2018 Flower News from Namaqualand

[Friedrich von Hörsten]

I would be very happy if anybody can give us an update on the flower situation from Skilpad, WCNP etc.

I phoned Springbok and Kamieskroon this week -- had good rains earlier, but concerned about hot, dry easterly winds and no more rain predicted...
I phoned Nieuwoudtville -- more positive since it is cooler and wetter there, but same concerns...

I see rain predicted for this coming week.

Haven't had a decent flower show the past few years.

Please let us know!

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

[Hugh]

Friedrich we live less than an Hour from the West coast National park and I believe the flowers cold be early this year . now I have a huge flower bed that has been absolutely dead for about two years and this year after the rains the African daisies have just sprung up all over everywhere .. and they are already flowering I did not plant them. so I am hoping that Postberg will be great early August... I think the WCNP get a little more rain than Namaqua and even last year the flowers there were good . I am sure I will be popping up to look as soon as the Postberg section opens I will give feed back then

[Friedrich von Hörsten]

Thanks so much Hugh.
Every bit of info helps. I love the bush, but there is something very special just sitting in a carpet of flowers with your macro lens -- the smells, the insects, colours -- it makes you dizzy!
Some good rain predicted for this coming weekend up there... lets pray it materializes!

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

[DinkyBird]

We drove up to Augrabies via Springbok, and then home via Calvinia - already from what we saw already blooming, I would expect a lovely flower season ... but since then I did see a dust storm that registered on a satellite weather image off the west coast, and we have had unseasonable hot winds .... so I suppose we just have to take our chances on the day.

[Friedrich von Hörsten]

Dinkybird,

Thanks for that news. Same problem they were fearing -- the hot dry winds that are even blowing in CFM today...

But good rains predicted next weekend...

Holding thumbs!

God bless,

Friedrich von Hörsten

[MATTHYS]

Thank you to the Hospitality Services, Film and Events Manager - Table Mountain National Park for this information :

Flowers WCNP
The flowers at West Coast NP (Postberg Area) are generally best in the last two weeks of August and the first week of September. At this stage we predict the same for this year.

We don’t anticipate any anomalies this year i.e. later or earlier flower season. We have had better rain this year than last year, and if this continues throughout August we may see the flowers lasting a little longer this year – to the end of September and maybe even early October.

[MATTHYS]

Please see here for an update on the Skilpad section - Namaqua NP, Friedrich von Hörsten .

[shfish]

I've just come back from a trip up the West coast all the way to Hondeklip Baai. Whilst I did not go to the Posberg side of WCNP (it was not specifically a flower trip) there were considerable displays around Langebaan village so I would assume that there would be quite a show on the other side of the lagoon. Along many stretches of the roadside from Langebaan all the way to Graafwater are once again impressive patches of flowers. The coast from Lutzville to Groenrivier and in the Namaqua Park Coastal section itself, appears to be past it's flowering peak, but this is predominantly a succulent (vygie) flowering area. I did not get to the Skilpad area so cannot report on this.