PLANTS & FLOWERS: Kulafumbi's Floral Beauties > Balcony & Garden Plants & Flowers [2007] (108)
Our balcony flowerbeds could hardly be described as normal, and we don't have a conventional garden, as such...but we do water the trees and plants around the house, and we do bring in indigenous plants and flowers which we see growing around the area and would like to have near or in the house.
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Grass in Upstairs Flowerbed
This grass self-seeded in our balcony flowerbeds, and now that it is seeding again, it looks really lovely against the rough stone of the house walls. 22 October 2007. -
Grass in Upstairs Flowerbed CU
Close-up of some of the self-seeded grass in our upstairs balcony flowerbeds. 22 October 2007 -
Riverside Sanseviera Bed
There are 25 species of sanseviera in East Africa (60 altogether in Tropical & South Africa) - a woody or fibrous succulent. This type is one of our favourites, and we have planted a bed of them on the "lawn" between the house and the cliff which drops down to the river below. 22 October 2007 -
Riverside Sanseviera with House
The riverside Sanseviera bed again... 22 October 2007 -
Riverside Sanseviera
It's those Sanseviera again...once they have settled in, they should start growing straight as a dye. They reproduce by sending out roots, from which new shoots will sprout (just like the Aloes do.) 22 October 2007 -
Sanseviera Robusta behind Guest Bedrooms
This is sanseviera robusta which we dug up from further inland on our property and replanted at the back of the house - this stand is behind one of the guest bedrooms. You can see how it is reproducing by sending up small new shoots from its root system. 22 October 2007 -
View of Sanseviera beds with Front Door Ramp & Baobab
This ramp leads to our front door...Below the bridge seemed a good place to plant some more sanseviera robusta - I like the effect of seeing the one stand at the front, and the second stand behind under and beyond the ramp. The little "Front Door Baobab" is looking fresh and perky there too, covered with bright green foliage, overseeing all the comings and goings from the house. 22 October 2007 -
Small Sanseviera
Yet another type of sanseviera, this one much smaller, but equally pretty. Being a shade-loving plant in general, we planted some of these at the back of the house, under the kitchen where they only get hit by the sun in the late afternoon, by which time it is less ferocious. 22 October 2007 -
Sanseviera under the Stairs
We planted more Sanseviera under the stairs leading to our rooftop. It's difficult to see in the shade, but I promise you they look great there! 22 October 2007 -
Sanseviera under the Stairs CU
A close up of the Sanseviera under the stairs leading to our roof...it's still difficult to make out, because of the shadow. 22 October 2007. -
Aloe & 'Baby' in balcony flowerbed (23 October 2007)
I got these Aloes from our friend Lionel, and they've really started thriving in our balcony flowerbeds. This one has already produced a "baby" - a new shoot coming up from its root system. News from October 23rd 2007... -
Aloe & 'Baby' with river view behind (23 October 2007)
This shot of our Aloe and 'baby' aims to illustrate how our upstairs balcony flowerbeds overlook the river view, in this case the upstream river view. News from October 23rd 2007... -
Doorway Ipomea (23 October 2007)
We've planted an ipomea mombassana creeper just inside our front door, with the idea that when it covers the entire wall and then flowers, its papery-white blossoms will look incredible...it's settling in well, and it'll be fun to follow its progress as it grows. The white shells next to it come from Giant Ground Snails. News from October 23rd 2007... -
More Front Door Plants (23 October 2007)
More plants, fitting nicely into a nook in the wall by the front door. News from October 23rd 2007... -
Upstairs Balcony Flowerbed (23 October 2007)
The upstairs balcony flowerbed, which follows the edge of the balcony 360˚ around the house. News from October 23rd 2007... -
Small Aloe on top balcony (23 October 2007)
Backlit in the morning sun, one of our small aloes in the upstairs balcony garden - this one to the right of the main verandah. News from October 23rd 2007... -
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Another Small Aloe in the Balcony Garden (23 October 2007)
Also to the right of the main verandah, this small aloe will grow quite quickly with regular watering. News from October 23rd 2007... -
Tsavo Succulent Clones (23 October 2007)
Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Tsavo Succulent Clones (23 October 2007)
Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Tsavo Succulent Clones (23 October 2007)
Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Tsavo Succulent Clones (23 October 2007)
Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Tsavo Succulent Clones (23 October 2007)
Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Small Tsavo Succulents on Front Door Ramp (23 October 2007)
