“How many flowers do you have?”, came the curious question. Curious, mostly because of who asked it. Out of everything that this man, fashionable and somewhere in his late twenties could ask me, this was his question. Flowers? How many flowers do I have?
My face is not a face that hides my thoughts very well so the friendly stranger asked again: “Flowers, how many flowers do you have in South Africa?”
The beauty of the question overtook my better judgement in a second. Perhaps he also read the marvellous beginning of The Little Prince and learned to ask better questions than most adults ever learn to do in their lifetime. One of my own secret aspirations is to be a person who asks beautiful questions. Why am I then so surprised when a young man, just north of the Sahara, somewhere in central Algeria aspires to do the same?
Flowers…flowers…flowers! Flowers of South Africa? Man oh man, do I have some pictures to show him! Immediately I took to scrolling through my iCloud, finding the “flowers in South Africa” that I’ve captured in the past few years. What I missed while I was scrolling was the fact that my flower friend took out his own phone and opened Instagram. There was a tiny hint of frustration in his voice when he repeated the word “flowers” and pointed to the number next to the word “followers”. How many followers do I have. Sigh…
This happened late afternoon, the day before Christmas 2024. Jason and I were hitch hiking from Ghardaia to Biskra. The friendly “flower guy” and his friend gave us a lift most of our way.
Needless to say, I didn’t get the chance to share my “flowers of South Africa” with him, or anyone for that matter. So here is all that got lost in translation…
Flowers are seasonal, of course, so do not expect them to just fit into your itinerary. Do your own research, ask your own questions but know that these three flower scenes are well worth planning your South African itinerary around.
Namaqualand: early August till mid September
I have never ever seen anything like it anywhere else in the world! (Not that I’ve really traveled the whole world. Yet.) A very dry and parched land that patiently waits for rain and then bursts into full, outrageous bloom! Like a child let loose with a pallet of watercolours, the mountains and plains and valleys and fields are all arrayed in colours, brighter than you can imagine! Plains of magenta framed with mountains of orange. Fields of bright white and valleys splashed in school bus yellow. Daisies and bokbaai vygies and lilies and gousblomme and bulbanellas! Carpets and carpets of flowers await!
Fynbos: late August till end October is best
If Namaqualand is the child’s canvas then the Fynbos region of our country is the wild and confident work of an expert artist. Muted shades of pinks and yellows, greens and reds and orange and peach. Shrubby and absolutely untameable beauty set all along the Eastern Cape and Western Cape coastlines. Two thirds of the plants you’ll see here, you’ll only ever be able to see here! Proteas and pin cushions, ericas and cape dandelions, wax flowers, everlastings and blushing brides – with names that tell the simple stories of their utmost loveliness.
The interwebs and a tour agent will most likely refer you to the Garden Route when seeking Fynbos-memories. Jason and I have discovered that the most memorable moments are often found off the beaten track, and that’s true with Fynbos as well. Venture onto a gravel road where you can stop at any given moment, hike into the mountains, make friends with a farmer of the region and let him teach you the names and origin thereof. The wild wonder of Fynbos is one of those that seeks to be sought.
Jacarandas: October
Purple trees. Purple. Trees. As adults we get so easily used to wondrous absurdities like purple trees! Or bubbles. Yes, think about it. When last did you stare at the lunacy of a soap bubble?! A miniature pocket of air wrapped in a thin and fragile see-through coat of shiny-ness that dances and floats in a perfect ball of rainbow colours?! Now, think again about purple trees! It’s bizarre! And no, not just one or two trees but streets of whole neighbourhoods lined on both sides with massive trees dressed from top to bottom with the purplest of purple flowers! Pavement and tarmac and soles covered with the tender thumb-size flutes that give two of our country’s largest cities their spectacular colour throughout the whole month of October. Don’t be an adult and just zoom past the cities. Stop over. Go and look at the streets of purple trees!
So, there you have it. I don’t really know much about “followers in South Africa” but this, this is my account of the Flowers in South Africa.
PS. Here are the photos I didn’t show him…
