As the cold winter days conveniently make their way out for lovely spring weather in Hermanus, a beautiful array of flora comes into bloom. The flower season in the Western Cape is not always guaranteed thou. It is dependent on the amount of rain and winds the area receives. Simply put; if it rains a lot, it flowers a lot. Also, if there is a warm wind from the interior (oostewind) it will dry out daisies and other flowers.
Conservation officer Phunyuza Xhegwana tells MSN that the flowers usually bloom at the same time each year, however, this year the area has noticed a different pattern. "Well we have seen a lot of the grass grow taller and that causes a canopy and that impacts obviously the sun that shines directly onto the flowers, and again that impacts the amazing view that one gets but we did get a large amount of rain earlier on which is a good thing," said Xhegwana. She further estimates that the flowers should be in full bloom from the 9th and the 15th.
The ideal way to make the most out of the flower season and view the gorgeous flowers are on foot, either with an expert guide or by yourself. The best time to see the flowers is when the sun is high in the sky between 10:30 am and 3:30 pm. Parks such as Fernkloof Nature Reserve Gardens commemorates the flower season by hosting the 2019 Hermanus Flower and Fynbos Festival. This festival showcases the stunning and inspiring arrangements of a variety of fynbos- proteas, ericas, bulbs and orchids in bloom as well as educates attendees on the eco-tourism of the Cape Floral Kingdom.
In the Western Cape area, flower enthusiasts can visit the West Coast National Park or the Tankwa Karoo National Park for trails that give them an opportunity to get an up-close look at the flowers and other plant life. Not restricted to exceptional daisies, sporries and magriets, visitors can be on the lookout for birds, bucks, and bugs.
When visiting the West Coast National Park flowers lovers can also be mesmerized by the passing whales and dolphins, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers and mongooses, while the Tankwa Karoo National Park shows off their spying mountain zebra, kudu, aardvark, black-backed jackal and any of the 18 bird species.
The Namaqua National Park is a semi-desert landscape which transforms into vibrant flower fields during springtime. Its rolling hills are covered in a carpet of colourful wild-flowers which comprise of an estimated 3 500 species of plants - 1 000 of which are only found here.
The 20-hectare Renosterveld Reserve is ideally located on the Darling Wild Flower Route and is also a part of the annual Darling Wild Flower Show held in the third weekend of September. A visit to the reserve will have you in awe of the Renosterbos, a fine collection of birds, as well as the red-bellied tortoise during flower season.
If you are keen on a road trip, the Karoo Desert National Botanical Gardens in Worcester is just about 90-minutes away from Hermanus. The 154-hectare garden lies at the foot of the Hex River Mountain range and boasts a whopping 143-hectares of natural vegetation. During flower season succulents, annuals and vygies create beautiful scenery in the area.
There are many spots in the Western Cape and Hermanus where residents and tourists can enjoy a plethora of spring flowers. Go ahead, capture the perfect pose in a bed of wild flower for your social media and let the rest of the country be in envy.
Contact Hermanus Property Sales today for more information.
Author: Hermanus Property Sales
