Essential Amathole

“Located in the scenic Amathole region of the Eastern Cape in South Africa, Essential Amathole has been established to produce a range of organic essential oils and medicinal plant extracts for the global market”.

Still and nursery in Hogsback

As many of you know, I keep returning to Hogsback, and Essential Amathole is one of the reasons. This initiative follows an incredible approach to sustainable rural economic development in 4 ways. Firstly, it is based on a public-private-community partnership. [...]

ID on unknown plant please

This plant came up in a friend’s garden. Could someone please identify for me. I think it is exotic so it doesn’t matter where it came up but for interest’s sake I live in Durbanville , Cape Town.  Hot dry summers, wet winters. This photo was taken late August, which is still very cold and rainy in our area.

Unknown Plant

Spring flowers at Caversham Press

I was recently up in the Midlands for work and we stopped off at the Caversham Press, a writers and artists retreat.  This amazing tree was in their courtyard, heavy with pink flowers.  Does anyone recognise it?  Could it possibly be indigenous?

More on the Press at www.cavershamcentre.org.

Spring flowers at Caversham Press

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Fynbos flowers, unusual colours

This fynbos plant has remarkable colouring.  The leaves are a blue-grey and its flowers go from a purple to a lovely brown.  Again, I forgot to keep the name of it so if anyone recognises it please let me know.  Although it looks like it wouldn’t do so well in Durbs, it is thriving in my garden.

Fynbos flowers, unusual colours

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September Bush revisited

Mol-d, you beat me to the draw – I had just taken some photographs of the September Bush flowering in my garden.  I wonder if its called the September Bush because it flowers in September?  Anyway, it is a great plant to have in your garden and the bumble-bees seem to love the flowers.

September Bush revisited.

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