We planted some of the tiny 'baby' succulents on the ramp leading up the front door - it'll be interesting to see how fast they grow with regular watering. Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Small Tsavo Succulent on Front Door Ramp (23 October 2007)
A close-up view of one of the tiny succulents we planted in the flowerbeds bordering the ramp leading to our front door. Read about these incredible plants which I call the 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' in my journal entry from October 23rd 2007... -
Bath Plants (23 October 2007)
I've planted some 'Tsavo Succulent Clones' and other plants around the bath, in various 'nooks and crannies' created for that very purpose...More news from October 23rd 2007... -
More Bath Plants (23 October 2007)
More plants adorning the edge of the bath, including some 'Tsavo Succulent Clones'...More news from October 23rd 2007... -
Yellow Beauties on Balcony (24 Oct 07)
I call this plant, which grows all over the place in our balcony gardens (how it got there, who knows, but it is prolific) the "Shortlived Yellow Beauty", for it has the most incredible golden-yellow flower and a shocking orange seedpod, and grows from a strange green oblong tuber that sticks up out of the ground. It is a creeper and it grows at a great rate, but then dies off just as quickly. The gorgeous flowers are short-lived, and wilt after just a day of blooming. There are a couple of these plants growing under the Commiphora tree on the Hippo Lawn, but they never get the chance to really get going, for every time they send out a new shoot, the Dik Diks nibble them down again. Read more news from this day... -
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Palm-like Plants on Balcony (25 Oct 07)
These diminutive plants in our balcony flowerbed remind me of miniature palms. You can see some of their leaves are splayed open like a fan, while others are closed and "sleeping". Writings from this day... -
Palm-like Plants on Balcony (25 Oct 07)
These little guys are still looking dry and not too happy...roll on more rain (our watering doesn't seem to have the same effect on the plants as rain does - probably something to do with the moisture content of the air). Writings from this day... -
Front door Ipomea creeper (01 Nov 07)
The ipomea mombassana creeper we planted in a cranny by the front door is doing well. Read more news from this day... -
Birdbath Acacia sprouting new leaves (2 Nov 07)
When we first transplanted this small Yellow Fever Tree (acacia xanthophloea from the Mtito riverbank to the flowerbed by our birdbath, it lost all its leaves. However, it did not take it long for it to regain its composure and has started sprouting new leaves, a sure sign that it will be fine its new home, as long as we continue to give it lots of water, for this is a very thirsty tree species. Read more news from 2nd November 2007... -
Moss Garden CU (2 Nov 07)
I'm trying to cultivate a moss garden in the flowerbeds on the balcony. This moss grows wild all over the place (which I find strange in such a dry-country environment, but nature never ceases to amaze...). In the dry times, it goes brown and almost disappears, but with the first rain, it turns bright green, and you can suddenly see how prevalent it is. I'm not sure how successful my garden moss will be, but it's worth a try...Read more news from 2nd November 2007... -
Moss Garden (2 Nov 07)
I planted some moss (which I dug up from outside where it grows on the bare earth, often in rocky areas) behind the dead tree in our balcony garden. Read more news from 2nd November 2007... -
Palm-like Plants on Balcony (2 Nov 07)
The small (10-15cm high) palm-like plants in our balcony garden opened their fan-shaped leaves today. Read more news from 2nd November 2007... -
Palm-like Plants on Balcony with closed leaves (2 Nov 07)
Until conditions are right, the palm-like plants keep their leaves closed. Most likely, I am guessing, this must be a water-preservation tactic. Read more news from 2nd November 2007... -
Lilac Jewel Flower (11 Nov 07)
I call this beautiful tiny flower in our balcony flowerbeds The Lilac Jewel (don't ask me what its real name is!) Read news from this day... -
Pink Bedroom Flowers (15 Nov 07)
This plant which closely hugs the ground and rocks, and has the most intricate peachy-pink flower has self-seeded in the flowerbeds outside our bedroom, as well as various other places on the balcony. I've discovered it is indigofera schimperi, a woody herb of the bean family. Read more news from this day... -
Dainty white flowers growing in balcony flowerbed outside bedroom (15 Nov 07)
Read news from this day... -
Orange Pod from Yellow Beauties (15 Nov 07)
The "Short-lived Yellow Beauties" which grow on the voracious creeper that sprouts from a weird tuber and has planted itself everywhere on our balcony, become these bright orange seed pods...what a strange and amazing plant this is. News from this day...