Springtime At BlueGumsFree

The long winter with abundant rains is behind us. The mountainside at Castle Rock is looking splendid – barring those sections where invasive alien stands are ominously in bloom. But where the invasives have disappeared there  are splashes of outlandish colours, as recently matured fynbos celebrates the arrival of spring.

Here are some random photographs of flowers around the Stone House at BlueGumsFree, with a focus on the plants that thrive after fires. This will give a sense of the symbiosis of fire and fynbos on the cape peninsula.

We are safe if we use its Afrikaans name – Suurknol. When it comes to its actual taxonomic name we are on shaky ground: Watsonia Borbonica.

Well, at least I know the dog is a border collie (named Arrow). Athanasia? – help please.

And of course any Peninsula Mountain fire worthy of the name leaves a profusion of these rubies in its wake: the fire heath – erica cerinthoides.

 Family Lobeliaceae

And just a reminder: this is what it looked like before we removed the mature stands of alien trees.

 And what it is likely to look like again …

 If we don’t apply herbicide to several hectares of new growth, stimulated by the fire in July.