POSTCARDS FROM THE KIRSTENBOSCH BOTANICAL GARDEN

The setting of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is by itself grandiose but if you have the chance of visiting in the flowering season you will be blown away by the beauty and diversity of the vegetation. Among so many things, here are some of the flowers/plants that have taken my breath away:

• the Wild Flax with the prettiest bright blue flowers

• the Cape Daisy  with its daisy like flowers

• the Carpet Geranium

• the Bird of Paradise also known as Strelitzia or Crane Flower is an indigenous plant to South Africa

• the vygies (meaning ‘small fig’ in Afrikaans) that come in so many different vibrant colors

• the Tree Canopy Walkway, a 130m steel and timber suspended walkway that was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Garden

• the Mountain Dahlia also known as the orange nodding head is a rare find

• And of course Protea in all its incredible varieties. Starting the list with the Wild Almond Tree which is surprisingly part of the Protea family and also unbelievable but this here below is actually one tree. Wild almonds are poisonous if eaten raw.

• Pincushion Protea

• King Protea

• The Silver Tree is part of the Protea family as well and the soft light-reflecting leaves hide its stunning flowers. The Silver Tree is only found on the slopes of the Table Mountain and is an endangered plant. This is the male flower, female ones are usually higher up on the tree, difficult to spot from the ground.

• Matchstick Protea

• Rocket Pincushion Protea

“Stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet.” (Jeremy Bentham)