🐾 Maybe the reason I love animals so much, is because the only time they have broken my heart is when theirs has stopped beating.
Showing posts with label indigenous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indigenous. Show all posts

Saturday 8 December 2018

My Kiepersol died!


My Kiepersol (Cabbage tree - Cussonia paniculata) is dead. Yea, dead.


The first signs were leaves drying out and then all the leaves dropping to the ground every day - and large gouges in the trunk of the tree. Like some animal has been eating the bark. But there are no large animals in my garden. So that was not the problem.

Then, a couple of weeks later, I discovered that I had a Ground Squirrel living in my garden.

(I did not manage to get a photo of him, this one is from Google)

Ground squirrels are primarily herbivorous, and their diet changes with the season. After emerging from hibernation, they feed almost exclusively on green grasses and herbaceous plants. When annual plants begin to dry and produce seed, squirrels switch to seeds, grains, nuts and roots, and begin to store food. They are a bit bigger than a large rat with a fluffy tail and are regarded as troublesome rodent pests for many home gardeners.
Although ground squirrels look similar to tree squirrels and can climb trees, when frightened they generally will retreat to their burrow, and I did find his burrow under all the ferns surrounding my Kiepersol.

So I concluded that he was the culprit causing the early demise of my lovely Cabbage Tree...

My Kiepersol in better days...

A beautiful, large Kiepersol which I photographed at the Randfontein Private Hospital (Gauteng, South Africa) in 2017.



