Namaqualand is situated in north-western South Africa and is characterized by rocky, granite hills separated by sandy plains. The winter rains are infrequent and very low (100 to 200 mm per year) making it a dry hot place in summer; cold in winter. The vegetation on the plains rarely gets taller than 1 m and the scene is barren in summer but in winter hundreds of annuals quickly germinate. They flower and set seed before the onset of the dry summer. Underground bulbs and tubers survive the by living of their reserves and succulents plants store water in their leaves and stems.

Annually, South Africa’s west coast witnesses the pilgrimage of thousands of tourists, local and international, to see one of nature’s miracles – the mass display of Namaqualand’s spring annuals. The magnificence of the blooms is almost beyond imagination. Ento Ceramics decided to include in its range of designs one of a number of orange asters, the Beetle daisy, Gorteria diffusa, that typify this mass flowering event. The carpets of yellow, orange and white flowers are not all you will see in this exceptional area. There are 4000 species of plants there. This is an experienced not to be missed in your lifetime.