This rock garden is excellent for a veranda, balcony or indoor.

The plants are in pots hidden by the stones. To reduce the weight on a balcony -  place polysterine foam around the pots which then need only a single layer stones to cover it.

Scatter small pebbles between the stones to fill gaps and holes.
Bright lights are needed to grow the succulent plants in this eye-catching indoor rock garden.

Trusting you are enjoying the festive season  and wishing you a healthy joyful new year.


Take a look what I found in the garden for xmas.

 

It is a member of the Dandelion family. 
The seeds are large, about the size of a tennis ball.

A little glitter added to the festive season, but the
natural glitter above is also pretty.. 

I picked them the beginning of December and they are
still exactly the same.
That must be because I keep them out of a draft 
and nobody touches them.

The garden changes in time and season.  Take photos of the garden in the same way as taking photos of kids growing up. It is not obvious from day to day,  but looking back on the photos there are differences and a lot of memories.

The aloes in bloom. All aloes do not bloom at the same time, but most from the summer rainfall area, bloom in winter. ( the seeds will be ready for summer rain)  That is about 90% of the species in South Africa. 

The scene is calm and pretty,

the mesembs and daisies are not in bloom yet.

Now the mesembs and daisies are in bloom too. The last blooms on the racemes of the red hybrid (Aloe ferox X Aloe arborescens) are opening.

It is a carnival of color and some visitors are having a ball.  These glittering little bugs are harmless to the flowers. They live on nectar and pollen, assisting in the pollination of the plants in dry harsh ecosystems where there are not many bees.

The back door garden without a lawn.
That was a wise decision.

Way back we reached a point where keeping the lawn healthy and green became too much of a task. At that point we received notice of water restrictions - that was the last straw.
We dug up every piece of grass. The photo below was taken after a few month's work has been done and planting the aloes have already started. June 2005.

The aloes - blooming or not - are much prettier than a
half-dead lawn and the bonus is that it needs a lot less work and we do not water at all, the rain is enough.

The scene on this photo above is at the opposite side of the tree. One of the portions planted first. The aloes are from left to right:- Aloe ferox x Aloe arborescens, Aloe mutabilis x Aloe arborescens and Aloe cryptopoda

This planting is next to the tree. 

The aloes are Aloe petricola x Aloe globuligemma hybrids which Rudi raised from seeds (far left side on the photo). The close-up below shows more detail. Rudi planted a group of five plants which shows off very well when blooming together.  Aloe petricola has an upright raceme and the raceme of Aloe globuligemma is horizontal. The hybrid plants seems to be somewhat confused which pattern to follow, but I am quite happy with that, it gives an interesting effect.

The hybrid come in two colors. Dark orange
opening to yellow and red-pink opening to a creamy white, both with black stamens.

Aloe speciosa the aloe that turns it's rosette facing to the north.

The size of the raceme is 43 cm long and 27 cm around.
That is not remarkable for this species but it is very pretty on a young plant with a stem that is not over a meter high.
Aloe speciosa starts off growing upright like any other aloe, but it soon turns the rosette sideways facing north.

Aloe speciosa blooming in the Karoo. This aloe is a tree aloe, these plants would roughly measure between 3 and
5 meter in hight. The record is 6 meter.

There is something nice and not so nice in all seasons.
Our winters are wet, but mild with brightly colored
wild flowers.
Welcome! new visitors to our blog. We are at home
in the south western province of South Africa.
Winter is in the middle of the year. Aloes recover
their full splendor very quickly once the rain starts.

This is Aloe rubroviolaceae (Yemen)
dry and shrivelled hanging on to life.

Photo above was taken in March 2009

Photo below was taken in June 2009.

The brick is there to give an idea of the size.

What a difference the rain makes!

Why not water the aloes year round?
We have water restrictions but that is not
 the main reason - aloes must have their
natural dry cycle. Aloes that are watered
and grow in shade tend to become soft.

Insects, snails, fungus and bacteria 

will quickly find a spot to break the 

skin and damage - if not kill- the plant. 

 The leaves grow long and sloppy and

the flower stalk grows further apart 

which does not show off the flowers 

so well.   Note in the background.

It is very difficult to see I happen to

 know it is there. The flower buds of

Aloe sabaea.  Very faint to the right 

of the Aloe rubroviolaceae racemes

Another gem from Yemen. 

I will show it another time.

This nest of the  malachite  sunbird Nectarinia famosa can be right in your face and it will still be invisible. We have two sunbirds on a regular basis in our garden in the Western Cape.  The  malachite sunbird with the male a glittering green all over and the smaller sunbird  Nectarinia violacea (also refered to as Anthobaphes violacea) where the male has a glittering red/orange breast. The females of both are little brown jobs. They love the nectar of the Aloe sp. and also the Cotyledon sp. I am not an expert in birds feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

The nest was exactly the height of my face right above the path. I do not know if the they hatched any chicks but the sunbirds must have spent a lot of  time building the nest  without us noticing them.
It is a pity that I do not have a camera with a zoom.  The birds will think nothing of sitting right next to us when we are in the garden, but we must not have anything in our hands.  I tried walking with the camera.  Fine, they got used to it, but the moment I lift it in their direction, they dash away.
There are more nests in the garden.  The juveniles resemble the females I guess we might have seen some without realizing they are "our" birds.
All birds are welcome in the garden and we see to it that they get some treats and water,  but we are not into birding as such.
---------------  I had to add this September 2009.
I found this little female sunbird  nesting on the other corner of the house.

