Tag Archives: natural landscape

Miscanthus capensis In search of the giant Miscanthus

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Snuggled away on the mountainous border of the Free State and Lesotho is the Golden Gate National Park, a reserve dedicated to the preservation of southern Africa’s amazing and extensive grass species. I took the week off and headed to Lesotho to look for a giant grass called Miscanthus capensis, that is in full flower at the moment and is one of only two Miscanthus species that occur in southern Africa. Continue reading →

Dark purple tassel flowers on Stiburus alopecuroides Stiburus in South Africa’s lost valley

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I am always will be a little bit obsessed with grass. Not the ‘medicinal’ variety, but the real McCoy growing all alongside our highways in different shapes, textures, colors and sway. For me it’s as much of a fun challenge to spot the rare species of grass alongside my road on the way to work, as it would be for someone else to spot the big 5 in the Kruger Park. Continue reading →

Maria von Brincken A fleeting snow-covered view Enchanted by a fleeting view

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Darkness accompanied me as I trod downstairs to make my daily latte. A bit later, I climbed the day-lit stairs, and I was awestruck by the view created by last night’s snowfall. I marveled at myself because I thought I was tired of looking at snow. Yet there I was – captured by the beauty outside my windows. Enchanted, I savored the subtle coloring of the sky and the snow flocked forest. Continue reading →

The slope planting in the following February A new garden on a steep slope

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The property we landscaped is a ‘French villa’ estate on one of the inlets into the Hartebeespoort Dam on the south-eastern side. The dam is situated north of Johannesburg and to the west of Pretoria. Water from all the small rivers in this region run into this huge dam which is quite a sight when it overflows. The climate around the dam is very different from where I live in Johannesburg, even though it is only 45km. It’s a few degrees warmer and they get very little frost and it is quite humid with all that water around them. The hillside behind is covered with natural vegetation. There are still baboons running around up there! Continue reading →

Alkaline pool NZ’s geothermal vegetation

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During our recent holiday on New Zealand’s North Island, we saw ecosystems that were so different to South Australia’s landscapes that they seemed positively alien. The apparent darkness of a glow worm cave gradually brightening to become a miniature replica of the Milky Way was memorable… but nothing was more eerie than the geothermal areas we visited. Continue reading →

african rainforest Exploring the Lowveld Botanical Garden

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In the heart of the Lowveld on the eastern border of South Africa, nestled between the Crocodile and the Nels Rivers, is the Lowveld Botanical Garden. Probably one of South Africa’s most admired and beautifull gardens, the garden was opened in 1971 and the luscious grounds are about 165 hectares big, where approximately 25 hectares of the total area are landscaped with an African plant collection that is equal to none. Continue reading →

Blue Leschenaultia Kalumunda Wildflower Park

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There aren’t too many places in the world where you can see over 50 species of wildflowers in flower during the course of a 2hr bush walk. One of these places is the south west of Western Australia where I am lucky enough to live. The area is an international biodiversity hot spot covering 300,000 square kilometres and although some spots within this area are “hotter” than others you don’t have to travel very far to get an idea of the botanical diversity we have on our “doorstep”. Continue reading →