South Africa - Western Cape (3)

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After a day when “rain stopped play”, we were delighted to wake to bright sunshine the following morning. Our first stop of the day was at a winery (how early is too early for a glass or two?), before driving on to the town of Darling.

The Darling Wildflower Show has been presented by the Darling Wildflower Society since 1917, and the work is substantially done by volunteers. The show focuses the unique character of the local flora, and the urgent need for its conservation. This is highlighted by displays of plants that grow together in the wild.

Outside were many stands selling clothing, souvenirs, knick-knacks, various foods (including burgers and salads), soft drinks and beer. Children were catered for with swings and roundabouts, and there was also a display of old vehicles. This a large event with people driving from Cape Town, fifty miles away, to attend it.

We left Darling after lunch, but stopped on the edge of town for this small field of wild flowers. Note the bottom-up pose of an amateur botanist!

Our final stop was at the nearby Tienie Versveld Reserve. Comprising a mere 20 hectares, it is land donated by a local farmer. It has never been ploughed, giving rise to a plethora of flowers that coincide with the show we had just visited. 10% of all the different plants that grow in and around Cape Town grow in this tiny area, yet is not widely known about – a true botanical secret.

The white flower in the foreground is the bulb ornithogalum thyrsoides which is available in the UK

Among the interesting plants there were salvia africana-caerulea

The bulb geissorhiza radians

And moraea ciliata

For me, this small reserve was the highlight of the holiday.

To be continued ….

• 29 Jan, 2017
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