Thursday 8 September 2016

Going indigenous

Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) building his nest. 
Camera : Canon EOS 550D
.
We’ve all met different kinds of gardeners. There are ornamental gardeners who aspire to have a garden worthy of showcasing in the pages of gardening magazines. There are vegetable gardeners who proudly feed their families (and neighbourhood) with the bounty of their land. And there are passionate wildlife gardeners who find great joy from a new bird or butterfly who has chosen to visit their wildlife garden. I am a wildlife gardener. Personally, the entire reason that I garden is to create habitats for wildlife, and every choice that I make in my garden is made with the needs of wildlife as a top priority. What is beautiful to me is not the individual “specimens” of plants scattered through a garden, but the birds, butterflies, bees, insects, lizards, frogs and toads, and other wildlife who make their home in a garden that I have created. And happily, my garden will never appear in the pages of Garden & Home!
.
2006 - Young Acacia's and Celtis's at my wildlife pond
.
2006 - Young Acacia's and Celtis's at my wildlife pond
.
2009 - Young Acacia's and Celtis's at my wildlife pond
.
By 2011 the Acacia's, Celtis's and Karee's were fairly well-established at my pond
.
2011 - starting to take shape
.
The White Karee's in my garden when planted in 2005
.
The Acacia karroo (Vachellia karoo) and Karee's in 2009
.
Planting mostly indigenous has really paid off. When my Celtis's, Acacias and Karee's were small, most of the birds, besides Sparrows and Weavers, were only occasional visitors to my garden. Since the trees and shrubs have become 'grown-up', an amazing array of birds have moved in, living and nesting here. Black-eyed Bulbuls, Olive Thrush, Ground-scraper Thrush, Robins, Mynah, Black-throated Canary, Fiscal Shrike, Crested Barbet, White-browed Sparrows, Red-headed Finches, Red Bishop, Golden Bishop, Bronze Mannekins, Greater-striped Swallows, Rock Pigeons, Laughing Doves, Ring-neck Doves and White-eyes. Daily visitors (don't know where they live!) are the Black Sunbird, Black-headed Oriole, Bokmakierie, Diederick's Cuckoo, Wood Hoopoe, Redbilled Woodhoopoe, Fork-tailed Drongo, Redwinged Starling, Glossy Starling, Arrow-marked Babbler, Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Mousebirds, Red-faced Mousebird, Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-Vrou), Cape Turtle Doves and the occasional Paradise Flycatcher, Grey Lourie and Pin-tailed Wydah. I've even had a couple of King Fishers, although goodness knows why, I don't keep any fish.
.
Black-headed Oriole (Oriolus larvatus) at one of my feed tables
.
Ground-scraper Thrush (Psophocichla litsitsirupa) keeping an eye on me as I walk through the garden. they just love scratching through the loose leaf litter
.
Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) fledgling - these little birds are SO trusting and unafraid...
.
Masked Weaver (Ploceus velatus) contemplating a nesting site in one of the Acacia's (Vachellia karoo)
.
Red-faced Mousebird (Urocolius indicus) - they are daily visitors now and I still don't know what attracts them as I never see them at the fruit tables
.
Grey Lourie (Corythaixoides concolor) visiting
.
A Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis nitens) making use of the bathing facilities
.
.
Indigenous planting has many benefits. Besides drawing birds, wildlife and insects endemic to your area, there is less chance of losing any plants due to extreme heat or cold. Planting indigenous species provides a living environment that is part of the local natural system. Indigenous plants have evolved as part of the entire biological population of an area. A strong interdependence exists between indigenous plants, animals, insects, and micro-organisms. Planting indigenous species can contribute to the maintenance of a balanced and diverse eco-system.
.
.
With habitat disappearing at an alarming rate, you can help provide wildlife with an oasis of the habitat they need to thrive. The native plants that you use can meet the needs, including food and cover, of native wildlife without causing long-term damage to local plant communities. With the right diversity of native plants in your urban landscape, you can provide:
.
• Protective cover for many animals.
• Seeds, nuts, and fruits for monkeys and other mammals.
• Seeds, fruits, and insects for birds.
• Nectar for Sunbirds and butterflies.
• Larval host plants for butterfly caterpillars.
.
Caterpillars (larvae) of the Speckled emperor Moth
.
Caterpillars (larvae) of the Speckled emperor Moth at the base of an Acacia karroo
.
The adult Speckled Emperor Moth after hatching sitting on a Restios
.
However, one of the most important advantages of planting indigenous is saving water – you also save yourself money and contribute towards overcoming the world's critical shortage of water.
.
The beautiful pom-pom flowers of the Indigenous Acacia karroo (Vachellia karoo)
.
Not only are indigenous plants water-savers and low maintenance but some also exude a wonderful perfume. A fragranced garden appeals to one of most evocative senses and with careful planning one can have a perfumed garden throughout the year. Use scented bulbs like freesias, scented agapanthus, night-scented gladioli, the wild honeysuckle tree, sweet salvias, jasmine and the lemon-scented pelargonium. Then there are those plants which release a strong aroma when touched. Pelargoniums (Geraniums) are best known for this. Favourites are the rose, nutmeg and peppermint scented.
.
Indigenous plants can be used to create impenetrable barriers and block out sound, making your garden a haven of security and tranquility.
.
Kei Apple
.
Kei Apple - ideal as a hedge due to its density
.
 The virtually impenetrable thorns of the Kei Apple
.
An old favourite is the Kei apple, which can be trained very easily into a hedge plant. The lemon thorn is also an attractive intruder deterrent. Other types include the forest num-num, buffalo thorn, the common turkey berry, spiny gardenia, false forest spike thorn and prickly asparagus thorns.
Indigenous plants also make very effective windbreaks. It is a good idea to leave hedges in coastal gardens untrimmed and a bit wild so they act as wind breaks.
.
The garden in 2012 with the trees now well-established
.
Plant shrubs closer together so they can protect each other. The tick berry is ideal with its yellow, daisy flowered bush. It is quick growing and loved by birds for the fruits and by butterflies as a larval host plant. Try Honeysuckle and Plumbago (forget-me-not), both of which can be trimmed or left to scramble.
.
 Bulbinella flower - attracts many insects and the leaves are useful for treating cuts and burns
.
 Celtis africana (White Stinkwood)  and the White Karee (Rhus viminalis, below) providing shade, shelter and food to many species of insects and wildlife
.

Weaver's nest in one of the White Karee's (Rhus viminalis)
.
Nest of the House Sparrow in one of the Acacia's taking advantage of the safety of the thorns- they will use the same nest year after year, just adding fresh leaves, as can be seen here. These little brown jobbies are renowned for their messy-looking nests!
.
So, if you would love to have lots of wildlife in your garden, then going indigenous is for you. I'm not saying that, if you are into neat borders, lots of colour and exotic plants and you hate leaves littering your lawn or garden beds, you won't have lots of wildlife in your garden - animals and insects are amazingly adaptive and resilient and make the most of whatever is on offer. The most important point is just that we carry on gardening and provide refuge and food for all the little creatures we share this planet with.

PS: Please excuse all the dots between paragraphs, but Blogger has been playing up lately and won't make paragraphs. In fact, Blogger seems to be totally out of sync, not quite the same since Google+ is taking over the world! 

.
.

Thursday 27 September 2012

The blessings of nature

"To plant trees is to give body and life to one's dreams of a better world." 
-- Russell Page

As a gentle reminder of the countless ways that trees enrich our lives, I'm posting a list of sixty South African trees that are excellent for our gardens here in Gauteng.

