Autumn blooming

Buds are bursting out all over! This is the time of the aloes, bromeliads and succulents, when their amazing shapes and colours are not shrivelled and overwhelmed by the heat and bright sunshine of summer. Kommetjie residents seem particularly fond of aloes and have lined every public space and grassy verge and pavement with myriad varieties that provide a magnificent display for many weeks. My aloes seem to do well despite the amount of shade they have to contend with due to the huge overshadowing gum tree and the three storey house on the north side, and perhaps flower slightly later than those in full sun, but here is a preview of what is to come.