The height of the nest above the ground is obvious by the window in the background - the white is the window pane, not the sky, with the reddish window sill at the bottom. The nest is slightly larger than a man's fist.  Now that I know about the nest I make a small detour around the tree, where I would normally pass directly against that branch.  It obviously did not bother the birds in building the nest, but I will do my share.

There are more nests in the garden.  The juveniles resemble the female I guess we might have seen some.
All birds are welcome in the garden and we see to it that they get some treats and water,  but we are not into birding as such

planting under the big tree.

Like most hobbies there is just as much fun in the getting as in the having.  It is exciting to plant small portions of our hobby garden at a time.  Afterwards  we enjoy the memories how and when we got the plants. Some planning and designing went into it, but not anything intelligent e.g. by region, climate or species.
My next project is to create a garden under the Ceratonia siliqua  tree. Half belongs to Rudi (neatly divided like the rest of the garden). I have no idea what his half would look like, my half is for my smaller aloes and
Gasteria as these plants usually grow in the shade of rocks or bushes and this shady space will suite them well.

Giving some idea of the size of the tree. The space beneath
it is a circle about ten metres wide.

The outside branches of the tree bend down to the ground
forming a secluded area around the tree, but these branches
had to be removed as the aloes would want some direct sun.


The area around the tree was overgrown by trifasciata
which we cleared and replanted elsewhere. The leaves of the
Sansevieria sp. grew dense and long in the shade supporting
each other. Having removed some plants the rest to toppled
over but all will go.

Some nice logs to use for decoration. Watch this space !

but the unexpected is what happens in life 2014 Without warning the tree fell over.  No harm done. The tree hit the corner of the roof  damaging the gutter, but missed the window. My daughter and I in front of the tree. Full grown grandson lying on a sidestem for size. The same branch now without any leaves or life. ... but life goes on.

Snail damage in the garden.You can not win, get used it..
This morning was a lovely cool morning, one of
 the last cold fronts over the western cape before
 the long hot summer. I stroled through the garden enjoying it for a few moments then my eyes
caught this aloe. The snails were out late on this
 cool morning having a brunch before they hide
 for the day !

"People pay to have snail slime on their skin,
 I am getting this for free" - I told myself
while squashing the snails between my fingers.
In case you do not know it seems the word
 is going around that snail slime is one of
those "proven" remedies for a youthfull skin.
 I took many years off the age of the skin on
 my hands but it did not improve the beauty
 of my hands which were scratched and
bitten by the sharp teeth of the aloes at the
same time. It is not easy to get the snails
 out between the aloe leaves.

I feel like doing something to that neck !
Something slower than a quick squash
between my fingers.









Unbelievable ...this juvenile snail could not
 have eaten all that much in one sitting, he
must be the last one remaining after a party.
Rot can set in where the skin is broken in
aloes and other succulents. The hole, on
the top right side of the photo above this
 one must be from the previous party,
 it dried out well so there is no danger
of rot any more.










I believe these two snails are an endemic
snail species. I do not know anything
about the identity of snails, you are
to help me out there. We see them often
 along the western coast (South Africa).
 They climb on the wooden fence poles
 and sit in a bundle. It seems easy to kill
 them, but those on the poles is only the
 tip of the snail-mountain. I have not
seen them sitting in bundles on poles
where we live, 100 km inland. They
are not as many as on the coast, but they
 do a lot of damage all the same.










Could this be the delicatessen snail which
 arrived here from France? I am not tempted
 to try, but if we would learn to enjoy eating
  escargot that would solve more than one
 problem.

Aloe arborescens in habitat.

Aloe arborescens  has a very wide 

distribution from the eastern side of 

the Cape peninsula up through the

 eastern regions of Mozambique, 

Zimbabwe and Malawi.

These photos were taken in the 

Tradouw Pass of the Small Karoo.

The cricket known as a Corn Cricket.  Acanthoplus discoidalis is a species in the katydid family.  The mature cricket like the one which is drinking beer with us is the  most often seen in Namibia.  They need to eat and mate while there is food in a dry climate.

The black corn cricket is not quite as large as the  brown cricket above because it is the immature version of the species and they usually spend their time eating where they feel safe and not walking around looking for a mate.

The damage the insects did to these aloes are not as gruesome as it seems. An aloe has no problem to replace the leaves and it will go dormant and hang on till the rain comes.

