Cindy_at_enclos_ure

I have read so much about this book. I would love to win a copy.

Don't worry ShirleyJean. My plans for the garden mainly include opening up the area around the Acacia tree somewhat to emphasize it; setting out some more cycads; widening the flower/shrub beds along the lawn; exchanging too tall, over-clipped shrubs near the terrace for mixed perenials; planting some of those flowering shrubs (with more room for them to spread out) around the front drive; expanding the vegetable garden, especially with herbs and fruit trees. As I learn more about Rwandan native plants, I would like to include more of those too.

Thanks so much again for the plant IDs!

Dear all, Thanks for all the plant IDs for our Rwanda garden. I just discovered that the shrub with the small orange flowers and white bracts is Mussaenda frondosa. The lamp posts do pop, but they are Victorian and the house is not. Oh, well.

Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my cycad photos. I think Michelle is right that our climate in Rwanda is closest to southern California's, although not as dry, especially in the northwest. We get a short rainy season, starting about September; a short dry season, about January; a long rainy season, mid February; and a long dry season, about May to August. January and August are generally agreed to be the hottest months, with temperatures in the 80s. In the rainy seasons, it can be in the 60s at night, less in the north. The most fertile ground is in the northwest, where you find volcanic soil. I have to say that Kigali is pretty much gardening heaven.