Did you know that trees are the longest living organisms on the planet and one of the earth's greatest natural resources? Trees are essential to our world and offer a wide range of benefits to our environment and play a major role in purifying the air we breathe. The air is filtered by the trees and returned to the atmosphere at the time of photosynthesis. Trees provide us with oxygen, which is essential for the existence of life, WITHOUT TREES THERE WOULD BE NO LIFE!

Trees… 

• beautify and sustain our world. 
• inspire the creation of great literary and artistic works. 
• are a living legacy. 
• create a shady place to read a book, enjoy a picnic, take a nap, or just sit back and relax. 
• are nature's answer to the play structure. They provide limbs to climb and hang a swing from. 
• help to decrease noise pollution. 
• block an unsightly view and further enhance a nice view 
• offer both food and shelter. 
• provide wildlife habitats. 
• can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 50%. 
• increase property values. 
• help to prevent or reduce soil erosion and water pollution. 

Trees are a vital part of any ecosystem.  If one part of an ecosystem is damaged or disappears, the long term effects can be devastating. Creating awareness among people about the importance of trees and the need for their conservation is of the utmost importance to all of us.

Many of my closest friends are serious tree-lovers, not only for their beauty but also because they symbolise the blessings of nature; life; growth; good fortune; stability; strength and security.

Maybe you would like to leave a comment below and we could build up a LIST OF SERIOUS TREE LOVERS! Thank you!

Photo credit : Elizabeth Kendall, a tree-loving friend


Evergreen Trees Indigenous to the Gauteng Region (South Africa)

  1. Acokanthera oppositifolia - Bushmans Poison.
    Small, evergreen shrub. Bushmen used the plant as a bonding agent for the poison for their arrows.
  2. Aloe arborescens - Krantz Aloe.
    Small, shrubby Aloe. Good hedge material.
  3. Aloe marlothii - Mountain Aloe.
    Large, evergreen, drought resistant tree. Orange horizontal flowers in winter.
  4. Berchemia zeyheri - Red Ivory.
    Shrub / medium sized evergreen tree, up to 10m. Very sought after timber, red heartwood.
  5. Buddleja saligna - False olive.
    Medium sized fastgrowing evergreen, drought and frost resistant tree, makes a good screen plant while still young.
  6. Buddleja salviifolia - Sagewood.
    Medium sized, frost resistant, fast growing tree. Weeping habit. Beautiful scent when flowering in early spring.
  7. Carissa bispinosa - Num Num.
    Small, evergreen shrub. Attracts birds which eat the large plum like fruit. Attractive large white star shaped flowers.
  8. Cassine burkeana - Transvaal Kooboo-Berry.
    Small, evergreen shrub.
  9. Cussonia paniculata - Mountain Cabbage Tree / Highveld Caggage tree.
    Small sized, evergreen, drought and frost resistant tree. Grows amongst boulders and rocky outcrops. Nice specimen plant.
  10. Diospyros lycoides - Bluebush.
    Small, evergreen, drought and frost resistant tree. Attracts birds which eat the large red berries it produces.
  11. Diospyros whyteana - Bladdernut.
    Small, evergreen, hardy tree. Produces fruit which are full of air.
  12. Dodonaea angustifolia - Sand Olive.
    Small, evergreen shrub.
  13. Ehritia rigida - Puzzle bush.
    Small, evergreen, fast growing shrub. Attracts birds which eat the numerous berries it produces.
  14. Euclea crispa - Blue Guarri.
    Small to medium sized, frost and drought resistant, evergreen tree. Beautiful round crown
  15. Grewia occidentalis - Crossberry.
    Small, evergreen tree, up to 6m. Attracts birds which eat the small berries it produces. Pretty pink flowers with yellow centre in spring.
  16. Ilex mitis - Cape Holly.
    Medium sized evergreen tree, up to 10m. Birds eat fruit it produces. Unsuited to drier areas.
  17. Kiggelaria africana - Wild Peach.
    Small to medium sized evergreen tree, 4 - 13m.
  18. Maytenus heterophylla - Common Spike Thorn.
    Small, evergreen, drought resistant tree. Large spikes make this a good perimeter plant. Attracts birds which eat the Numerous berries it produces.
  19. Maytenus polyacantha - Kraal spike thorn.
    Small drought and frost resistant, evergreen shrub. Covered in small spines.
  20. Myrsine africana - Cape Myrtle.
    Small evergreen, shrub.
  21. Olea africana - Wild Olive.
    Medium sized evergreen frost and drought resistant tree, attracts birds which eat the small olive like berries and nest in its branches.
  22. Rhamnus prinoides - Dogwood.
    Small to medium sized, evergreen, frost resistant tree. Attractive shiny foliage. Attracts birds which eat the Small Black berries it produces. Grows in riverine forest.
  23. Rhus lancea - Karee.
    Medium sized, evergreen, drought and frost resistant tree. Attracts birds which eat the small green berries it produces in late winter, provides important forrage for birds in the dry highveld winter environment.
  24. Rhus leptodictya - Mountain Karee.
    Small to medium sized, evergreen tree. Grows on rocky outcrops and ridges on the hughveld.
  25. Rhus undulata - Kuni Bush.
    Small to medium sized, evergreen tree. Typical highveld dry forest tree.
  26. Zanthoxylum capense - Small Knobwood.
    Small, evergreen tree. Knobs on trunk.

