Dear Guests and Friends
Hope that you are all well and enjoying the beginning spring, which we are therefore wanted to share with you the beauty that we are experiencing each and every day after being blessed with our winter rainfall, which we did not get last year. Enjoy the pictures.
As the dawn awakens and we draw back the curtains, what a sight awaits us. Like no other in our village, Our very own unique KAROO VIEW.
OUR NEW ENTRANCE THAT OUR 2 GUYS & RICHARD BUILT . . . was amass of reds & oranges.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE WHERE WE PLANTED NAMAQUALAND DAISY SEEDS A FEW WEEKS AGO, so still not yet established (if you look very carefully in the left pic you will see lots of red lettuce coming up as we used our own home made compost as we recycle all waste.
VIEWS OF THE NATURAL SPRING FLOWERS . . . . WE HAVE HAD A GOOD WINTER RAINFALL . . . . WHEREAS LAST YEAR WE HAD HARDLY ANY . . .
WHAT AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT FOR US EACH DAY, AS THERE IS SOMETHING NEW ‘POPPING UP’ AND MANY OF WHICH WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
VIEW OF NATURAL GARDENS FROM THE COTTAGES . . . . & THEN BACK UP TO THE COTTAGES FROM BELOW. . . .
HERE YOU WILL SEE IT IS NOT AS FULL . . . AS THESE ARE THE AREAS THAT THE BUILDERS TRASHED . . . . BUT ALL COMING BACK AGAIN . . . . AS IN SOME AREAS WE PLANTED THE WILD SEEDS.
THE MOST PROLIFIC ALOE GROWING ON OUR KOPPIE . . . . ALOE STRIATA . . . . after which we named 1 of our Suites.
OUR MAGNIFICENT ALOE FEROX DISPLAY . . . our No 2 Suite is named after this Aloe.
OUR UNUSUAL ALOE CLAFIFLORA or KRAAL ALOE . . . .which grows in a circle & when flowering the flowers shoot outwards – hence its name. Our No 1 Suite is named and decorated after this Aloe.
THIS IS 1 OF THE MOST INTERESTING OF OUR LITTLE SURPRIZES . . . . WE ONLY HAVE IT GROWING ON THE ‘BLOUBANK’ / GLACIAL REMAINS BEHIND THE COTTAGES & FOR MOST OF THE YEAR THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, & THEN THE NEXT DAY . . . THERE IT IS. WHAT IS FASINATING WITH THIS PLANT IS THAT IT IS POLLINATED AT NIGHT BY THE LITTLE FIELD MICE OF WHICH THERE ARE LOADS. Which incidentally feed each Kitty has at least 1 a day, & so long as I don’t see then it is not too much of a problem, but then they bring the poor little creatures inside to play with them, & then added to this, we have Jock who then also wants to participate . . . so you can imagine the fun and games we have at times.
THESE ARE THE SAME PLANT . . . . PICS TAKEN ABOUT 1 MONTH APART . . . ON THE RIGHT WITH ITS RED FLOWERS . . . .& TODAY ONLY THE SEEDPODS – CANCER BUSH.
GLORIOUS DIFFERENT DAISY’S / GAZANIA’S JUST COME UP ANYWHERE . . . .& ONLY SHOW THEIR BEAUTIFUL FACES WHEN IN FULL SUN. ALL THE FELD IN & AROUND PA & SURROUNDING AREAS ARE AMASS OF THESE, WHICH YOU CAN SEE AS FAR AS THEY EYE CAN SEE UP THE MOUNTAIN SIDES.
OUR VERY DELICATE KAROOVIOOLTJIE – KAROO VIOLET – A PERENNIAL HERB . . . . ALSO JUST POPS UP OVER NIGHT . . . . PARTICULARLY ON THE OPEN SANDY AREAS.
EXAMPLES SHOWING SYMBIOSIS . . . WHERE QUITE OFTEN 2 – 3 DIFFERENT PLANTS GROW INTERTWINED FOR PROTECTION.
THE 1 ON THE RIGHT IS THE ONLY 1 ON OUR 8000SQM . . . . & WHAT A BATTLE IT WAS TO KEEP THE BUILDERS FROM DESTROYING IT.
NOW HERE ARE 2 INTERESTING THINGS: THE PIC ON THE LEFT SHOWS A THATCHED NEST . . . WHICH IS MADE BY THE SEED HARVESTER ANT WHO USES THE HUSKS OF THE SEEDS FROM THE PLANT TO THATCH A NEST ON TOP & BETWEEN THE PLANT THE PIC ON THE RIGHT SHOWS . . . . YES ARE NOT WRONG . . . . MOSS GROWING IN A SHELTERED SPOT . . . WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THESE LITTLE AREAS.
LEFT PIC AGAIN THIS IS THE ONLY LITTLE CLUMP OF OXALIS THAT WE HAVE . . . CENTRE PIC . . . SHOWING 1 OF OUR WASHING MACHINE GREY WATER AREAS . . . GARDEN WE CREATED IN FRONT OF COTTAGE NO 2 USING PLANTS THAT WOULD BLEND IN WITH THE NATURAL PLANTS AS THIS AREA THE BUILDERS WERE UNDER MY CONTROL & THEIR LIVES WERE THREATENED IF THEY DID ANY MORE DAMAGE.
WHAT A DISPLAY OF OUR VYGIES . . . THE GROUND WAS JUST COVERED . . . & IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY THERE ARE MORE THAN 1 TYPE OF THIS BEAUTY.
HERE YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER SPECIES OF VYGIE GROWING UP ON A DORMANT CANDLE BUSH WITH THE NATURAL GRASSES.
JOCK AT HIS BEST . . . WHEN HE IS FREE TO RUN WILD AMONGST THE GRASSES.. . . LOOK CAREFULLY & WHO DO YOU SPOT . . . YES LITTLE KITTY, THE BUSH TO LEFT WAS FULL OF BIRDS.
OUR FIRST APRICOT BLOSSOMS . . . WE PLANTED SOME FRUIT TREES ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE WE EVEN MOVED HERE . . . NOW THEY ARE COMING TO LIFE!
MY VEGGIE BEDS IN OUR TUNNEL . . . . WHERE EVERYTHING JUST GROWS IN ABUNDANCE . . . BUT OH SO SPECIAL TO PICK YOU OWN FRESH VEGGIES & HERBS IN THE EVENING.