So I went for a quick little walk, the phones aren’t busy and the tasting room is dead, dead quiet.   I was bombing around my daily dose of internets,  on one of my regular reads I came across this and entered the 2Oceansvibe competition where you can win a ga jillion Rand, and the real draw card….tickets to the Killers.   Now I’ve missed the boat with tickets, they’re all sold out unfortunately, but because it’s just too good a deal not to take, the money AND the tickets, I thought id invest in some sneaky Euromillions.    Thanks Seth, when I win please can I get one of those big cheques?

Thinking about how I’m going to spend this small fortune, I thought I would go and clear the head with a quick walk.  Too many thoughts of whether the Bugati Veyron can be converted to 4 X 4, and the farms new Lamborghini tractor, (seriously they have good tractors).    So I plugged the ipod into the ears ( Dean Fuel you legend)  and packed my camera and macro lens, and a brisk five minutes later I was into this:  a stunning little stand of Leucospermum reflexum.

Naturally this would only occur in a tiny belt of Cederberg Fynbos which runs from near Wupperthal ( great Veldskoen are made here,  I have three pairs) through to Travellers Rest, and smack bang in the middle is Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve and Retreat, a lekker little spot up in the mountains, where this was one of my Fynbos favourites.    I loved it so much we’ve got this stand growing on the farm, and its always a special time when they open up.     If you’re driving through Bishops Court, and over towards Constantia on the M3, look out for a monster stand of these absolute knock outs.    Take care though, that’s a mean corner if youre not concentrating.   Get the missus to drive if you have one too many Jack Blacks at Forries!

So I took little montage of the flowering stages just for you:

Inconspicuos no?  No ideas what it is going to turn into, very shy.

The tiniest hint of colour coming out…

A little more….until…

BOOM.  Awesome no?

These are so magnificent.  You have to see them to appreciate truly how stunning these proteas are.  All the better to go and see them in their unique habitat of this  one tiny patch of the Cederberg,   I love Fynbos.

And a quick update,  from the last time I was near this little precious, if you missed it you can catch that right here, it’s the same plant, just now all that closer to opening up and sharing its beauty with the world.

And from Tony’s massive database of Protea’s I learnt today that they are helped onwards and upwards by Ants.  Amazing.   So special.

Graceful Spiderhead – Serruria gracilis

For those that love this type of thing to lift the spirits, Id encourage you all to head over to Siegfrieds page of Cape Fynbos.  He has some stunners up here as well.

Or just come to Franschhoek and see for yourself.  When I win the Euromilions I’m going to buy Franschhoek.  And youre welcome to come say hi.   Well drink wine and  beer and talk Fynbos.  Anytime.