A garden is whatever you want it to be; a child’s play area, a pet’s run, a vegetable patch, a sanctuary or an entertainment area, or even a mix of all of these. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to garden design. Gardening is known as a living art form, which constantly changes and evolves. Because… Read more →
Author: shirleyg
So what is Heritage Day, Exactly?
Heritage Day is one of the newest South African public holidays, which was formerly known as Shaka Day. Celebrated on the 24th of September it was originally in commemoration of the legendary Zulu King. King Shaka, as some of us were taught at school, was the king of the Zulu’s – the true and original African. Since my last history… Read more →
Welcome to Spring
Hello again and welcome to spring! A beautiful garden that attracts and feeds birds and insects not only helps the environment but it is so good for one’s soul. A grieving individual will enjoy sitting outside and having some quiet time for reminiscing and planning their future, as will a convalescing patient, a broken heart, a healing limb. Herbs are… Read more →
Where and How did Arbour Day Originate?
Arbour Day is one day a year that is set aside for the planting of trees. Being forward thinking, Arbour Day is a true conservation effort. Conservation, according to the dictionary is the preservation, maintenance and protection of natural resources for the future good of all. So, one wonders, how did this come about, and who was this forward-thinking person… Read more →
The Kitchen Garden
So now you have a great outline for your garden. Today we are going to design your kitchen garden. You may use your original plan, or you may want to outline just the kitchen area and do a separate plan for it, and then for each ‘room’ in your garden. I will use the same plan as before. You may… Read more →
Is Women’s Day relevant in our Democratic Rainbow Nation in 2012?
In South Africa the 9th August every year is a public holiday which marks Women’s Day. This is not to be confused with the International Women’s Day on the 8th March, though. I wonder if women anywhere really need a holiday commemorating … what, them? Read more →
Gardens by Design
Now that you have your mood board (or not) you should have a good idea of what you want your garden to look like. It’s not impossible to achieve if you plan, plan and then check your plan. Perhaps you have children and pets and you want to entertain in your garden as well as grow vegetables and herbs. You… Read more →
Garden Landscaping
Some people believe that the first landscaped gardens belonged to the Chinese and others say it was developed by the Romans and Egyptians. Whichever it was, it really came into its own during the Victorian era during which time glass houses, pouring cement and many garden tools were invented such as a horse-drawn lawn mower. Plants were collected from excursions… Read more →