Tag: natural flora

Categories
Barbie's garden Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

from wheat fields to vineyards

Today I had a work appointment in Stellenbosch and it is a good hours drive from where I live in Philadelphia (Cape Town, SA…..) I always love the drive because I take all the back roads through farms, wheat fields and vineyards.

Imagine if your back garden was a wheat field or a vineyard…….. enjoy!

[one_half]From the fields in Philadelphia….[/one_half]

[one_half_last]To the wine farms of Stellenbosch[/one_half_last]

The drive takes me through the dairy farms and the wheat fields of the Swartland to the beautiful and famous wine farms of the Stellenbosch area – names like Simonsig, Nooitgedagt and Kanu are all well known wines we enjoy here and, I am sure, overseas too. And they are all along the way.

[one_half]The grasses along the road are fabulous[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Some more along the way…[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Then comes the natural flora of the area[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Natures own garden along the roadside – lovely![/one_half_last]

[one_half]The signs of human life – fruit orchards in bloom[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Travelling towards Helshoogte in Stellenbosch[/one_half_last]

Stellenbosch – Cape Town

[one_half]The beautiful views of vineyards are everywhere![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Tranquil settings[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Famous wine farms – Zorgvliet[/one_half]

[one_half_last]On the way to Hillcrest Berry Orchards[/one_half_last]

[one_half]My final destination – Hillcrest[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Lunch on the terrace and this is the view![/one_half_last]

What beautiful places to explore and enjoy. We are so fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world! Glad I can share this with you!

Happy Gardening xxx

 

Categories
Barbie's garden Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous Perenniels

Indigenous Roadside Flora

We took photos on the way back from Harry Goemans Garden Centre of the beautiful flora along the roadside. The drive is a very picturesque stretch that takes us over the Ou Kaapse weg (The Old Cape Road) over the Steenberg Mountain Plateau where the Silvermine Nature Reserve is situated. Harry Goemans Garden Centre is situated in the Noordhoek Valley near Fishoek – so this was a special outing for the two of us! Below you can see the flora near the Silvermine Nature Reserve and the view of the Constantia Valley from where we came.

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Just a bit of geographical history: The Noordhoek Valley is bounded in the north by Chapman’s Peak, Noordhoek Ridge and the sweep of mountains which make up the Steenberg Plateau towards Muizenberg, all of which form a magnificent natural amphitheatre. For many years Noordhoek was a fairly remote and inaccessible corner of the southern peninsular. Until the Ou Kaapse Weg was completed in 1960s, the only access for nearly 300 years was via the main road that follows the railway line along the False Bay shore from Muizenberg via St James, Kalk Bay and Fishoek to Simons Town.

We passed the most beautiful protea and indigenous flowers – none of which we could identify. I hope our African friends can help us name the many flowers we encountered! Maybe some of our South African visitors can identify these plants……….. Thanks for sharing with us xxx

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]

[one_half][/one_half]

[one_half_last][/one_half_last]