Southern Spring

10 Sep '07 10:22 pm

And he is not afraid while you're taking pictures?

11 Sep '07 12:34 am

Typical of our SA springs, temperatures shot up, in many places into the 30s even. AS spring follows on a dry winter, it is in much of the country the harshest time of the year, and only around mid October do the first rains fall in most places. It is because of this that my dad installed irrigation in the whole 1.2ha of the arboritum when he first laid it out. Some years it hasn't been switched on ever, but this year it is going 16 hrs a day, with movable 10m circular sprayers going in 8 hour cycles. Well that is the theory. Although warm, we have not had unseasonably hot weather, but everything is now coming along with typical temperatures in the early 20s by day and over 10 degrees at night.

So these pics, taken more than a week ago are historical documents by now! The last of the pups has left us, leaving Abbey and her brother, being kept by Phineas, our foreman, behind. But I keep up with some of them who went to friends!

Liza, you comment on scents. Yes! Blossoms, but above all the rich herby-honey smell of the wild buddlejas. Unfortunately magnolias smell to me of soap, the unfortunate result of FIRST getting to know the soap and then the source of the scent Brick wall

I will be posting pics from this last weekend's visit to the Kruger Park on my 'Nature as a garden' and 'Subtropical gardens' posts under Garden Tours.

11 Sep '07 1:51 am

Ahhh, Jack, I can almost smell the wonderful scents you describe and your photos help me enjoy the beauty of your spring bloom. The wildlife and domestic animals are wonderful captures as well. Your frog is beautiful. Is it poisonous? All our frogs are the green or brown variety with no exotic spots like yours. I have never seen chameleons like those either, with their spiny backs and curly tails. Chameleons here are smooth bodied with long straight tails.

Thanks for your delightful posts!

12 Sep '07 2:23 am

Jack, what a joy it was to see your photos! The blossom is just so beautiful and delicate - I always find it amazing that such seemingly delicate petals show themselves as such a risky time of year! And your frog and chameleon photos stunned me! I couldn't imagine what it must be like to have something like a chameleon turn up and decide your home/trees, etc provide just the right conditions that they need at that time! I suppose the nearest we get to it over here is with garden birds (robins, blue *, etc) - ooh you're so lucky! Very Happy

14 Sep '07 4:41 pm

Mid month already, but the last pics I posted were taken on the 2nd! Yesterday I saw to it that I was a little early, with time to take three views of trees in bud and blossoms all around. The previous morning I left for school via my parents' house to show you the arboritum view they have.

On 2 September the swallows were back; last night the frog chorus sang for the first time. Rain within three days, the old folks said. This morning it is cloudy and windy, but I doubt that this is 'the rain' arriving. It is too early for that. I must listen to a weather forecast...

Anyway; there are a few more pics in the pipeline, but they become outdated by the day. Over the weekend I will publish - and take! - a few more. Thanks meanwhile for all the comments and encouragements. (At work there is a post saved to Word that I couldn't send during the week - I'll try again.)

14 Sep '07 6:31 pm

Hi, dear Jack! What a fabulous autumnal avatar (such wonderful colors!) to contrast with your spring delights and a great idea too to display 2 opposing seasons - lovely! Smile

Such pleasure too viewing all your lovely spring blooms and sceneries, though what captured my heart are your froggy camouflage shot, chameleons and doggies - simply adorable! Is the beautifully spotted frog dressed like that always or would its color change accordingly? Thanks for sharing! Very Happy

15 Sep '07 3:50 am

Jack, I will be anxiously awaiting your promised post over the coming weekend. I know it must be frustrating to you that work is interfering with your time to enjoy the beautiful unfolding of spring. I remember how many times I hated to leave home early in the morning when a beautiful spring day was just emerging.

15 Sep '07 4:06 pm

Jack, Spring is so sneaky. Just when you think you can relax, whoosh! All the blossom is blown off, and suddenly... aargh!

16 Sep '07 2:23 am

Interesting how we all respond to one another's garden fauna pics. I must admit, I know nothing about my frog except that I don't see its kind too often. I don't have a single book to help me. Mmmm: weakness...

What I do know is that after enough rain in the night to only just wet everything, it is now sunny and near 30 degrees, but the frogs have been calling on and off all day; who knows what sets off their chorus - but have I mentioned that good rain usually falls within 3 days of this starting up?

This morning we had a Rotary function at Cheerio Gardens for all the companies that have helped sponsor our projects over the past year. We had a brunch in their beautiful tea garden, after which I led a walkaround. Stupidly I did not take my camera - and everything is spectacular there at the moment... perhaps early tomorrow. I have posted on the garden recently on the Garden Tours forum.

Here meanwhile are some photos taken yesterday afternoon, showing how quickly we have moved from nothing to overwhelming colour. But I say this against my doubts about spring: it is schizophrenic, all colour and no green, the colour arriving onto a parched and often dusty world - so please look past the barren setting seen in some photos!

16 Sep '07 5:23 am

I don't grow spring bulbs, because we lose them too easily to porcupines and bushpigs, not to mention our often hot, dry springs that follow on dry winters. And to contradict that statement, my last daffodils drowned during the summer of 2000s floods. But I guess our sudden display of azaleas in early spring has much the same sort of effect on us as spring bulbs have on other gardeners...

Southern Spring

What an exceptional little creature!!

Last few pics from last week

Spring!

In haste, grumbling because I'm missing out

Good things to come.

Frogs, flowers, friends - and so forth

Colour