Deciduous Trees Indigenous to the Gauteng Region (South Africa)

  1. Acacia caffra - Common Hook Thorn.
    Large, deciduous, fast growing, drought and frost resistant tree.
  2. Acacia galpinii - Monkey Thorn.
    Large, deciduous, Drought and frost resistant tree. Fine feathery foliage.
  3. Acacia hebeclada - Candle Thorn.
    Medium sized, deciduous, drought resistant tree. Seed pods stand erect on tree. Fine feathery foliage.
  4. Acacia karoo - Sweet Thorn.
    Large, fast growing, deciduous tree, attracts birds which eat the gum it produces and insects that are attracted by its yellow fluffball like flowers in summer. Described as one of South Africa's most important trees, because it is extensively browsed and used as fodder in arid areas. Strong sweet smelling scent when in bloom.
  5. Acacia nilotica - Scented Thorn.
    Medium sized, deciduous, drought resistant tree. Attractive scented flowers in summer.
  6. Acacia robusta - Splendid Thorn.
    Large, deciduous, drought resistant tree.
  7. Acacia tortilis - Umbrella Thorn.
    Medium sized, deciduous, slow growing, drought resistant tree, with a large flat spreading umbrella shapedcrown.
  8. Cassinopsis ilicifolia - Spiny Cassinopsis.
    Scrambling shrub / small tree, up to 5m.
  9. Celtis africana - White Stinkwood.
    Large, fast growing attractive deciduous tree, attracts birds which eat the small green berries it produces.
  10. Croton gratissimus - Lavender Croton.
  11. Combretum Apiculatum - Red Bushwillow.
    Small to medium sized deciduous tree, 3 - 10m. Occurs in dry open bushy shrub like woodland.
  12. Combretum erythrophyllum - River Bushwillow.
    Large, fast growing, deciduous, frost hardy tree. Grows along riverbanks.
  13. Combretum molle - Velvet Bushwillow.
    Medium sized, deciduous, drought resistant tree.
  14. Combretum zeyheri - Large fruited Bushwillow.
    Small to medium sized deciduous tree, up to 10m. Afrikaans common name - Raasblaar.
  15. Dichrostachys cinerea - Kalahari Christmas Tree.
    Small, deciduous, drought resistant tree. Attractive Acacia type flowers pink on top half yellow below.
  16. Dombeya rotundifolia - Wild Pear.
    Medium sized, deciduous, drought and frost resistant tree. Attracts birds which eat the pear like fruit it produces. Beautiful yellow blossoms in early spring.
  17. Dovyalis zeyheri - Wild Apricot.
    Medium sized, deciduous, hardy tree. Attracts birds which eat the small apricot like fruit.
  18. Erythrina lysistemin - Common Coral Tree.
    Small to medium sized deciduous tree, 6m. Beautiful red flowers before new leaves in spring on bare branches.
  19. Grewia flava - Brandybush.
    Shrub / small deciduous tree, up to 4m. Dry woodland and bushveld. Yellow flowers.
  20. Heteromorpha trifoliata - Parsley tree.
    Medium sized, deciduous, fast growing, multistemmed tree. Bronze coloured bark peels back in concentric rings makes this a good specimen plant.
  21. Leonotis dysophylla - Wild Dagga.
    Small, deciduous erect shrub. Attractive orange erica type flowers in early spring.
  22. Mundulea sericea - Cork Bush.
    Shrub / small, slow growing tree, 2 - 3m.
  23. Ochna pulchra - Peeling Plane.
    Small deciduous tree, 3 - 7m. Pretty smooth bark which peels off like the exotic plane tree.
  24. Pappea capensis - Jacket Plum.
    Small to medium sized tree, up to 7m.
  25. Pavetta gardenifolia - Common Brides Bush.
    Small, deciduous shrub.
  26. Peltophorum africanum - Weeping / African Wattle.
    Small to medium sized deciduous tree, 5 - 10m. Beautiful yellow flowers.
  27. Rhus dentata - Nana Berry.
    Small deciduous tree, up to 6m. Red shiny fruit.
  28. Rhus pyroides - Common Wildcurrant.
    Medium sized, fast growing, deciduous, drought and frost resistant tree. Attracts birds which eat the currant like berries in summer.
  29. Rhus zeyheri - Blue Currant.
    Small deciduous tree, 3 - 4m. Blue grey foliage. Occurs on rocky koppies and stream banks.
  30. Sclerocarya birrea - Marula.
    Medium sized tree, up to 10m. Frost sensitive.
  31. Scolopia zeyheri - Thorny Pear.
    Medium sized, deciduous tree.
  32. Securinega virosa - White Berry Bush.
    Small, deciduous shrub. Attracts birds which eat small white berries.
  33. Spirostachys africana - Tamboti.
    Medium sized tree, up to 10m. The sap from this tree is poisonous.
  34. Ziziphus mucronata - Buffalo Thorn.
    Medium sized, fast growing, deciduous, drought and frost resistant tree. Attracts birds which eat the large red berries it produces. Makes a good perimeter barrier as its thorns are rather profuse when young and difficult to untangle because one points forward while the other points backward. Shiny light green leaves hence the afrikaans common name Blinkblaar.

