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A floral explosion in one of the most arid regions of the country 

As if touched by lightning, Enya and James set-off in all wind directions not knowing which flowers to pick first. Seeing their excitement as they run through the fields, takes me back to my own childhood years in the countryside. I had nature at my finger tips, playing in the fields and chasing beetles, and I am thankful that all is not lost yet, that I can still take my children to extraordinary places where nature is abundant. Welcome to Namaqualand!



Namaqualand at this time of the year looks like a delightful garden filled with sunshine and extraordinary fragrances.

Each year I wonder where all the flowers come from in this seemingly barren land. Driving north from Cape Town, we get a first hint of yellow and white along the road just after Piekenierskloof and cannot contain our excitement. Then, near Nieuwoudtville we discover patches of purple and orange daisies and think 'this is it', only to realise another 100 km further north that these were merely opening scenes to the floral explosion ahead. What awaits us is a feast for the eyes, but not so much for the nose! The dry air smells, how shall I put it... like buck. I wonder how I will cope with this pungent odour for the nex few days, but as we follow a dirt road through the granite rock formations of the Kamiesberg range, I catch whiffs of pleasant sweet scents. It appears to me that the loveliest fragrances become stronger the closer we get to sunset.  


A visual celebration of colour
Day after day, we discover the most amazing floral carpets. Springbok, Kamieskroon and Naries are great locations from which to explore the area, but to me, driving through the Namaqualand National Park remains an unparalleled visual celebration of colour and design. I've always loved hiking on narrow trails that take me deeper and deeper into the veld. To my utter delight, there are two absolutely exhilarating walking trails in the Skilpad section of the park that invite me to a close encounter with nature's most delicate works of art.


The tricks of the trade
We learn a lot about 'floristic behaviour' and how the plants of Namaqualand are truly skilled at surviving cold, moist winters and get through hot and dry summer months. Did you know that the Gazania purposefully shrivels so that all that is left visible is a bundle of dry curly leaves? Looking dead, it minimises exposure to the hot sun and prevents loss of moisture through its leaves. The woolly underside of the leaves often points upwards to cool the plant down. And with the first rains, the whole Gazania swells almost instantly, its leaves erect; even flowerbuds emerge!

Annuals will germinate quickly, grow and flower during winter and spring to avoid summer when they will survive in the form of seed.

And then there are vygies, like the windowplants, that withdraw totally underground in summer and, even when it's wetter in winter, will not grow above the surface. All that is exposed to the air is a tiny round transparant 'window' that lets in sunshine.


Springbok and beehives
We thought the 4x4 track north of the Skilpad circular drive would be some sort of shortcut to Kamieskroon via Soebatsfontein. It is anything but shorter, but worth our while. Apart from experiencing the land of the Nama under a full moon, this dirt road takes us through some intensely beautiful mountain scenery where one hardly meets another vehicle. As we stop near a stream I notice a lone springbok in the distance. He's seen me too, but probably doesn't care as much as I do.

When we reach Soebatsfontein I notice a signpost 'honey' on the left side of the road. I can't resist the temptation to check it out and we are soon greeted by Carel Smith who takes us to the beehives in his bakkie. No effort is too big for this genuine Namakwa farmer and he proudly shows us the millions of flowers on his farm. "You're welcome to picnic, there's a lovely spot near the windmill," he smiles. We happily accept his invitation and set-up camp for the afternoon. On our way out we buy half of his stock of honey. If you had smelled the unbelievable fragrances of Carel's honey, I bet you would have done the same! This is pure Namakwa magic.


Abundance without boundaries
It feels like the land of the Nama is endless. We continue our explorations in the Richtersveld and enter a world of lava mountains and sandy plains. Since August 2003 the driest part in Namakwa is part of the [Ai-]Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, containing 30% of all South Africa's succulent plant species. The way people and plants survive in this surreal world is and will always remain a mystery to me.

Someone once told me that, in order to get the best views, you should drive with the sun at your back. Why? Because the flowers turn their heads towards the sun, not to you...

The richest succulent flora on earth
The Succulent Karoo of South Africa and Namibia has the richest succulent flora on earth with as much as 69 percent endemic plants.  Many species however are threatened and have turned the area into a bio-diversity hotspot, one of only two entirely arid ecosystems earning this status.

BOX - WHERE TO STAY IN NAMAQUALAND

Experience Namakwa tradition in an upmarket version of a matjieshuis at Naries Namakwa Retreat. Their Mountain Suites are an absolute must. Contacts: phone (021) 930 4564 or email reservations@naries.co.za - www.naries.co.za.

 

For a more classical type of accommodation, www.namaqualand.com offers an extensive directory of guesthouses and self-catering cottages.
www.norherncape.org is a good source of information too.

