Osteospermum

If I take the wings of the morning , and live in the middle of the sea. Even there, your hand leads me, and your right hand holds me.

Psalms 139 : 9. Sandy says God’s hands are guiding, holding, and very strong.

This morning this Osteospermum, related to the sunflower, took a while to open. Heavy with rain drops and very little sun, it will open with the increase of light.

This is a small bunch in a glass jug from a pot growing in my garden. They are best seen growing in a semi – arid landscape in the northern and western Cape of South Africa, Namaqualand.

This year, according to the Mail and Guardian for 30 August 2023, Namaqualand National Park had received about 250 mm of rain nearly double its average rainfall of 120 mm to 150 mm. The flowers there have been vast in number after the severe drought.

There are events by the name phenology . Plants and animals are sensitive to changes in climate, for example, the timing of spring blossoming and hatching and mating of animals. These bioindicators are sensitive and can indicate change.

Jennifer Fitchett, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of the Witwatersrand, has found that the Namaqualand wildflower are blooming earlier each decade. Flowering is triggered by amounts of rainfall, the timing of the onset of the rainfall season and temperature. If the flowering becomes earlier, the dormancy period is shortened, and this then weakens the flowers.

Here is a saying used in this part of South Africa.

On the great sowing day of the universe, a little bag of the Lord’s best seed leaked over the Western Cape.

Unknown

Many of the flowers are endemic to this area. Here is a link you might enjoy. Namaqualand and Flowers – Africa’s Wild Wonders – Go Wild.

I let this thought of ‘ late and early’ travel. Here are a few quotes:

Life’s tragedy is that we get old too soon and wise too late.

Benjamin Franklin 1706 – 1790 One of the founding Fathers of the USA. He excelled in science, writing and diplomacy. He also said, ” He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals.”

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

Ashley Montagu 1995 – 1999 Born in Israel but British American anthropologist.

I will leave the last one for Dr Seuss

How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn . How did it get so late so soon.

Have a good day. Take care.

Sandy 🙂