Garden jewels

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Pics taken in my garden in September and July 2010

Mystery # 8 to #13

More pics taken at Cape Point Nature Reserve in March.

Mystery #8

Mystery #9

Mystery #10 (2 pics)

Mystery # 11

Mystery # 12

Mystery # 13

Walk above Muizenberg

On Thursday we headed up Peck's Valley, above Muizenberg. At the top is a wide plateau with young ericoid-restiod fynbos which took my breath away. It is at the perfect stage after a fire: 3 or 4 years - full of diversity and still looking fresh.



The veld is a palette of greys, greens, russety browns, limey yellows with splashes of snow white. Mickey (dog) was in mouse hunting heaven.





Cape Snow (Syncarpha vestita) and restios (Elegia sp).
It was a bright overcast day: perfect for photographing if it weren't for the wind. The fact that I captured these beetles is a tribute to camera technology.

Metallic green beetles on Edmondia - anyone what they are called?

And a monkey beetle on Syncarpha vestita, Cape Snow.

Kreupelbos (Leucospermum conocarpodendron) - more commonly seen on the Peninsula as large old shrubs, but here a fresh young plant. Then we set off for St James Peak. As we gained a little height, we had a lovely view back onto the plateau. Red Watsonia tabularis in the foreground.






This is the first time I've noticed Protea speciosa: in bud (above) and in flower.


And then we were rewarded with a lovely framed view north, over Muizenberg.








I really should stop posting photos of Leucadendron xanthoconus, the Blinkblaartolbos. But I can't: too beautiful.



At this point we veered off the path and dipped down to a little cave for an apple and nuts stop. Later views of the False Bay coast, looking south , towards Simonstown.





We returned via Mimetes Valley - aptly named after the many old Mimetes bushes growing there. There was a brief rim flow feeling....

And then the descent.

Kalkbay Mountains

Last Saturday we went for a walk from Boyes Drive (Trappieskop parking) towards Cave Peak. Our route took us up, past the slabs, and then there's a scrambly bit near the top where we had to shove/hoist the dogs up the cliffs. Mickey jumped up like a klipspringer.


View towards Fish Hoek with Trappieskop in the foreground.

Leucadendron strobilinum (a Table Mnt endemic) looking fresh with spring foliage.

Leucospermum conocarpodendron

I've always wondered what these caterpillars are - often seen swarming on a tree. Turns out it's the larva of the Cape Lappet (Pachypasa capensis), a rather uninteresting looking moth. Wish I knew more about its biology.

Today - 20 September

Today I nearly stepped on an egg - a beautiful speckled egg, only a few feet from the main path. About thirty meters away were the parents: a pair of blacksmith plovers. They didn't look stressed and left me to go about my work, planting labels.


In total there will be 200 plant labels in the Biodiversity Garden. Considering we have over 330 plant species, we had to be selective and not all species are labelled. I admit I have mixed feeling about labels: on the one hand they highlight the enormous diversity we have, and on the other hand they clutter the landscape and detract from the beauty of the displays. And the very act of naming and putting things into boxes takes us from our hearts into our heads.


Lampranthus reptans, I hear myself think, and move on. Instead of stopping to marvel at the luminous flowers and silver grey stems.


Here is a new one to me - Hermannia multiflora, planted in the renosterveld displays. Full of small orange flowers - those twisted corollas so typical of Hermannia.




I like the way the little grysbok is close to the Acacia karroo (Sweet Thorn) - as if it is about to nibble its leaves.





I notice there is a wide range of colour forms among the Babiana angustifolia we planted in the renosterveld. Species variation? - or are they hybrids, I wonder.




This display is entitled 'Can an ant change a landscape?' and tells the story of the invasive Argentine ant and its impact on local species. All the plants in this bed are myrmecochorous - i.e. have seeds which are dispersed by ants. Which gave me a fantastic excuse to plant showy pincushions, silver Podalyria sericea and aromatic buchus...

Leucospermum cordifolium

And above: recent progress on the Fibonacci spiral. Rob McKenzie is busy with the pebble detail. Next will be a band of much smaller diamond quartz pebbles - translucent and beautifully smooth.

A Biodiversity experiment in progress

A few days ago, while planting, I spotted this fiscal shrike sitting in a tree - a newly planted Chionanthus foveolatus.


This is the first time I've seen a shrike here. The Green POint Park used to be a sportsfield, and for over 18 months now it's been a construction site. How long will it take for animals to arrive, I wonder?

To date my list is very short:
Hartlaub's gull
Cape wagtail
Blacksmith plover (lapwing)
Crowned plover
Common fiscal
frogs

However I have been so nose-to-the-ground with planting, there may well be more. Let's keep a record and let me know what else you've spotted in the Biodiversity Garden.