After-the-Fire Sunday Flower Walk

OK, there wasn't a fire here! About this time last year a fire swept up out of the Vyeboom valley to the gates of Nuweberg Forest Station and Drostersnes Fire Look-out. Yesterday, on my way to Villiersdorp to prepare the 70-year-old Massey Harris Combine Harvester for next Saturday's Field to Loaf Demonstration at Compagnes Drift, a splash of colours on my right made me stop. The predominant colour was blue, but pink, yellow, mauve, orange and white were all to be seen in the veld.

The blue came from tall Iris-type plants. If I'd noticed at the time the corkscrew-twisted buds I now see on my photos, that would have been a clue that they were Aristeas, in this case, A. capitata:

Aristea capitata

One can see where I was from this photo, the forest on the left is being clear-felled and the cleared area is nearly up to the gates of Nuweberg. Immediately behind is the orange of the seeds of carpets of Wachendorfia paniculata which were so impressive a few weeks ago.

Wachendorfia paniculata seeds

Behind and to the left is a mass of these candelabra-shaped spent flowers! To the right behind is a Lanaria lanata, now showing the tiny pink flowers among the white fluff:

Lanaria lanata

Mauve, or actually what would have been a mauve carpet a couple of weeks ago but now brownish, came from Dilatris pillansii, now past their best:

Dilatris pillansii with spent flowers

More mauve from what looks like Corymbium glabrus:

Corymbium glabrus (?)

Flower detail:

Corymbium glabrus (?) flower

Yellow from this stunning daisy Berkheya herbacea (?)

Berkheya herbacea (?)

Flower detail:

Berkheya herbacea flowers

More white from this daisy. Can it be a Dimorphotheca or African Daisy-type?

White Daisy

Its leaves are fleshy and glossy fronds seen here at ground level:

White Daisy with glossy leaves

And pink from this stunning Watsonia rogersii (?):

Watsonia rogersii (?)

This picture above gives an idea of the colour mix! Flower detail:

Flower detail

We found another today! Also pink were Phaenocoma prolifera:

Phaenocoma prolifera

I stopped on the opposite side of the hill on the way back and found the Therianthus out:

Therianthus

This picture shows where I clambered up to!

Carpet of Therianthus under pipeline

And amongst them, Combflower Micranthus:

Combflower Micranthus

All that in about five minutes at each stop! Today we had an early walk, the round-leafed Nymphea nouchali are taking over from the oval leafed Waterblommetjies Aponogeton distachyos.

Nymphea nouchali with Aponogeton distachyos 

We checked on the stocking we'd tied over two spent flowers on the Gladiolus carnea last week and checked that there were plenty more to spread their seeds naturally:

Gladiolus carnea spent flowers

Another daisy is taking over from where the Euryops are fading:

Daisy

Flower detail:

Flower detail

Pippa spotted a splash of pink in the middle of the veld!

Watsonia rogersii (?)

Looks the same as yesterday's, Watsonia rogersii (?)

Flower detail

After watching them develop for months now, the Purple Powder Puffs Pseudoselago serrata are beginning to open:

Purple Powder-puff Pseudoselago serrata

Pippa sketching, Eikenhof Dam and Country Club in distance

This is where we check on one of the ultra-rare Agapanthus walshii which we know flowers every year. Joy! For the first time, three buds!

Agapanthus walshii with three buds

Recently in this area we found a Lobelia jasionoides. We found another today. It looks as if it would make good ground-cover:

Lobelia jasionoides would make good ground cover!

On the way back, right next to the 'red road' was another A. walshii we've never known to flower before. The one behind it has two buds where it normally has one. Maybe we're in for a good year?

This Agapanthus walshii hasn't flowered while we've been observing

The Helichrysums are coming into their own....

Helichrysums

These look like Cape Snow Syncarpha vestita:

Cape Snow Helichrysums, Syncarpha vestita

I stopped at the yellow pea-type again which I now think might be an Aspalathus callosa:

Aspalathus callosa (?)

It was hot, so the dogs took advantage of a swimming hole, the Wyrm muddying up Boy's drinking water!

Dogs having a bath!

:-) A