Monday, December 04, 2023

Elgin Open Gardens

 Lynne is a member of the Cape Horticultural Society.
With our friend Judi Thomas, who is also a member, we decided to go to Elgin for the Open Gardens weekend 
We stayed overnight in an AirBnB. It was quite an experience; do always check the reviews before you book ....

We began our visit at Freshwood. The gardens here are spectacular at this time of year
They have been arranged as different rooms, all filled to the brim with interesting and some unusual plants

A male malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) in a Spathodea campanulata or African flame tree

Lynne loved this rose so much, that we have brought home a plant and hope to grow it in our front garden

The bamboo forest and the path leading to the Japanese maples
Sadly a tree fell just there  in the storm and had caused some damage 

Thick, strong and impenetrable bamboo

In the English garden, a Columbine Aquilegia

Tall foxgloves Digitalis

There are several large Rhododendron bushes, some still flowering as well as the smaller Azalea
They make such splashes of colour

A Common Metallic Longhorn Beetle (Promeces longipes) on a lime green Euphorbia

Azalias

Unusual Yellow malacoides Primula

A beautiful mixed border backed by a vibrant prunus tree

Iris, rose and lilies all blend perfectly

Another variety of Columbine Aquilegia

A tall tree fern

Golden Inca Lilies aka the Peruvian Lily, or Alstroemeria after the Swedish botanist Baron von Alstroemer

The Stone Kitchen was our next stop where we met the owner, Jane Touwen

Swathes of the Inca Lily, or Alstroemeria in this characterful garden

Fighting cocks

An attractive door at the side of her house

A Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)

Yet more Inca lilies

A Hadeda Ibis high in a stone pine tree

The following day we visited Auldearn and were sad to see that they also had suffered damage
On the way into the garden, several large trees had fallen
But, thankfully, it did not damage most of the near perfect garden

The house is high on a hill with marvellous views over the Elgin countryside

Refeshments and plant sales on a verandah at the house

Such clever planting reveals the views 

Mixed beds and shade trees, the photo does not show the magic of this bit of the garden

Verbena bonariensis, the purpletop vervain

Looking back toward the house

A spikey spiral aloe

More views across to the blue mountains

Glorious old roses in full bloom

And a perfect pale pink rose

Agave Attenuata


Koppie Foam Grasshopper (Dictyophorus spumans)
It feeds on poisonous plants, which makes it toxic to predators

Looking across at orchards and vineyards

The pincushion protea attracts many birds

Like this Malachite sunbird


Keurbos is more of a nursery than a garden but the walk to the plants is lovely

A European paper wasp (Polistes dominula)

Golden moon flowers Brugmansia 'Yellow'

We were so lucky to see this huge epiphytic cactus in flower

A Cape robin-chat (Cossypha caffra)

A lovely show of pink oxalis with a tiny white daisy

After all the rain this year, all the leaves are beautifully green




Two nectar lovers, a Common Dotted Fruit Chafer (Cyrtothyrea marginalis)
and a Common Metallic Longhorn Beetle (Promeces longipes)

Aloeides vansoni, the Van Son's copper butterfly

A lovely old rose arbour

Some sensational pink and red roses intertwined

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