The cricket known as a Corn Cricket. This one which is drinking beer with us is the species that is most often seen.

The black corn cricket is not quite as large as the common brown cricket above.

The damage the insects did to these aloes are not as gruesome as it seems. An aloe has no problem to replace the leaves. There will be a problem if the aloe can not replace a portion of the leaves with enough water reserve for the long hot summer.

Hanging aloes are adapted to a pensile life. These aloes are growing suspended as a rule and not because the seeds got stuck on a ledge. Many aloe species grow well on mountain slopes. As long as they have some grip in the soil they are happy, but that does not make them hanging or pensile aloes.

Aloe ferox just loves slopes. I doubt if anybody would think they are hanging. Just wanted to add the pretty scene.

Aloe dewinterii grows in the north west of Namibia on the steep dolomite slopes and high cliffs. On the cool side of a cliff is better than in the open sun but it can grow just as well on the ground usually on or under a dolomite rock.This plant has large leaves. The very soft pastel colors seem to be the rule in the Namibian aloes and the pale blue-green tinted with pink rosette is beautiful in the green garden . Next to the aloe is a dry bush, it is not old flower stalks.

Aloe comptoni growing in the Small Karoo. It also grows well on the mountain cliffs. On the ground it will grow creeping along with the upper part of the stem and rosette straight up and the old growth lying flat, later dying off. It looks better on a cliff. I would like to call it a hanging aloe but as it grows just as well on the flat ground it will not quite qualify.At last. Aloe hardyi is a cliff hanger growing close against the cliff. The obvious way that it hugs the stone or edge over which it grows gives a lovely display in the garden over a wall. The flower stalk growing from the plant in the middle is visible on the photo. The inflorescens grows a little way horizontal and then it turns upwards. The thick aloe leaves are stiff. Pull out the plant where it is growing and the rosette with the leaves remain in the bended shape it had fitting over the stone. New leaves will adjust shape..

Aloe hardyi blooms in winter.

Another pending aloe named Aloe pendens from Yemen. It has a relative thin stalk by which it hangs down, but the rosette face horizontally and away from the cliff. The thick stiff leaves grow in the half circular shape, it is not soft and hanging down. Turn the plant upside down and it will look the same as when you turn the photo. (You will have to take my word as there is no way that I will uproot it to show my point.) The flower stalk grows a little way away from the
plant and then it turns upwards. The small flowers are pretty, shading red with green tips. Buds are not open yet on the photo below. Aloe pendens blooms every 5-6 months.

Aloe hardyii (from the northern parts of the Republic of South Africa) and Aloe pendens (from Yemen) can not really grow comfortable on flat ground. They probably would survive, anything is better than dying, but what will they look like bending and growing over each other?

The relative small grass-like Aloe ballii from Zimbabwe also grows hanging from cliffs. It is a very pretty aloe for a hanging basket. It grows fast and easy and blooms throughout the year. It would not fare too bad growing on flat ground except for the flower. The flower stalk is a thin soft thread hanging down and that would not function on flat ground. On the photo is an inset of
the pretty flowers.

PS. I have only one plant, so sorry, no seeds (will try to make some hybrids).

I built this wall for my pending aloes. Aloe ballii to the right top is in a basket hanging nearer to me than the wall. It seems larger than it is. Aloe hardyii is to the right on the wall and Aloe pendens is in the middle. There are a few smaller aloe types on the top of the wall and some other succulent plants. The wall is very narrow and takes up little space but a lot can be planted on it. (flowers would be pretty too) Instructions to build your own wall is on my website.

Click the photo to enlarge it.

Aloe color the
difference in habitat vs. the garden. The aloe rosettes shades of pink browns and greens are interesting and attractive in the garden. In the habitat those same shades hide the plants. The previous blog shows the aloes in the garden, here are a few of the aloes in habitat.

Aloe microstigma. In the garden this aloe stands out, here it disapears.

Aloe hereroensis ads a very special effect to a garden, but it is not an easy garden plant. Aloe hereroensis does not like to be wet and it needs good drainage. Plant it on stones in the garden in the sun and do not water. The rain, whatever it is will be enough. I know this and still killed a few. This way is easier and more successful in the garden. Giving very light but regular watering so that the plant does not go dormant is better than no water and then starting to water at the wrong time. The wrong time is - when the plant is dormant it should be stimulated

first with very little water when the temperature drops. Never water on a hot day (that is true for most plants) Very little water until it shows signs of growing, it can then be watered freely as long as the drainage is good.

Aloe khamiesensis in the same color as the stones! This aloe is also very attractive in the garden but it will be green in color unless it is watered very little and in full sun. In the habitat the seeds will get stuck under the bushes and the young aloe will grow in shade until it is large enough to face the scorching heat.

