It’s Flower Friday!
Right from Nuwerus in the Northern Cape all the way down to Malmesbury the wildflowers are making a splash of colour, painting a normally dry and arid region with bright beauty for a limited time. Makes it all the more special – don’t you think?
Reports are saying that because the region has had plentiful rain and it has been scattered over the winter months the flower season should last well into September, especially going up North. So if you have planned your flower safari for later in the season, fear not, the veld will still be showing its pretty treasures.
The first of the upcoming flower shows are in Hopefield!
Hopefield also has a wonderful Saturday Morning market with delicious fresh local produce..it is not to be missed. Best of all it’s only 30 mins drive from Paternoster.
Name: Hopefield Fynbos Show
Date & Time: 25-28 Aug 2016
Venue: Hopefield’s Sports Ground
Admission: Thu- Fri R20 Adults, Seniors R15, Children R10
Sat-Sun R40 Adults, Seniors R30, Children R20
Contact detail: or
073 100 0357
GENERAL FLOWER VIEWING TIPS
*When travelling in a Circular Route, try travelling in a westerly direction in the morning, followed by southerly then finally easterly for best viewing.
*Get out of the car and walk amongst the flowers but make sure to also look for the delicate, smaller species.
*Tread lightly and carefully so as not to trample plants unnecessarily.*
*Please don’t pick any flowers.
For more info contact WEST COAST FLOWER HOTLINE 072 938 8186
For the latest West Coast Flower update (11 August) click this link http://us10.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5e69c29913a45db1a9e1635e4&id=cc0c34842a
BEAUTY OF THE WEEK
The gousblom (Gazania krebsiana) is one of the best-known spring flowering plants. It is an extremely showy plant when in flower, creating colourful beds of brilliant orange or red. It starts to flower in late August. Gousblomme means ‘golden flowers’ in English.
The flowers of the gousblom only open later in the day, when the flowers reach a temperature of around 20°C. It is the temperature of the flower and not the sunlight that gives the cue to the plant to open its flowers. When the gousblom flower opens, bees, bee flies, beetles, butterflies and ants come for the nectar and pollinate the plant.
Gousblomme are very easily cultivated from seed. In the southern hemisphere, sow the seeds in March in a light, loamy soil about 5 mm deep. Keep moist and they will grow rapidly – transplant in May. They will flower in September of the same year!
For you… A SPECIAL GIVE-AWAY
I have a wonderful surprise for you! Map Studio is publishing a stunning Visitors Guide to the Flower Region and I have one copy to give away for the next 3 weeks on Flower Friday.
To qualify please send an email to and tell me which pretty snow-white flower was featured on last weeks blog post! The subject line should be I ♥ Flower Friday…Make sure to include your Postal address so I can arrange to send you the book if you win!
WEATHER
Looking out of my window right now it does not seem like a good weekend for Flower spotting but the weather changes all the time from Tuesday things look sunny again, so please check for an update on https://www.yr.no/place/South_Africa/Western_Cape/Paternoster/long.html
FRIDAY 12TH August 11:00 to 16:00 Cloudy 14⁰c
SAT 13th August 11:00 to 16:00 Light Showers 14⁰c
SUN 14th August 11:00 to 16:00 Partly Cloudy 15⁰c
MON 15th August 11:00 to 16:00 Fair 16⁰c
TUES 16th August 11:00 to 16:00 Sunny 17⁰c
WEDS 17th August 11:00 to 16:00 Sunny 17⁰c
THURS 18th August 11:00 to 16:00 Sunny 17⁰c
MAP of WEST COAST FLOWER COUNTRY
Download and print this useful map courtesy of Cape West Coast Tourism website.
http://www.capewestcoast.org/Flower-Route-Map-2014-LR.pdf
The above picture was taken at the West Coast National Park in the Postberg section which is only open to the public in August and Sept every year.
If you require Accommodation on your Flower Safari please contact us at Email:
Tel: 022 752 2048 (Office Hours)
OR book online at https://stayinpaternoster.co.za/
“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wildflowers in our hair…” ~ Susan Polis Schutz
Blog post compiled and written by Fran Hepburn for Stay in Paternoster
