Greens Galore

Building renovations have left the garden, not to mention the house, covered in a thick layer of red dust, so it was a delight to nip out during one of the first winter showers, umbrella tucked between neck and shoulder to capture a few photographs of the freshly washed and gleaming plants.

The smooth lime green leaflets of Duranta "Sheena's Gold" dazzle against the darker, tooth-edged leaves of Plectranthus Mona Lavender with their deep purple undersides.

The glossy leaves of Rhaphiolepis add to the bouquet of greens so brightly set off against the old red brick path found in so many of the circa 1920s Cape Town city houses.  The terracotta pots have been cleared of their pink petunias which flourished in abundance despite the bouts of five day south-easterly summer winds.  The pots have taken a bit of a knock from the builders' wheelbarrows but the planned blue, yellow and white pansies should divert attention from the missing chunks of pottery.

The roses are grimly hanging in there, thoroughly baffled and confused by the fact that summer has continued for so long, interspersed by the odd cold, rainy day. 

 Tucked away in a sheltered corner, but not to be overlooked, the flashy Begonias do their best to outshine all contenders with their flashy, ballerina-skirt blooms shedding petals with every rain droplet.