The dry hot summer in colorful shades of pink and green. January and February are our hottest months. It was the end of February today and I already noticed for some days that the sun was up later than me. From now on the temperatures will be cooler with just some hot days between. However until the rain starts in six weeks or more, the soil will dry out more.

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The very dry aloes are hanging on to their water reserves - waiting not growing. Each season has a distinct attractiveness in the aloe and succulents garden.

Aloe microstigma turned pink and shows off very pretty in the garden, but on the mountain slopes where they grow, they are near to invisible between rocks and dry bushes. To the left and front are two different Euphorbia species.

The leaves are rolled up like narrow spikes. The fine mesemb to the right back keeps the roots cool and the green background is a good contrast against the aloes.

Not all aloes fold the leaves inward protecting the young tender leaves at the growing point. The aloe left front is Aloe khamiesensis which grows in a very harsh habitat. It is much greener than it would be in the wild. It must feel like a mild summer to this aloe.

One thing I really like about the dry summer - no weeds in summer!

I was tagged as 'meme-victim' by Ewa.

Rules are as follow:

When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post these rules before your list, and list 8 happy things about yourself. At the end of your list, you must tag and link 8 other people.

A few happy thoughts

I am most grateful to have my husband Rudi still with me after 40+ years of marriage.

We function as one by this time and he carries the brain.

Rudi was geologist at the copper mine TCL in Namibia. The mine went broke and we retired early in the Republic of South Africa. Leaving Namibia was the saddest part of all. Good thing is - We learned to enjoy what is free in life.

Our three kids are doing very well and our grandchildren are adorable. "the usual grandma syndrome". I am happy that we did not have the www , computer games and TV. when the kids were small. We all know life with and without the media.

Our cats are our children now and I am proud of their quality in health and type.
Best of all they get me on my feet and away from sitting in front of the computer.

Our aloe hobby cultivating their seeds is another very healthy way of life. We enjoy the excursions to see the plants in their habitat. It is the same situation in this hobby, Rudi and I fit together - he likes the jobs I do not like and the other way round.

Some of the things I mentioned are two or three in one - I believe that will qualify as eight. It can be monotonous if it is too long and people will skip over what I suffered to write in any case.

A tag with only one good drama or something really juicy, will be much more interesting - on second thought, I do not have the writing skills for that.

I will tag

THEA and her hobby blog Greintjes

Granny J of walking prescott

Angie Gardens and junk they go together

Julie Succulents by J and other stuff

mmw Two Gardens

Bare Bones Gardening

Sam Chan

This tag is also on my website http://made-in-afrika.com/myblog/44meme.tag.htm
that is the web site of my blogs where I work off-line. We are not yet online 24/7. That is still too expensive over here.

Nature park in the heart of the Karoo.

We wanted to see Aloe broomii and Aloe claviflora in bloom in their habitat. There can be no nicer place to go and look for them than in the Nature Park at Beaufort West in the Karoo.

The inflorescence of Aloe broomii is unbranched with densely packed small flowers. The buds are still tightly closed on the photo above. This aloe is endemic to the arid central Karoo region.

More aloes in the small garden at the entrance to the park The bungalows are at the foot of the mountains in the background, far from the noisy N1 traffic.

Photo above:- The view late afternoon from the back of our bungalow. There are some walking trails but visitors may walk where they please in the park before 17:00. The only warning is to remain in the car if the rhinos are visible. And take note bird watchers - In the park there is also bird watching huts at a dam where a large variety of birds will at least visit to drink.

We saw only the dung of the rhino on the dry river bed. Much more interesting was the exposed history where the river cut into the terrain exposing large rocks deposited by a glacier some 250 million years ago. Those rocks are about one and a half metre high (four to five feet) and a few are larger. I thought I could use the tree to show size but it is not as effective as it would have been with one of us standing there.
I took one of the small boulders home, so that I can look at a 250+ million year old souvenir in my garden. By the way at this stage Africa was still part of Gondwanaland, with South America, India and Australia.

It was only millions of years later when the continents drifted apart making cracks in the crust where volcanoes erupted, that the forces of nature folded and turned whole mountains on their side, as if it was playing with clay. This photo was taken in the Small Karoo to the south of Beaufort West. The folds can be seen much better when the photo is larger. Click on the photo.

Back to the present, we were driving up and down mountains looking for our aloes. One of the roads is visible to the left and back of the photo. We took the footpath to the top of this mountain but even that was without success. The aloes we saw at the entrance were nice, but the purpose of our visit was to see them in the wild. We saw many different wild antelope but the only wild things that we wanted to see were the aloe plants, and we found nothing on the top of the mountain or even in the deep crevices (where aloes often grow, no joking). We had a laugh to think we wanted to see them in flower, now we will be happy to see any one. There will be aloes somewhere in this very large park, but it seems they are not near any of the usual trails.

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