Good to know
    •    take warm clothes & rain wear
    •    dirt roads can quickly turn into muddy pools
    •    diesel is not always available. In Kamieskroon you can get some from the co-op.
    •    book early, this is the only time of the year when accommodation is at a premium

Good to have
Namaqualand, South African Wild Flower Guide 1, Published by the Botanical Society of South Africa


Best time to visit
Namaqualand is the only desert in the world to show such an extravagant and diverse display of flowers in spring. The volume and timing of the annual rainfall influences greatly the floral display. Hot berg winds determine the duration of the flower season.

The best flower displays usually occur from August to mid-September.

Useful contacts

    •    Call the Flower hotline for detailed information: 083 910 1028
    •    Namakwa Tourism Information, Springbok, phone (027) 7182985/6 or email at tourismsbk@namakwa-dm.co.za



BOX - DID YOU KNOW...

...some areas store more than 40 000 seeds per square metre



BOX - GROW YOUR OWN NAMAQUALAND @ HOME

Sorrel, daisies and Gazania are delightful companions. They are so easy to grow that even if you don't have 'green' fingers, they will still thrive and bring you lots of joy.


SORREL - Oxalis pes-caprae and purpurea

Sorrel, with its pretty, brightly coloured flowers and clover-like leaves is native to southern Africa and South America.

NAME
It comes from the Greek oxis meaning acid. It refers to the sour-tasting sap of some species.

IN THE VELD
Sorrel is not really poisonous but can lead to human and animal fatalities if excessive amounts are consumed. Outbreaks of oxalate poisoning have been reported, as a result of pastures infested with sorrel. Sheep are mostly affected, but cattle and horses too may suffer from degenerative conditions of the bones.

DID YOU KNOW...
    •    the seeds are explosively ejected

COOKING
    •    enjoy fresh leaves and roots as a snack
    •    add fresh leaves to salads, soups and stews
    •    grill or cook roots with milk, serve as vegetable
    •    O. pes-caprae is an essential ingredient of waterblommetjie stew

HEALING
Oxalis is used as a vermifuge and is good for treating scurvy, burns and abscesses.
    •     apply the leaves as a dressing

GARDENING - EASY TO GROW
    ⁃    perennial - flowers in summer
    ⁃    medium water - drought resistant - full sun - semi-shade - full shade
    ⁃    dwarf plant - 75 mm high
    ⁃    propagate by corms - seed
    ⁃    any soil
    ⁃    tolerates light frost
    ⁃    use as seasonal ground cover





GAZANIA krebsiana

I wonder why Gazania are such popular bedding plants in British gardens. There is no doubt about their exquisiteness, but they only open fully when the light is bright enough. It must be the joy they bring during brief English summers that fills people's hearts for the rest of the year!

NAME
In honour of Theodor of Gaza, translator of botanical works. gaza is also Greek for riches and could refer to the richness in colour and the abundance of the plant.
‘Treasure flower', one of its nicknames really comes as no surprise. 

IN THE GARDEN
It is so easy to fall in love with the gazania. They come in a great variety of joyful colours and their flowers brighten up any garden for many months.  In fact, gazania are so easy to grow, that they love a pot as much as a bed. This flamboyant perennial is Namaqualand's trademark and one of the parent plants for the many Gazania hybrids found in nurseries.

DID YOU KNOW...
    •    each fruit in the flowerhead, and there are about 25 per head, is covered with silky hairs to enable easy dispersion by wind
 
COOKING
    •    Gazania are edible : add to dish as a colourful finishing touch

GARDENING : EASY TO GROW
    ⁃    perennial - flowers from spring till summer
    ⁃    waterwise - drought resistant - full sun
    ⁃    plant - 25 cm high
    ⁃    propagate from seed - is self-seeder
    ⁃    no soil preference, but must be well-drained
    ⁃    tolerates wind and light frost
    ⁃    good for rockeries - beds - pots - in masses as ground cover
    ⁃    attracts beetles - butterflies - herbivores

    •    TIP : don't give too much water - a little compost will be appreciated



AFRICAN DAISY -Arctotis hirsuta - stoechadifolia

Arctotis are like women. Very exclusive in their way of showing affection, they only reveal their beauty at the sight of their true love: the sun. And just like mothers protect their children, the flowerheads close in overcast weather to protect the pollen from rain.

NAME
It stems from the Greek arctos meaning 'bear' and otis ear, referring to the big fluffy tufts of hairs on the fruit that look like a bear's ears.

IN THE GARDEN
Tough, easy and fast growing are attributes on the wish list of many gardeners. Add to this a very floriferous quality with large flowers in a range of colours and it is understandable that the African daisy is a very popular ground cover across the globe.

DID YOU KNOW...
... the flowerheads curve down as they start to seed and will straighten up again, but only when the seed is ready to be blown away by the wind?


Text Petra Vandecasteele
Photography Paul Godard

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