A Desert Garden at Brandberg

The Brandberg in Namibia is one of the most arid environments I have ever been in. All the plants and animals have had to adapt to the lack of water, but contrary to what one expect, there is a lot of life here. There is a more detailed introduction to the area in the post The […]

New beginnings

Ever since we have lived in this town, we have driven or walked past four huge pine trees on a daily basis. One day during a walk with the dog, I decided to take a photograph. Which proved to be a good thing, because shortly after the photo was taken they were cut down. Those […]

A fresh start

When we moved into our house years ago, the garden was still at its peak. It had the right balance between there being plenty of plant cover, but not being too overgrown. A long severe drought during 2009/2010  helped keep the undergrowth in check. Then at the end of 2010 the rains returned and the […]

Nature never got the memo that it’s Autumn down South

While everybody in the Northern Hemisphere is noticing the early signs of Spring, here in the Southern Hemisphere, I am trying hard to recognize any signs of Autumn being here. Although the calendar says it is now officially Autumn, Nature never got the memo. Though maybe after the long drought we had, Nature is making […]

The tale of the Delicious Monsters* and the unfurling fronds

*Important Note: The plant I refer to as a “Delicious Monster” has since been identified by Sarie Joubert and Dewald Louw (click on their names to read their comments) as being a Philodendron which Dewald says is a poisonous plant and should NOT be eaten! My thanks to Sarie and Dewald for this correction. I […]

Photo day: Macro photography

Yes, another photo day . . . As I get further into my “migraine season” you’re probably going to be seeing more of these. It will get more difficult for me to concentrate and write entertaining posts. Also, I am trying to develop my photographic skills, and feel compelled to do something with the better […]

Story: The Garden Thief

When the dog and I go walking in the mornings, I often take snapshots of interesting things we see on our walk. Lately, as we’re heading into summer, I’ve been photographing any beautiful plants which I see in the gardens in our neighbourhood. I try not to trespass, but if there’s a flowerbed close to […]

Photo day: In Our Garden

After talking about the neighbourhood gardens the other day, I decided to take a look at what flowers were growing in our garden. The drought of the last couple of years has really given our garden a knock, as we haven’t been allowed to water our garden at all. The plants left standing are mostly […]

Photo Day: Beautiful Lilies

The people in our town are very proud of their gardens. Every year in Spring, there is a Garden Open Day. If you think your garden will make the grade, you can submit it to the committee for consideration to be included in the annual garden tour. On one Saturday (usually in September), you can […]