November - 10 years in our False Bay garden

  

by Diana Studer

- gardening for biodiversity

 in Cape Town, South Africa

 

We moved from Porterville (Swartland wheat farmers) to Fish Hoek (Cape Town - suburbia by the sea) in November 2014 ten years ago.

 

From that blank white wall to potted spekboom and pocket woodland

We had plans for house renovation and a much more interesting and indigenous for biodiversity garden. The large space at the bottom of the garden was filled with functional Wendy house / garden shed and a twirldry which hated me when the wind blew! We brought our own garden furniture, so that bench and table went too. Many, many pots, bulbs and cuttings ready to grow.

 

Bottom of the garden then

Out front was a sloping lawn. We added palisade fence. Wouldn't believe we cut back and dug out Tecomaria and Plumbago - have both roared up to cover that neighbouring wall. My sunny succulents are getting shaded out.

 

Karoo Koppie April 2018

That olive sapling was a municipal gift to Porterville residents. I cut it back hard this year to the Ungardener's horror - see how it already towers over the sunset!

 

Sunset with olive tree

Out the kitchen door and down thru Cornish Stripe to the lemon tree. I have deliberately chosen pictures from the first few years to remind me where I need to cut back to expose the good bones we started with then.

 

Cornish Stripe April 2018

Across the bottom we have Froggy Pond and a winding shady path, the nearest we come to an 'exclusion zone' for birds and small creatures.

 

Froggy Pond April 2018

Loop up the far side. All the lawns removed to make proper planting space. Between Summer Gold and Spring Promise we have an offset path - again in need of good pruning.

 

Summer Gold and Spring Promise April 2018

Today for Through the Garden Gate Down by the Sea in Dorset with Sarah. Harvesting our second bunch of bananas, retrieving a few each time as they show yellow, sharing a few with the birds. Cabbage white butterfly has fascinating eyes. Spring Promise intended to be pink (3 pelargoniums) and white (Bauhinia bowkeri) is doing very well this year.

 

November in our garden

My sister and I go to Kirstenbosch to walk and chat. For sun we like to sit near Pearson's Celtic cross - with its web of life Celtic knots I had sandblasted on our bathroom windows. Sadly his Centenarian High Atlas cedar has died. This bench reminds us of Kathleen our mother. The owls had a Flowerpot Kid this year in a hanging basket near the Conservatory. When we prefer shade we go to the Lieutenant Commander's bench in the shade of the Arboretum under the Boomslang, where we can admire Greyia flanaganii.

 

Kirstenbosch in November

As the year draws to a close we light the first Advent candle. This year has pink profusion, pelargoniums and Alstroemeria with Senecio tendrils.

 

First of Advent

Garden year month by month here, back to November 2014.

 

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Pictures by Diana Studer

of Elephant's Eye on False Bay

 

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