An autumn walk around my garden.

 

I took a walk around my garden this morning, carrying my camera. One of the first things I found was that this cymbidium orchid was blooming, so I brought it into the house where we could enjoy it. There is a pink one as well that is putting out a flower spike, that will come inside as soon as it opens.

 

We planted this Natal Wild Banana several years ago, and every year it gets cut down by frost, but bravely grows again.

We are going to have a massive crop of oranges this year. Strangely enough, there are no lemons at all on the tree. Last year we had an enormous crop.

I made these wind chimes, using left-over lengths of brass curtain rod, with a piece of black pipe in the centre. They are hung with wire from a couple of short lengths of wood joined in a cross shape.

I love this pin oak. It's fast losing its leaves, but they make wonderful compost! This tree is absolutely huge, and casts a great shadow in summer.

This is lemon grass. I seldom use for cooking, but it looks good in flower arrangements! I'm am going to divide it, and plant some under the bedroom windows and near the back stoep, as it deters mosquitoes. Citronella oil comes from lemon grass.

The re-hot pokers are blooming. This is a wonderful indigenous plant, and adds autumn colour to the garden.

 

 

 

 These irises made a lovely show of colour among all the green leaves

 

 

        Our house is called Palm Tree Lodge.
We had two of these Phoenix palms,  both with ferns planted up the trunks.

 

Two years ago, one of the palm trees died. We hat it cut down and removed, but the root was determined to stay. It was very wet, and could not be dug out. We were having a party on the Sunday after this, so, on a very drizzly Saturday morning, three of us made this rockery. I bought plants in bloom, such as petunias and pansies, to add a little colour. They eventually died, but the succulents and aloes have thrived,

This is called a shrimp plant. No explanation needed!

 

    This huge stagshorn fern grows on a bottlebrush tree.

    I must find out how to separate it, and grow some on other trees.

    Indigenous clivias are spring blooming plants.

    However, I have a few of these plants that do not know this,

    as they like to bloom in autumn!

This ivy-leafed geranium is such a glorious colour, and has been blooming for well over six months.

This chlorophytum (hen-and-chickens or spider plant) is growing so thick that we shall soon have to remove some of it, to stop it suffocating other plants.

 

I grow a lot of herbs, and one of my favourites is Rosemary. It loves a hot, sunny spot, and the blue flowers are pretty. It's good to flavour lamb and chicken

 

 

 

I am always surprised when I walk around my garden, as I often find things that have been forgotten.
I hope you have enjoyed looking around with me.