Its spring in the Western Cape and our Indigenous Bulb Grower's Association (IBSA) has been arranging a number of excursions to view the flowers. Today it was my turn to host them on a visit to the farm Fairfield near the town of Napier where I live. This farm has been well preserved and has elements of both sandstone (Fynbos) and shale derived soils (Renosterveld), so there is a wide variety of bulbs and other species. Today the weather was fine and there was a lot in flower. The list below of what we saw is just a snapshot of the flolwers today - a week ago there were other species out and in the weeks ahead there will be many more species flowering. Moraea elegans occurs only on this farm and M melonops is confined to this region and is quite rare - but very common on Fairfield. The Gladiolus rudis was a magnificent sight to see. We wish you could join us on these excursions.
Fairfield check list
08-Sep-07
Aristea africana
Aristea spiralis
Aristea teretifolia
Geissorhiza inflexa
Geissorhiza ovata
Gladiolus bullatus
Gladiolus debilis
Gladiolus gracilis
Gladiolus hirsutus
Gladiolus liliaceus
Gladiolus rudis
Ixia - another two species
Ixia stricta
Moraea angusta
Moraea elegans
Moraea fergusoniae
Moraea fugacissima
Moraea gawleri
Moraea melonops
Moraea melonops x fugacissima hybrid
Moraea papilionacea
Romulea dichotama
Romulea flava
Romulea hirta var cooperi
Romulea rosea
Sparaxis grandiflora
Eucomis regia
Lachenalia lutea
Spiloxene capensis
Wurmbea minima
Orchids
Bartholina burmanniana
Disperis villosa
Pterygodium caffrum
Pterygodium catholicum
Satyrium species
Cameron McMaster
African Bulbs
PO Box 26, Napier 7270
Tel/Fax: 028 423 3651
Mobile: 082 774 2075
Email: africanbulbs@haznet.co.za
Website: http://www.africanbulbs.com/