams flow down to the Voelvlei Dam and supply Cape Town with tap water. Or not! If global warming bites.

22 June, 2012

In the pond grows, with June's winter flowers


If I was a minimalist, if I had to accept the tiniest courtyard garden, these six plants would satisfy me. A tree for structure. A shrub for shelter. A pioneer to nurse its companions along. A groundcover to carpet the bare earth. A pelargonium to flute in PINK, accompanied by mellow blues on shrub and groundcover.

Kingfisher and reeds

In this tiniest of gardens, as I sit under the tree, there will be water.

Photographs and Copyright

Photographs are from Diana Studer or Jurg Studer.
My Canon PowerShot A490

If I use your images or information, it will be clearly acknowledged with either a link to the website, or details of the book. If you use my images or words, I expect you to acknowledge them in turn.


Midnight in Darkest Africa

Midnight in Darkest Africa
For real time, click on the map.