Friday, February 27, 2009

planting under the big tree.

Like most hobbies there is just as much fun in the getting as in the having.  It is exciting to plant small portions of our hobby garden at a time.  Afterwards  we enjoy the memories how and when we got the plants. Some planning and designing went into it, but not anything intelligent e.g. by region, climate or species.
My next project is to create a garden under the Ceratonia siliqua  tree. Half belongs to Rudi (neatly divided like the rest of the garden). I have no idea what his half would look like, my half is for my smaller aloes and
Gasteria as these plants usually grow in the shade of rocks or bushes and this shady space will suite them well.

Giving some idea of the size of the tree. The space beneath
it is a circle about ten metres wide.
http://made-in-afrika.com/myblog/ground_level_small.jpg (15360 bytes)
The outside branches of the tree bend down to the ground
forming a secluded area around the tree, but these branches
had to be removed as the aloes would want some direct sun.

http://made-in-afrika.com/myblog/clearing.started_small.jpg (16591 bytes)
The area around the tree was overgrown by trifasciata
which we cleared and replanted elsewhere. The leaves of the
Sansevieria sp. grew dense and long in the shade supporting
each other. Having removed some plants the rest to toppled
over but all will go.
http://made-in-afrika.com/myblog/watch.this.space_small.jpg (19402 bytes)
Some nice logs to use for decoration. Watch this space !






but the unexpected is what happens in life
2014
missed window.jpg (30746 bytes)
Without warning the tree fell over.  No harm done. The tree hit the corner of the roof  damaging the gutter, but missed the window.
My daughter and I in front of the tree.
for.size.jpg (49523 bytes)
Full grown grandson lying on a sidestem for size.
branch. now. dry.jpg (71791 bytes)
The same branch now without any leaves or life.
... but life goes on.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am really interested to see how "your and Rudi's space developes:)
Gruss aus Toronto, Canada.
Gisela

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ericat said...

I visist all comments blogs and I remove comments that are spam or from blogs that are not for all ages. I am sorry to remove any, but your blog is not open for the public in which case I do not see the reason why your link should be on my blog.

Pomona Belvedere said...

So dividing space is your and Rudi's solution to gardening together! It comes together very cohesively from the pictures. You put a lot of work into your new spot, I enjoyed the pictures of how you carried out your ideas (especially since I didn't have to do the sweat work myself).

ericat said...

Thank you for the idea Pomona. I can explain better with photos - I will do a blog on that topic. We started to plant the new area, but there is a lot of space. No hurry to use it as then we will be out of space again !
I love digging. I hate weeding especialy between aloes. My hands bleed and gloves hook on the aloes.
Not to mention my back - ouch. Age.
Eurica

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