28 Feb 2011

Day 59:

This is Phillip.  It is a carving that I discovered amongst the braai (barbecue) wood stash a number of months after my gardener of 11 years passed away.  I do not think, but I may be wrong, that he carved it but it would be nice to think he had.  It does have an uncanny resemblance to him and although it has taken a lot of weathering I finally got round to making a mosaic plinth for him to stand on and I like to think he is still watching over my garden.   He was a gentleman.

27 Feb 2011

Day 58:

A rare treat, never been seen in the garden before. A new frog.  Not a clear shot as I could not get too close and with the restraints on my small camera.  I am not sure whether I should get too excited as I have not heard his call yet and am not sure whether I would like a family of them under my deck which is where he hopped off to.

26 Feb 2011

Day 57:

One lonely Gazania flower that has managed to do its thing.  I have a number in pots on the deck but there is some naughty thing that enjoys eating them before they manage to open their petals properly. Nature at its best.

25 Feb 2011

Day 56:

This is Pug. He came with the house 22+  years ago and originally I kept him clean.  I am now allowing him to grow his 'coat'.  He is really cool!

24 Feb 2011

Day 55:

Let's add a splash of colour as it is a glorious morning.  I cannot remember the name but this is a dwarf version (not indigenous) and it has really remained small, probably because it does not seem to be totally happy where it is but it sends out a couple of heads of flowers every year.  I really must give it more attention!

23 Feb 2011

Day 54:

The layer of decomposing leaves and seeds under a tree at the local library.  I was playing around with a friend and her new camera this morning and I suddenly realized that instead of  'looking at the bigger picture' as we are so often told I am doing the total opposite and looking at the smaller picture and finding so much more!!!

22 Feb 2011

Day 53:

Noo Noo time again!  This stick insect flew in last night and I found him on my cushion (with an attitude) this morning.  Again, someone trying the disguise option by settling on the background fabric.

21 Feb 2011

Day 52:

Master of disguise and no it is not sideways as he is running along a retaining wall.  A young blue-headed lizard.  There were two but they are so skittish I am amazed I managed this shot.  Their heads become very blue during mating season.

20 Feb 2011

Day 51:

I have no idea what the name of this plant is but it has what appears to be very insignificant flowers that pop out at the base of the leaf but on closer inspection what a beauty!

19 Feb 2011

Day 50:

This is the most amazing 'fungi' I have ever seen and I have had at least 8 or 9 pop up in the garden this summer. It is upside down on the table as the most interesting part is this hole instead of a stem at the bottom.  It is quite papery in texture and cut in half it has a soft light chocolate  colour middle. This one is approx 8cm in diameter. They have popped up in the shadow of a plant and sometimes two together.  I make my own compost so nothing new has been introduced to the garden. We have been in this house for 22 years and this is a first.

18 Feb 2011

Day 49:

Working in the garden this morning I cut this new leaf from a common begonia plant in error and in picking it up I was amazed at all the little hairs running around the frilled edge.

17 Feb 2011

Day 48:

Strelitzia reginae,  Bird of paradise flower or Crane Flower. Beautiful colours and lines. Not the best specimen in the garden at the moment but the monkey's seem to enjoy all the nectar and on their weekly movement thru the garden these flowers are nearly always a victim.

16 Feb 2011

Day 47:

This family of rusty metal warthogs live at a friends.  As they are on the lawn they get moved regularly .  It has become a game to see where they have got to each time I visit which is not that often.

15 Feb 2011

Day 46:

This is the yummy middle of a piece of needle weaving that I did a couple of years back.  It really is a touchy feely piece, still!

14 Feb 2011

Day 45:

A couple of days ago I was talking to my sister and mentioning how I always think of Mum when I see Tree Frogs and guess what, I disturbed this amazing fellow this evening when I opened a window and he jumped from the window to this leaf.  He is about 5cm in length and a lovely specimen. 

13 Feb 2011

Day 44:

This is the centre of the rose featured on the 10th Feb.  This morning was probably its last day before it took a hammering from the wind and sun and finally disintegrated. It had changed this significantly in colour.  The centre  caught my eye and in fact the pic has picked up even more detail. Love it!

12 Feb 2011

Day 43:

Yellow Pansy Butterfly caught sunning itself next to the pool.  Many pictures later and still no luck in capturing it with its wings out so that you can see the brilliant purple spot on the inside of its lower wing I settled on this snap.  The colour is also wrong as the wings are blotched on the top of the wings with bright yellow.  Still happy anyway.

11 Feb 2001

Day 42:

This is a small patch of moss growing in amongst a very neglected miniature rose plant.  The rose continues to send out the odd leaf, almost as a show despair.  I really must get round to re potting it and giving it tender loving care.

10 Feb 2011

Day 41:

Hooray ..... my pink rose bush has finally offered up a bloom.   With our topsy turvy weather I think it was confused and seemed to shut down and just hang in there.  It will now get some tender loving care.

09 Feb 2011

Day 40:

This is a piece of lichen on our wall, approx 3cm in diameter taken a few minutes ago with the setting sun and because of the angle of the sun I have even managed to capture the shadows in something so small.  Wow!

08 Feb 2011

Day 39:

A year ago we had this palm cut down as it was very close to the house and not looking to good.  These are the dried out side roots that are slowly decomposing with a mondi grass which has popped up in amongst and surviving.

07 Feb 2011

Day 38:

Queen Mary II leaving Durban harbour at eight o'clock this evening, two hours later than scheduled.  Unfortunately this was the best shot.  It she had left at 6pm it would still have been light, howeve,r it was a perfect evening, the water was flat and it was fun watching all the yachts and boats going out to bit her farewell.

06 Feb 2011

Day 37:

The amazing inner of an orange.  I need not say more.

05 Feb 2011

Day 36:

Weavers cleaning out the seed in the feeders.  The poor smaller birds such as mannikin's and canaries have to hang around for the left overs while the doves are quite happy to scratch around underneath. The bird bath next door is normally emptied by the white eyes, bulbul's and mannikin's as they drink and bath.

04 Feb 2011

Day 35:

Today was a home day so took a walk around the garden and my eye caught this succulent and its colouring .... I follow the 12 by twelve group and this almost fits into their current colourway challenge.

03 Feb 2011

Day 34:

Spent the afternoon at the 'Stadium' taking pictures for my next group challenge and it was a perfect day. Had to take a snap of the Sky Car that takes you to the view site at the top of the arch.  Lunch was at the Keg & Spear just behind me.

02 Feb 2011

Day 33:

Spent the day at home in the garden and while enjoying a cup of tea my eyes zoomed in on all the different leaf shapes and colour green in this particular part of the garden. This side of the garden is quite tropical and for a reason.  We have an after-school care centre next door and this growth keeps out the noise and more importantly all the dust.