Haemanthus

Haemanthus are bulbous plants from the Amaryllis family from South Africa with flowering period in September/October and the main vegetative period in winter, having a long rest period in late spring and summer. Some, like Haemantus coccineus resist to a couple of degree minus, so they are in-between zone 8 and 9.

During the rest period in summer the pots need to be completely dry.

After the first raining days in September, the bulbs break their dormancy the compost being completely dry. It's just the atmospheric humidity that made the difference.

Full flowering.

Full developed leaves in winter.

Leaves are degenerating and the bulbs prepare itself for the rest period.

European pond turtle Emys orbicularis

Basking adult female of Emys orbicularis.


Juvenile animal in spring after hibernation in water.

Scilla autumnalis

Watsonia

Watsonia pillansii


Watsonia aletroides


Watsonia longifolia

Sinocalycalycanthus raulstonii Hartlage Wine

Usually this shrub bloom in my area in April-May. You can imagine my wonder last week as I found a couple of new blooms!

Gardenia thumbergia

This beautiful south African Gardenia is reputed to by hardy to zone 7 but only in very dry climate. For this reason I keep my specimen in a large container. Sometimes mites are a lasting problem colonizing leafs and blooms.

Swiss National Day, August 1st

"Since 1891, the first of August has been celebrated as Swiss National Day. The date refers to a historic alliance concluded in 1291 by the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. This alliance was to become the focal point around which the Switzerland of today was built over the next 500 years". It means that "Helvetia" is 719 years old now .

Back to botany, my actual garden will be in 2 weeks 10 years old. To be honest, I spent the first Fall for preparing the ground planting a couple of trees, organizing my greenhouse, the rainwater cistern and pipe system, and planning the garden.
A Mediterranean garden does not exist without dry stone walls. And I'm dry stone walls addicted! In the least days I finished a small (80 cm x 6 m) dry stone gravity wall using grey-blue metamorphic rock (probably gneiss) from a plot of ground near my house. Being my first (that long) dry wall I'm quite prude about my work.