Saturday, December 31, 2011

Last post for 2011

Here I was thinking that I can't let 2011 go by without a last post, but I couldn't come up with anything to write about. Then I popped over to Diana - always full of useful information and also inspiration. So here it is - to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, I have selected 12 flowers one for each month of the year.

JANUARY

Bulbine frutescens - this flowers for most months of the year, but I really appreciate it in January when little else can survive the scorching heat.

FEBRUARY


The delicate flowers of the Indigofera jucunda are almost at an end, they start flowering in December, filling the tree with a mass of tiny blooms.

MARCH


Miribilis jalapa - this will probably be the last alien I remove from my indigenous garden - if ever. These wonderful water-wise flowers start springing up in November. providing interesting colour right through till May, then they obligingly die back allowing my indigenous beauties to shine.

APRIL


Asystasia gangetica - really useful ground cover that flowers throughout spring and summer

MAY


Strelitzia reginae - showing off it's striking blooms.

JUNE


You know it's winter when Aponogeton distachyos start to flower - beautiful and you can eat them too!

JULY


Can't beat Gazania's for winter colour

AUGUST


Stunning display from Sutherlandia frutescens tells me that spring is not far away.

SEPTEMBER


Hard to choose in my favourite month of the year, but this pelargonium never fails to delight.

OCTOBER


Watsonia borbonica - my favourite spring bulb.

NOVEMBER


Can't help but be impressed by this King Protea - the size of my head. This was taken in Helderberg Nature Reserve

DECEMBER


Crassula coccinea putting on a dazzling Christmas display.

HAPPY NEW YEAR





12 comments:

  1. What a wonderful display. I wish that King Protea was in MY garden... Apart from the Gazanias and Pelargoniums your chosen plants are mostly new to me.
    Happy New Year to you!

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  2. My Strelitzia was borrowed from Fairview.

    Happy New Year!

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  3. I've linked this to today's post, and I'll put everyone with 12 up again on the 6th of January.

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  4. Very lovely photos! Great idea to show the year in flowers!
    Happy New Year!
    Lea
    Mississippi, USA

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  5. Happy New Year to you and yours! Your flowers are beautiful. We're in the Natal Midlands and so have to grow very English plants because of the climate! Wish a Strelitzia would survive here ... xxx

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  6. Lovely version of the 12 days of Christmas

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  7. Fantastic blooms!
    Wonderful way to review the year gone by!
    Lea

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  8. A lovely display!!! The Indigofera jucunda is quite stunning. I wonder if it will perform in shade?

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  9. Thanks to all for visiting my blog.
    Christine - according to Plantzafrica, Indigofera will tolerate semi-shade. In summer mine gets full sun most of the day, but in winter it is in shade by early afternoon. It is really beautiful so worth a try.

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  10. I like how you chose a flower for each month. That King Protea is amazing! Love Gazanias :)

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  11. Oh I'm so pleased I had some spare time today to go through your old posts. The flowers in this post are just stunning. That Miribilis is something I wanted to grow for years now, but I can't seem to find it. The Asystasia is a new one to me and it's just gorgeous. Love the Gazania, and the Pelargonium, but the Protea stole my heart. I know they grow so easily over in Western Oz, but not here and that's a real disappointment. It's just too tropical!

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