Riots spread south
Everything was calm at Skilpad nature reserve, until we noticed advancing colours - And soon it was another riot of colour . . . To be honest it was mostly orange. A riot of orange . . . This dominance by a single species is a result of the land having been disturbed by agriculture in the past. These orange Ursinias are pioneering species and will dominate the spring landscape for a while as the ecology recovers and diversifies. Nonetheless the sight of a brilliant living, orange carpet stretching into the distant hills is...
In the hills with the Hills
Recently I had the good fortune to guide Simon & Sarah up Table Mountain. Besides the fact that Simon had the coolest hat imaginable, they are a really fun couple. Sarah pretended to have an issue with exposed heights . . . We saw a few very special flowers, but the highlight for me was Nerine sarniensis, the Guernsey Lily. This exquisite flower is a bulb from the Amaryllis family. It is one of 25 species in this genus, which is endemic to South Africa. Interestingly this species has...