 
Sixty tree list from "The Tree House"






Saturday 23 June 2012

Setaria verticillata

Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country. 
- William Jennings Bryan 

 

Cluster grass (Setaria verticillata) in my garden in Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa. It is an indigenous Spike grass and a weedy species. 

Afrikaans - Trosgras 
Camera FujiFinepix 2800Zoom 

I just LOVE this indigenous grass that took root in a corner of my garden. The birds actually go mad for it and it is such a delight to watch them hanging upside-down, picking at the seeds! It makes a lovely little display in that one corner and it also saves on buying seeds! 

This grass grows in weak tufts that can reach up to 1m, but are usually about 250mm high. Leaves are soft, hairy, pliable and few in number, giving the plant a rather loose, open appearance. Inflorescences are fairly short and distinctly spike-shaped. Neighbouring plants tend to become entangled in the finely barbed bristles of these spikes, creating the impression that they are 'sticky'. They flower from mid-summer to June. 

Occurs almost everywhere except for arid areas in Namaqualand and parts of the Eastern Cape. Seeds of the grass are used to make beer in South Africa and porridge in Namibia and has been used as a famine food in India. 

::

 

Saturday 16 June 2012

Aloe splendour



     My aloes (this is Aloe ferox, also known as Bitter aloe) have started flowering and I'm beside myself with joy! Last year I had no flowers, an early frost annihilated the lot just as the buds started. I actually know what the problem is - since I planted them 7 years ago, the trees surrounding them have grown huge, resulting in a lot of shade. So I have two options - cut down the trees (no ways!) or move the aloes to full sun, which is going to be a huge task. As you can see from the photo below, they are very big and I'm not looking forward to this mammoth task. Wouldn't it be easier to lose them (sob, sob!) and just plant new ones in a sunny spot...?


    So I'm hoping for no severe frost this winter. They're a bit big to try and cover with frost covers...


    This hardy plant is indigenous to South Africa, and with its succulent leaves can survive the harshest conditions. When damaged by man or animal, the plant seals off any wound with a sticky, dark liquid that prevents infestation by virus, fungus or insect. This dark liquid has been successfully used by ancient inhabitants as a traditional remedy for many ailments.

    The white inner gel of the leaf has the ability to hold and store moisture through hot, dry conditions and months of drought. Traditionally the local inhabitants use it to soothe burn wounds, cuts and abrasions. Today those same qualities are still the being used in a wide range of moisturisers and rejuvenating creams and gels.


    The nutrient rich leaf is filled with the goodness of the earth and contains no herbicides or pesticide making it an ideal source of nutrients and helping your body to cope with modern day living in a gentle and natural way.

    The bitter aloe is most famous for its medicinal qualities. In parts of South Africa, the bitter yellow juice found just below the skin has been harvested as a renewable resource for two hundred years. The hard, black, resinous product is known as Cape aloes or aloe lump and is used mainly for its laxative properties but is also taken for arthritis.

    The Aloe is winter-flowering and did you know that they flower in mid-summer in France, when it's Winter time here in South Africa? Isn't nature's clock just amazing...?

    Camera : Canon EOS 550D

    ::




LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...