Cape flowers in March

Crawford Neil Neil.Crawford@volvo.com
Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:39:43 PST
You didn't miss anything, the bus was a waste of time. He kept us
shut up in the bus and told long anecdotes about famous people he'd met.
It was very frustrating, but wonderful when he let us off the bus, because
Glenlyon is a terrifc place, I've never seen such a concentration of 
bulbs/square meter. We did see several amarillydacae that would be flowering
in the spring like Boophone and Brunsvigia, but we don't know if they actually did.
As has been said, I guess it all depends on the rains. If you want a 
good place to stay, try Papkuilsfontein (Marriette and Willem van Wyk) which is
close and just as good botanically, and I think Willem could probably find you
some interesting plants to look at.
We were at the Cape in February and saw Red Disa, Blue Disa in the Overberg, and 
Disa Cardinalis in Barrydale. We also saw Haemanthus carneus IIRC, and lots of other 
nice plants. Going east was better at that time of the year, but still plenty
to look at in the west. If you get as far as Barrydale there is a good botanist
and Orchid specialist there Hildegard Clous. And in Napier our good friend Stephen
Smuts, and of course Cameron McMaster.
/Neil



> 
> When we were in Nieuwoudtville before, we were unable to visit  
> Glenlyon as the MacGregor bus was fully booked.  The farm was made  
> into a botanic garden last summer, so there will be no 
> problem gaining  
> entrance.  Are there likely to be enough flowers in bloom in 
> March to  
> justify a special trip up there?
> 
> Diane Whitehead
> Canada
> 


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