The spring flower season on the West coast of South Africa is underway, and it brings a wealth of beauty to the region and Klipopmekaar.
The spring starts with drifts of white rain daisies and tiny yellow button daisies, blue flax and pink nemesias.
The Cederberg, Groot Winterhoek and Matzikamma mountains, and the arid beauty of the Knersvlakte and Hardeveld, have become covered in carpets of daisies, yellow gansogies, felicias, nemesias and vygies in between.
Sheltering between the taller plants are beautiful gems like winecups, sparaxis, lachenalias and babianas. The recently planted rooibos tea fields are also awash with flowers between the planted rows.
Clanwilliam Flower Show Promises a Burst Of Colour
The annual ten-day Clanwilliam Wild Flower Show is presented by the Clanwilliam Wild Flower Association is also underway. It starts at the end of August and ends first week in September and is certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Volunteers happily create and arrange a fabulous “flowerscape” inside Clanwilliam’s charming Old Dutch Reformed Church. Some rare handjies (Cyanella alba) are collected annually at Klipopmekaar by our neighbour Haffie Strauss for the show. Over 300 species are exhibited at the show.
A special botanical section also provides common and botanical names for all exhibited flowers. There is also a special focus on rooibos tea (aspalathus linearis) amongst this years exhibits.
Greatest Variety of Wildflowers in the World
Although it seems like a helluva claim … apparently it is alleged that the greatest variety of wild flowers in one district in the world happen to make their appearance in the greater Clanwilliam region. You be the judge!
For more information about the show, check out the flower festival web site