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End of Month View – Flowering on April Fools Day

No its not an April Fools joke – Its well and truly Autumn in Cape Town now but I do still have a few blooms to share. The evenings are cool and we’ve had some rain, though not the non-stop goes-on-for-days rain we get in winter, just light showers. Real rain will follow in May, June and July. So there is not much flowering in my garden at the moment that is “Wow-worthy”, but I wanted to share the few blooms I do have, some because they are pretty, some because they are a first for me, and some … well just because they are flowering. I’ve spared you the Camellias though … I think I’ve shown enough of those for a while even though they are giving us a great show at the moment. Also flowering is one deformed Clivia (it shouldn’t be) and the Hibiscus are showing off their last few flowers!

So here we go … Flowering at the end of March (you can click to enlarge the photos)

[one_half]The new Potato bushPotato Bush[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Still flowering, the PetuniasStill flowering, the Petunias[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Nandina Sacred Bamboo flowers!Nandina Sacred Bamboo flower[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mandevilla Splenens never stopMandevilla Splenens[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Pretty Miniature RosebudPretty Miniature Rosebud[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Miniature RoseFlowering Miniature Rose[/one_half_last]

[one_half]More miniature rosesMore miniature roses[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Murraya ExoticaMurraya Exotica[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Barleria obtusa ‘blue’Barleria obtusa 'blue'[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I forget the name of thisI forget the name of this[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Unimpressive AzaleasAzaleas[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Neighbours unwanted OleanderNeighbours Oleander (not liked!)[/one_half_last]

The last two are big failures! The Azaleas don’t look great at all, very disappointing, and the last photograph is of my neighbours Oleander which is hanging over the wall into my back yard – not on my list of favourites!

So whats blooming in your garden?

By Christine

Dominated by large trees on a medium sized property, my garden is very shaded. With no “full sun” areas I have to plant shade and partial shade loving plants. I love shrubs and flowers including camellias and azaleas but Roses and Irises are my favourite and getting these to thrive is a challenge …

24 replies on “End of Month View – Flowering on April Fools Day”

It’s Autumn down here in Australia too … but in my corner, the north we are getting the non-stop, been going on for months rain. Usually our ‘wet’ season is pretty much over by now, but not so this year.

You do have some really lovely blooms to show. I grew up surrounded by Oleanders, but now they’re hard to find in today’s gardens. We somehow escaped being in dire peril when we were children and none of us ever attempted to eat any part of an Oleander!! They are such gorgeous shrubs … I might have to think about getting one!

That unknown is definitely a Cleome. I have it as well … it’s Cleome spinosa ‘Senorita Rosalita’ and it’s just fabulous. I’m a big fan! I’ve so enjoyed my visit and I’ll be sure to come again.

Ah yes Bernie, now I remember the label said ‘Senorita Rosalita’. (why don’t I write these things down?).

I agree, Oleander is lovely when its grown as a shrub and taken care of. I am partial to the white oleander. I really wish my neighbouyr would love his … it could be beautiful. I had another look at it today because I was feeling bad about my remarks about it – but no, his is out of control, looks neglected and unruly. I’m tempted to do something about it but I’d have to fight my way through a maze of Ivy to get to it …

You have some beautiful things flowering in your garden. II fell for the blue potato bush, but it is tender so won’t be able to grow it, will just have to admire it in your garden instead! Nandina domestica is beautiful, but not a bamboo, for all that its common name is “Heavenly Bamboo”. I guess it is a little bamboo-like in terms of the leaves, just another way the common names can confuse us!

Lots beginning to bloom here! Yeah! I love the way you described your neighbor’s Oleander…my neighbor has one too :/ Lots of nice flowers in your garden though!

The potato flower is a surprise for me, didnt it has such a lovely little blooms almost like the petunias which are my favourite. Your flowers although mostly very petite but so sweet and lovely especially the miniature roses red and dark pink, love them!

Hi – yes the potato flower was a surprise for me too. I rather like it and the leaves are quite attractive too on this plant. It looks lovely in Barbie’s garden so I thought I’d try one in mine.

