Sunday 16 June 2013

Another Sunday walk!

 Yes, the King Proteas are still looking stunning!
Protea cynaroides
Protea cynaroides
Pinker above, and yellower below.
Protea cynaroides
and in all stages.....
Protea cynaroides
But there's more if you look harder, for example the Restios which one tends to walk past as 'just another reed'. The variety is amazing:
Restio
This flower above is from this tuft below:
but there are lots more types:
That's just a few examples!
We're starting to notice the plants of the next crop of Wachendorfias with their pleated, spear-like leaves:
Wachendorfia
There are still just two flowers on our favourite pink Helichrysum, but look closer:
Seed pod or bud?
The Brunias have a new crop of baubles:
As usual, the Lobelias seem quite happy growing in the middle of the road! Do they ever stop flowering?
The dam is nearly full again, it was dead still and the Club looked so inviting!
Elgin Grabouw country club
Tucked away where we know where to look, the fungi are thriving still:
This is a new plant for us, now in flower, right next to the road, and we've never noticed it before:
The flowers, leaves and buds:
On the way back, Oliver's growing frames looked interesting upside-down!
A few weeks ago in another area, we noticed this plant and wondered what it was:
Cunonia capensis
As a result of Pippa's Botanical Illustration course this last week, we now know it's a Butter Spoon tree, Cunonia capensis, Red Alder or Rooiels. It's easy to see how it got that first name!
:-) A

Sunday 9 June 2013

Sunday Flower walk


.... which seemed to be taken over by Proteas!
There isn't much colour in the veld at the moment, but we know our stamping ground well and know where to look for the Proteas which are stunning at the moment!
We're not actually sure what this is yet, but we broke a tiny piece off and Pippa is attending a 3-day Botanical Illustration course this week at Fernkloof as part of Hermanus Fynarts Festival http://www.hermanusfynarts.co.za/ so she'll take it along and ask the fundis:
It certainly has a Protea look about it! Below is what the whole bush looks like:
But the Kings (P. cynaroides) were stunning!
Protea cynaroides flower
Protea cynaroides plant
White King Protea - Protea cynaroides
Ptotea cynaroides
Just measured the lead, that makes the diameter 270mm!
Protea cynaroides
Protea cynaroides
Protea cynaroides
The top left one here is opening like an artichoke.
Protea cynaroides
Protea cynaroides
Protea cynaroides
This above looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings!
Protea cynaroides with seeds
They're even beautiful when they've gone to seed!
Otherwise, the wild lobelias just go on and on!
Lobelia
and there are still ericas around:
Erica
Erica
After a miserable day yesterday, what a difference!
But there's snow on the High Tops! We are privileged to live in such a beautiful place!
:-) A