IN PRAISE OF GLADIOLUS DALENII

I introduced the indigenous Gladiolus dalenii in December 2017, after I had photographed a clump of it growing wild in the grass near the road. By December 2020, the corms I had planted in the garden outside my kitchen had managed to produce three tall bracts of flowers. These plants have multiplied over the years and now I have so many that I am ready to give some of them away!

The colouring of these blooms is fascinating.

They are a fine example of indigenous is best when growing conditions are not.

SEEN IN MY GARDEN

Before my son left to live in Scotland, I took a cutting of this red pelargonium growing next to his gate. I had no idea that they would grow to be so tall – now I will need to transplant the irises hiding underneath them.

The nights are much warmer and it is more pleasant to be outside – hence the moon looking down through the clouds.

This Ziziphus mucronata (also known as Buffalo Thorn) seeded itself and, despite me repeatedly cutting it back, has now grown to almost cover the lounge window. I now prune it away from the glass every now and then and keep it clear of the path. It is an excellent natural burglar deterrent!

We planted a Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra ) many years ago as it is indigenous to the area and – very importantly – is both drought- and frost-resistant. With the strong winds we have experienced recently, it is not surprising that some of the tiny fruit has blown off the tree.

The first of the Gladiolus dalenii to flower in our back garden.

As none of the poppy seeds I planted after our return from abroad germinated – never mind flowered – I was delighted when this self-sown opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) flowered for the first time on Remembrance Day.

FLOWERS UP CLOSE

Every now and then I get the feeling that my blog posts have become dull and need a bit of cheering up. What better way of doing this than taking a close look at some flowers?

The potato bush is covered in these beautiful flowers that brighten up the area next to the pool pump.

These indigenous pelargoniums have a way that make one pause before walking past. They thrive with little help from me.

The number of Gladiolus dalenii have increased significantly in the bed outside our kitchen and so I am looking forward to enjoying ever more of their blooms.

I find it difficult to resist taking a closer look at the hibiscus flowers next to our swimming pool.

This day lily was a part of a bouquet of flowers I received a while ago.

Then there are the nasturtiums that always manage to look cheerful.

A MIXED BAG

As I turned a corner along a country road late yesterday afternoon, my attention was caught by a mass of red below the level of the road. I was taken aback to find several young bottlebrushes growing in the veld. These trees with attractive scarlet blooms are endemic to Australia and are popular in gardens all over South Africa – we had one in our garden until it finally succumbed to the long drought. As beautiful as this tree is though, it is regarded as being particularly invasive in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. Seeing so many of them growing clustered together has enabled me to appreciate why there is a concern about them spreading in these areas – they were definitely not in this spot last year!

I have mentioned before that the veld is awash with yellow flowers this spring. This is one of them:

Helichrysums come in various forms and in different configurations. These tall yellow ones abound in our area.

The very attractive Wild Pomegranate (Burchellia bubaline) has often featured on my blog. There are many of these compact bushes growing alongside the road as well as gracing rocky outcrops.

An alien invasive I have not noticed before, the Pompom Weed (Campuloclinium macrcephalum), is growing abundantly along the tar road that skirts the edge of town. I stopped to have a closer look at it and read that it originates from both Argentina and Brazil and is an aggressive invader of indigenous grasslands.

An indigenous flower that grows in grasslands and woodlands throughout the eastern parts of South Africa is the Gladiolus dalenii, commonly known as the Natal lily or Parrot gladiolus. I noticed some growing along the road leading to Bathurst but, as they were too far away for me to photograph, I present you with one just coming into flower in my garden.

CELEBRATING RAIN

After years of drought, parts of the country are now complaining about having received too much rain. Dams are full and in places farmers cannot sow their crops in water-logged lands. That is not the case here, where we could do with a lot more rain before our collective water woes are over. I still rejoice every time even the lightest drops fall and love the hues of green that show up abundantly; the wild flowers that peep through the grass; and the droplets of water that collect on leaves. I enjoy the freshness of the newly-washed air and the fact that seeds I plant actually have the opportunity to sprout.

The beautiful show of Gladiolus dalenii is almost over – these flowers have delighted me every time I walk out of my kitchen door. What better canvas to choose to highlight the raindrops: