Visit to Stellenberg Gardens

 

           Above image is not of the Gardens mentioned in the article

Visit to the Beautiful Stellenberg Gardens – 

Sunday 6^th November 2011

These tranquil gardens were open to the public on Saturday and Sunday last week. As I buy most of my plants from their nursery and because Caroline Magowen, who is now their head gardener, helped me sort out my little garden when I moved in here 11 years ago, I decided to pay them a visit. These gardens, about a kilometer from my home and almost next door to a house owned by my father’s brother, Edgar, in the ‘70’s, have always been a favourite spot of mine.

We were blessed with a glorious sunny day after a week of inclement weather.  I strolled through the ten different sections of the gardens and although there were many other people doing the same thing, I was filled with peace.  It was in fact, like walking through a stately “home” with the many rooms divided by neatly trimmed hedges and some walls; with water features and majestic trees including many old oaks.  There was a pathway of green moss, running between some graceful trees, in one section, definitely the home of fairies! The lawns were so lush and soft that, had I been younger, I might just have rolled down one of the banks, so inviting were those slopes!

The “Medieval Garden” is actually a most interesting vegetable garden with four sections and a fountain in the middle. Companion vegetables and herbs are laid out in rows, some straight others diagonal, and there are fruit trees as well, all looking lush and healthy, much of it ready for picking.

I especially enjoyed the “Garden of Reflection” which is planted in various shades of green, with a hint of blue and three “black” ponds made of slate, in which the water was so still the surrounding trees were perfectly mirrored.    As I walked slowly, deep in thought, I suddenly found myself at the entrance to the “Cherry Walk” and the trees there were heavy with the most beautiful clusters of pink and white blossom. What a sight!

I could have spent the whole day there, but unfortunately, I had other commitments. I will look forward to a return visit next time they open the gardens to the public.

 

Rosemary, wearing my gardening hat this time!

Cape Town Thunder Storm

One of the Cape's best kept secrets is that during June and July and especially during the school holidays, we can experience wonderful balmy days with warm sunshine and no wind. Temperatures can reach 25 degrees C. and then one wonders why so many leave the Cape to go away for the holidays. It is a bit chilly for swimming, I suppose. However, just as easily and quickly one can awake to heavy skies and exciting thunder storms, with streaks of lightning. This might be followed by rain in abundance, which often causes rivers to burst their banks and general flooding of roads, especially in the low lying areas of the Cape Flats. Water cascades down the famous Table Mountain into the rivers and underground springs pop up in certain suburbs, most notably in Newlands, flooding houses and gardens and quickly causing swimming pools and ponds to overflow. Storm water drains are unable to cope with the extra volumes of water and raging torrents quickly build up, sometimes making it impossible for people to get into or out of their homes. Just as quickly, these storms abate and one has a period of relative calm and one or two of those beautiful sunny days mentioned earlier. The Cape Peninsula has nine different climatic regions and it is not unusual for Capetonians to experience all four seasons in a single day!

Here are some photographs sent to me by my friend Deidi that illustrate these incredible storms.

Isn't this sky incredible?

What a beautiful light...