FLYING THE FLAG

We love the Giant Flag Project, a wild but wonderful idea of planting a living South African flag on 66 hectares in the dry landscape outside South Africa’s fourth-oldest town, Graaff-Reinet. In the process, 2,5 million “adopted” succulents will be used: Ferocactus pilosus (known as the Mexican fire barrel) for the red; indigenous carbon-inhaling spekbos (Portulacaria afra) for the green; a blue agave species known as the blue butterfly for the blue; and golden barrel ( Echinocactus grusonii) for the yellow. There will be white-gravel roads for the white bands, and a 4MW solar-panel field that could generate electricity for up to 4 000 homes for the black triangle. You can adopt a plant and contribute to the community and job-creation project. Go to giantflag.co.za.