My garden in October

I love this time of the year. The Southeaster has not yet won the battle with the Northwester and so it doesn't blow everyday. The days are warmer but there are still the occasional rainy days. Best of all are the amount of flowers blooming.

THE NEW BED APRIL 2010

The front bed that we started in April is really rewarding.
The Geranium incanum has spread like wildfire. The Halleria lucida has more than doubled in size and the Scabiosa africana are giving a constant supply of cut flowers. The only dissapointment is that the Aristea major that I ordered and planted have turned out to be Dutch irises - yuck! Don't misunderstand me Dutch irises are beautiful as are roses - just not in the Western Cape.

                                              LOOK AT ME NOW SEPTEMBER 2010

I hope to feature at least one plant a week. This weeks choice is:
Scabiosa africana

DESCRIPTION: Large green oval leaves with jagged edges grow low to the ground. From this base tall flower stalks shoot up to almost 1 metre high. These stems carry beautiful deep mauve, pale purple or even white flower heads up to 50mm across.

DISTRIBUTION: The pincushion occurs naturally in the Western Cape.

CULTIVATION: Scabiosa Africana does equally well in full sun or semi-shade. It appreciates well composted soil and will grow from seed or cuttings. It self seeds naturally in the garden giving you a constant supply of cut flowers.

Please Note: I regularly consult the following 4 sources for plant information:
Creative Gardening with Indigenous Plants, Pitta Joffe (First Edition Fourth Empression 2007)
This book is invaluable to any indigenous fanatic.
Field Guide to Wild Flowers, John Manning (2009)
This book is great if you are wanting to find exact localities of plants. Lots of other botanical info also
Grow Fynbos Plants, Neville Brown and Graham Duncan (2006)
Another must have for any Cape gardener.
www.plantzafrica.com
This site is amazing - I would be lost without it.