Monday, July 06, 2015

Rock gardens

Four different  rock gardens 

Build a rock garden against a wall


Rock garden wall built standing alone



Flat rock garden


a  full garden size rock garden

The wall standing alone is the only rock garden that might need some instructions.  It was build using large building blocks in the centre row.  Smaller flat stones cemented on top of each other, leaving pockets for soil and plants,  were then added in front to hide the large blocks.  The building blocks are hollow which is convenient to plant the top row. 

Windhoek Namibia.











Meet Kambi the kudu doe with her innocent eyes and long eye-lashes.  The feral cats on the farms form bonds with the cattle and horses in the stables.  They catch rodents and live with their adopted 4-leg families much like the cats living with humans in cities.

Wednesday, July 01, 2015


The aloe garden looking back over time and different seasons.

The aloe succulent water saving garden all rolled into one effort,  the first year after we planted it. That was a busy time.

A few years later
The garden in the winter rain season.   
The aloes are in bloom and unlike the dry 
summer, it is green with flowers all over.

 This photo was taken to the right side of the photo above after the daisies and mesembs started their flowering.

Summer time in the Western Cape province is hot and dry, but winter time makes up for it with rain and a mild cold weather.  The world change into green with natural flowers and also easy gardening for people who like  more exotic gardens.

This is one of the "back roads" into Sutherland.  If you take a close look - you will spot the daisies.
Sutherland is the small town near the well known  SALT observatory.  The climate temperature is of the lowest in the RSA in winter, but more important for SALT is the dry air. Yet the daisies ads some colour even in this harsh climate.