Hi Christine,
You do have quite a few blooms going on in your garden even though it is autumn. It looks like many of the plants you grow are the same as Florida. (Pink flower name is Cleome). Our climates are likely similar it’s just that our seasons are opposite. 🙂 I wish you the best with your new blog and your gardens (not sure which of you left a comment on my blog). Gardening is one of the best experiences ~~ filled with all kinds of life lessons. Meems

Hi Meems – Thanks so much for the visit and good wishes. It was me that commented on your blog. And yes I’m learning so much about myself and others in this – I’ve been totally bitten by the gardening bug 🙂

Hi Christine, Your flowers are like little jewels. While you are going into fall, we are impatiently awaiting spring. Tomorrow the weather man has promised a warmer day and I hope I can get out in the garden for the first time. Hopefully, spring bulbs will be up in a few weeks.

Thanks Jennifer – I love that – “your flowers are like little jewels”. I look forward to admiring your spring bulbs soon – mine will be going into tthe ground soon …

Hi Christine! What lovely flowers. As you have seen from my End of Month View there are not many flowers in my garden yet, so to look at yours is great. May I ask why the Oleander is not your favourite. I have one in a pot which for a few years did very well, and it went through our winter (its 3rd) but all of a sudden the leaves are turning brown and falling off – very disappointing. Any ideas why?

Hi Ronnie

The Oleander … well, I actually do love them, but I don’t really want them in my garden. The reasons are:
1). They are a declared Category 1 invasive plant in South Africa except for the double-flowered cultivars.
2). Every part of the plant is poisonous (apparantly).
3). They are widely grown as roadside plants in South Africa – They look beautiful en-masse on the long national roads and I love how they look there … but because I see them on the roads all the time I don’t really want to have them in my garden too.

The one that is encroaching into my garden from my neighbours is an overgrown, out of control specimen and that is actually my issue. If they took care of it I’d be a lot happier! The birds seem to like it though, so thats a plus. I just wish they’d take better care of their garden overall! Its not just theOleander – their out-of-control Ivy and I are in a constant battle 🙂

hmmm, I’m not sure why your leaves are falling off. It seems to thrive and is mostly found in seasonally dry rocky watercourses, in full sun. Here it grows on the roadsides in sandly soil, long periods of no water – so maybe you are loving and caring for yours too much? Maybe neglect it a bit and it may prefer that, but I suspect that It will come right again in summer once its getting lots of sun and warmth. But thats just my assumption from what I have observed here – I might be totally wrong.

Hi there .. I’m not sure which one of you gardeners left the comment on my blog : ) but thanks for dropping by and yes ! I am an obelisk freak ! haha
Lovely blooms you have all the way over here !
Joy

Thanks Joy – it was me that commented on your blog! But Barbie and I have both been on an Obelisk-hunt. I found one today and actually thought of you. But it was a bit too large for me as a starter, so I’m still looking.

Hi Chris, so good to see the blooms are still dancing around your garden. My place is looking sad, the grass has been all scratched up by the chickens and with the rain has turned it to mud. Now is my time to design and create a great looking back garden. Sorry to say, but my hubby and I think that the free-roaming chickens will have to roam in a smaller area.
Oh my word – it is storming outside! First real rain storm!!! Going to take pics!

Dear Christine, There is nothing blooming in my garden yet (just snow), so your lovely photos really cheered me. I agree it is ‘cleome’ – a favorite annual here. Although it’s an annual, mine reseeds itself every year. I love your miniature roses. P. x

Thanks Pam, and thanks for the visit to our blog! I like my little roses too – I think they’re pretty and I’m thrilled I got them to flower again. I hope you are doing well – the snow might be natures way of telling you that you need to take it easy just a little longer 🙂

Ah, thanks Alan. Cleome – that doesn’t ring a bell but “Spider Flower” does so that must be it.

I quite like the potato bush. Barbie has a lovely bifg one growing as a tree and looks nice in her garden. Mine is a small shrub I purchased two weeks ago. I like the flowers too. They look a bit “morning-glory-ish”.

This is a real rookie-blonde-idiot-newbie gardener question for you – is Nandina not a real bamboo? Obviously not judging by your comment, but then why do they call it Bamboo?

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