Hanging aloes are adapted to a pensile life. These aloes are growing suspended as a rule and not because the seeds got stuck on a ledge. Many aloe species grow well on mountain slopes. As long as they have some grip in the soil they are happy, but that does not make them hanging or pensile aloes.

Aloe ferox just loves slopes. I doubt if anybody would think they are hanging. Just wanted to add the pretty scene.

Aloe dewinterii grows in the north west of Namibia on the steep dolomite slopes and high cliffs. On the cool side of a cliff is better than in the open sun but it can grow just as well on the ground usually on or under a dolomite rock.This plant has large leaves. The very soft pastel colors seem to be the rule in the Namibian aloes and the pale blue-green tinted with pink rosette is beautiful in the green garden . Next to the aloe is a dry bush, it is not old flower stalks.

Aloe comptoni growing in the Small Karoo. It also grows well on the mountain cliffs. On the ground it will grow creeping along with the upper part of the stem and rosette straight up and the old growth lying flat, later dying off. It looks better on a cliff. I would like to call it a hanging aloe but as it grows just as well on the flat ground it will not quite qualify.

At last. Aloe hardyi is a cliff hanger growing close against the cliff. The obvious way that it hugs the stone or edge over which it grows gives a lovely display in the garden over a wall. The flower stalk growing from the plant in the middle is visible on the photo. The inflorescens grows a little way horizontal and then it turns upwards. The thick aloe leaves are stiff. Pull out the plant where it is growing and the rosette with the leaves remain in the bended shape it had fitting over the stone. New leaves will adjust shape..
Aloe hardyi blooms in winter.

Another pending aloe named Aloe pendens from Yemen. It has a relative thin stalk by which it hangs down, but the rosette face horizontally and away from the cliff. The thick stiff leaves grow in the half circular shape, it is not soft and hanging down. Turn the plant upside down and it will look the same as when you turn the photo. (You will have to take my word as there is no way that I will uproot it to show my point.) The flower stalk grows a little way away from the
plant and then it turns upwards. The small flowers are pretty, shading red with green tips. Buds are not open yet on the photo below. Aloe pendens blooms every 5-6 months.

Aloe hardyii (from the northern parts of the Republic of South Africa) and Aloe pendens (from Yemen) can not really grow comfortable on flat ground. They probably would survive, anything is better than dying, but what will they look like bending and growing over each other?

The relative small grass-like Aloe ballii from Zimbabwe also grows hanging from cliffs. It is a very pretty aloe for a hanging basket. It grows fast and easy and blooms throughout the year. It would not fare too bad growing on flat ground except for the flower. The flower stalk is a thin soft thread hanging down and that would not function on flat ground. On the photo is an inset of the pretty flowersand on closer look you can see the flowers
PS. I have only one plant,  no seeds.

I built this wall for my pending aloes.
Aloe ballii is hanging on a branch to the right top in a basket . . Aloe hardyii is to the right on the wall and Aloe pendens (plant colour very much like the background) is in the middle. There are a few smaller aloe types on the top of the wall and some other succulent plants. The wall is very narrow and takes up little space but a lot can be planted on it. (flowers would be pretty too).

Aloe colour the difference in habitat vs. the garden. 
The aloe rosettes shades of pink browns and greens are interesting and attractive in the garden. In the habitat those same shades hide the plants. The previous blog shows the aloes in the garden, here are a few of the aloes in habitat.

Aloe microstigma. In the garden this aloe stands out, here it disapears.

Aloe hereroensis ad a very special effect to a garden, but it is not an easy garden plant. Aloe hereroensis does not like to be wet and it needs good drainage. Plant it on stones in the garden in the sun and do not water. The rain, whatever it is will be enough. I know this and I  killed a few.
This way is easier and more successful in the garden. Giving very light but regular watering so that the plant does not go dormant is better than no water and then starting to water at the wrong time.
 The wrong time is -
when the plant is dormant it should be stimulated
first with very little water when the temperature drops. Never water on a hot day (that is true for most plants) Very little water until it shows signs of growing, it can then be watered freely as long as the drainage is good.

Aloe khamiesensis in the same color as the stones! This aloe is also very attractive in the garden but it will be green in colour unless it is watered very little and in full sun. In the habitat the seeds will get stuck under the bushes and the young aloe will grow in shade until it is large enough to face the scorching heat.

The dry hot summer in colorful shades of pink and green. January and February are our hottest months. It was the end of February today and I already noticed for some days that the sun was up later than me. From now on the temperatures will be cooler with just some hot days between. However until the rain starts in six weeks or more, the soil will dry out more.

The very dry aloes are hanging on to their water reserves - waiting not growing. Each season has a distinct attractiveness in the aloe and succulents garden.

Aloe microstigma turned into shades of orange-pink and shows off very pretty in the garden, but on the mountain slopes where they grow, they are near to invisible between rocks and dry bushes.

The leaves are rolled up like narrow spikes. The fine bushes keep the roots cool and the pale green background is a good contrast against the aloes.
Aloe khamiesensis which grows in a very harsh habitat.

One thing I really like about the dry summer - no weeds in summer!