“mother of millions” Kalanchoe

More Bloom Day in March

March 15, 2014April 11, 2016 Cindy at enclos*ure7 Comments

The borders along the upper lawn in our Kigali garden are blooming particularly well this month. I took these pictures yesterday.

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Our front garden is a rather formal arrangement of two long lawns that run parallel to each other and to the length of the house and its terrace. The narrow upper one is separated from the much wider lower one by two sets of 3′ retaining walls, which are joined in the center by a flight of steps. Irregularly curving planting beds border both sides of the lower lawn and one side of the upper.

I’ve tried to balance the formal layout with an informal, sort of “country garden” planting plan. The beds contain a closely planted mix of tropical and temperate plants and shrubs. Most are cultivated, but the “wild” plants and vines that work their self-seeding way up through the jumble can stay if they they add nice textures or colors.

The beds between the retaining walls and the one along the far side of the lower lawn are anchored by several large, often flowering, shrubs and lianas, and even some small trees.

Because of the vigorous plants and the constant warm weather, I’m always pruning or chopping something back.

Almost every plant repeats in the garden, often in several places. But each 7′ to 15′ section of border has its own primary and secondary colors and then a bit of a third color trailing through the middle or around the edges.

The border along the upper lawn starts out orange and white (with a little pink) at its south end, then becomes yellow and blue/purple with some orange to the center steps. On the north side of the steps, it is yellow and blue/purple again with a stronger trail of orange (red hot poker, lantana, tropical hibiscus). At the north end, it is red and pink with blue around the edges.

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is the 15th of every month. To see what’s blooming today in other bloggers’ gardens, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

My earlier March Bloom Day post today is here.
Continue reading “More Bloom Day in March” →

After some rain

September 14, 2013April 13, 2016 Cindy at enclos*ure8 Comments

All night the sound had
come back again,
and again falls
this quiet, persistent rain. . . .

— Robert Creeley, from “The Rain“

Our garden on August 31, at the end of the dry season:

And on September 11, after several days of rain:

Much better. After the first rain or two, everything seemed almost sparkly.

Below (click on any of the thumbnails in the gallery) is a little tour of the borders along the upper and lower lawns, taken on September 11 — just before sunset — and yesterday afternoon.

Looking southwest from the upper lawn.

Kniphofia uvaria and a Kalanchoe. . .

with an orange Lantana camera in the background.

A pot of Graptopetalum with yellow daylilies behind it.

An orange blooming tropical hibicus in the foreground.

Our September garden in Rwanda/enclos*ure

The upper lawn beyond the steps. A large Euphorbia in the background.

Walking to the tall pot in the last photo and turning: Cape plumbago, yellow Abutilon, variegated groundcover irises, and a double Rudbeckia laciniata in the foreground.

Turning back to the steps, Cape plumbago and shasta daisies.

Looking down to the next level of retaining wall, a large white rose in the back and (I think) a (purple) Thunbergia in the center.

Walking down the steps, looking south. There are also cream Russelia equisetiformis and a blue blooming Salvia (I think it’s a Salvia).

At the bottom of the steps, looking back at the south retaining walls.

Looking South on the other side of the lower lawn.

Those are pink Pentas in the foreground.

Going back to the top of the steps and looking northwest about sunset.

Looking down on the next level of retaining wall: blue blooming Salvias, Eranthemum nervosum, and a variegated ginger.

Walking down the steps, looking north.

At the bottom of the steps, looking back to the north retaining walls. There are red Russelia equisetiformis above and yellow daylilies and Rudbeckia below.

Walking across the lawn and looking north.

I think this will be my slightly early Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up submission for September. Please go to May Dreams Gardens (Bloom Day on September 15) and Digging (Foliage Follow-Up on September 16) to see what’s happening in other Garden Bloggers’ gardens.

Foliage Follow Up: two sedums

June 16, 2013July 3, 2014 Cindy at enclos*ure23 Comments

[Ahem, make that two succulents.]

I’d be grateful if anyone could identify these ~~sedums~~ succulents — both came with the garden.

I’ve had the tall, bluish one in at least two other African gardens.

[It’s a Kalanchoe, possibly a variety of “mother of millions,” K. daigremontiana.]

It’s nice in combination with the pink small and miniature shrub roses; otherwise their effect would be too sweet.

I didn’t realize until I took these pictures that the rosette-type sedum almost exactly matches the two-tone clay pot. They also match the terracotta colors in the landscape beyond the hedge.

[It’s probably a Graptopetalum.]