Agapanthus walshii are Out!

In the last few months we have logged every Agapanthus walshii plant or population we have found, recording GPS co-ordinates and giving them a name. Occasionally in my Fire duties in this sector, which is bigger than the area we walk normally, I have found and recorded more.

The most astonishing population is in an area which was completely forested and near a road we have walked on hundreds of times. If the plants had come up, flowers or not, we would have seen them. With the forest cut down and a fire almost two years ago, the population is the strongest we know of, and incidentally, has come into flower earliest!

This is only a part of this population. The exciting thing is that through doing nothing to those plants we know about, besides plotting them, we know they will survive the next 'crop' of pines now planted in this area, over the coming 20 or more years!

Immediately noticeable is how few flowers are in each bud.

In this immediate area we found for the first time a group of tiny Proteas.

Some have a single flower at the tip.

On others, it looks as if we will be treated to a bunch!

The Purple Powder-puff Pseudoselago serrata which we've been watching develop for months now, are in full flower, and will probably go on flowering for some weeks to come. The purple splashes in the veld are difficult to miss!

The 'puff' up close, as usual, with a bug:

We were walking along the dividing road between 'compartments' of new forest we call 'Therianthus', wondering whether the dry conditions will hold them back, and sure enough, we found some!

This particularly bright, and late-flowering Daisy caused me to get up close!

And on the way I found some Mesembryanthemums also still in flower.

Flower and spent flower detail:

The flowers on the Sour Figs Carpobrotus edulis are over, leaving interesting-looking fruit/seed pods:

Some of the pink-centred Helichrysums have turned black already!

A healthy stand of Rush Iris  Bobartia filiformis:

The Star Grass Ficinia have lost their bright yellow colour, but they are still impressive!

In places, there a good crop of berries on the Teedia (or Oftia?) plants!

We are not sure what this is, a Metalasia, perhaps?

Flowers up close:

We seem to have lost the few specimens of the tall Erica obliqua where we plotted them before the fire. Several hundred metres away, we have found several plants, now about to flower, which we hope might be more.

Bud detail:

:-) Andy

Sea of Yellow Sunday Flower Walk

First, the Sundowners are almost Full Blossom! First to blossom, last to pick!

Yes, still a sea of yellow, mostly Daisies.

Up close!

But that wasn't the only yellow flower! A Pea with needle-like leaves which we haven't been able to track down:

The flower up close:

And the buds:

Last week I mentioned the Lobelias were out, these deep blue ones seem always to be in flower:

Then there's a lighter one:

... and the Lobelia jasionoides:

The Pelargoniums are still in full flower:

More pink from these little pea-types:

Teedias, but they're nearly over:

.... and a lovely Mesemb, just one flower at a time at the moment:

The whole plant, with red edges to the leaves:

Some white, from Helichrysums:

Pseudoselago spuria:

.... and Zantedeschia aethiopica!

A noisy coot on the dam next door, didn't like the dogs wallowing:

The most important part of the Walk was to log the positions, conditions and size of the various Agapanthus walshii plants we know about. In the week, forester Tommy Eckley passed on a mail from Karen Kirkman, MTO's Environmental Specialist. I tried to log the positions with my phone, but it wouldn't work, although I could see where we were on the map. We have anyway started describing where the plants are, in the old fashioned way, on paper! Once all (many of the) the plants are plotted, a plan of action will be formed, either to leave areas unplanted or more sparsely planted, with maybe some from the stronger populations moved, but gradually, into those areas.

On the way home, a Drosera:

.... and a Beetle Lily Baeometra:

:-) Andy

Almost all Yellow Sunday Flower walk

It was so yellow that we longed to see another colour! But first, in our own garden, I couldn't go past this Clivia without snapping it! All over, they seem to be beautiful this year!

Then yesterday at Compagnes Drift Mill, where we celebrated Heritage Day, this Gazania stopped me in my tracks. In fact later in the day there was a second one growing through it, the bud must have been behind it!

As we were enjoying lunch outside, listening to the machinery inside creaking away, a Lesser Double-collared Sunbird was having lunch on an aloe too.

The Coral tree there is shy to set flowers, but they are impressive when they do!

This morning on the farm, Pippa spotted an Aristea africana open. I rushed out with the camera, knowing they're a mornings-only flower!

Another sign of spring, a Pin-tailed Whydah flirting with a couple of females in the garden.

Yes, the walk today was mostly yellow. I was wondering why some people travel long distances for Spring Flowers when they're right here!

Up close, vying for a space in the sun!

It seemed the only other colour was pink in several shades, Sheep Sorrel here:

.... and the Pelargoniums are still in flower:

We found another example of the peppery-scented-leaves one, right next to the path too:

Also pink were these little pea types:

Flower detail:

.... these Teedias:

and our faithful Saltera sarcocolla!

A lot of our walk was in the recently deforested (and by chance also burnt) area where we were often watched by these Stone Chats:

A plant we've found has really established itself since the fire of nearly two years ago is the Trachyandra. It's not impressive, with tiny pinkish flowers, bootlace like leaves, but the bees go mad about it!

On what we think is Pseudoselago spuria the flowers are filling out:

This plant has us stumped! Will it ever flower to help us identify it?

The pathway past the old Railway cottages always comes up trumps. Now the Beetle Lilies are up, but not fully open yet, Baeometra uniflora:

These now join the Sparaxis bulbiflora:

Geissorhiza aspera:

Was this the only blue flower all day? No! The Lobelias were also out!

 ... and these orange Moraeas all in 50 metres!

:-) Andy