In my last post I wrote about getting back to nature in the heart of Jozi so I decided I would continue with this theme and write about something even closer to home, my garden.  I hadn’t had a garden (or backyard as some would call it) since the year 2000 when I left Arizona to live in France, and when we found our current apartment with a large and beautiful garden, I had no idea how much joy this garden would bring me in our first couple of months of our new life in South Africa.

My Garden

Another reason I decided to write this post now is because in less than one week, we will be moving and leaving our little haven for a new place a few minutes down the road and I already know I will miss it dearly.  We knew going in this was only to be our temporary home, a furnished rental until we would find a more permanent, unfurnished place once all our stuff arrived from France (and good news, it DID arrive).  So while next weekend we will be discovering our new place (and thankfully a new garden), I wanted to reflect today on some of the things that have made us smile and laugh the past couple of months.

The first weekend we moved in, we were quickly adopted by our neighbors’ cats.   I love animals and I was thrilled to have the cats around.  When we lived in Nice, Pomponette, our neighbor’s cat, would jump between our balconys (we lived on the 3rd floor) and regularly come to visit and I was already missing her.  Since I had no idea of their real names, I promptly named the cats Sweetie and Roscoe and they seemed glad to be getting lots of extra belly rubs.

Sweetie waiting for her belly rub

Roscoe reprimanding me for shooing him out of the apartment

The bird life here in South Africa is so diverse, and we were lucky to have several species visiting our garden.  Every morning I am up early for coffee and to listen to their lovely songs as I get ready to start my day.

Cape Sparrow

Black Collared Barbet

Hadeda.  A big bird with a big personality

Black Capped Bulbul

We have one very special bird that we have been watching since we moved in.  He is a Southern Masked Weaver to whom I will dedicate a separate post of its own.  We have watched him build and tear down countless nests to attract a partner; such a hard-working little guy.

Southern Masked Weaver.  I so wish he would come with us.

I have mentioned in other posts that my knowledge of plants and flowers is pretty much zilch however, I also love and appreciate the diversity of the flora in my garden.  One of my goals is to learn a lot more in this area, so if anyone wants to enlighten me on the names of any of these it will me greatly welcomed.

This delicate flower only blooms for about a day then sadly dies

Explosions of Color

We often also have smaller visiters dropping by to visit in our garden as well.

Little geckos are always found hanging around

This snail was really hauling butt along the wall to our house.  He must have known a french guy lives here.

This will be the last weekend we will spend in our garden and it looks like it will be a beautiful one.  I will deeply miss our kitties and our little weaver bird, but I will always remember our first couple months in South Africa with fond memories.