It’s harvest time! All over town the roads are sticky from spilled grape juice. Tractors, bakkies, trucks and some often un-roadworthy modes of transport are groaning under their loads of grapes, plums and peaches. Even in the home garden February is a month of absolute abundance. Don’t let the heat put you off – this a month of great gardening ...

Gardening in January And just like that we have closed the book on 2018. This was the year that saw Ramaphoria hit South Africa – a new president ushering in a new dawn? It also saw the rise of the far left in South Africa, as well as some unwelcome noise being made regarding land expropriation without compensation. The trade ...

Gardening in December I am writing this article with the sound of gentle rain on our tin roof. Some November rain to cool and nourish the earth. After what was a reasonably good winter rainfall season, we jumped straight into summer. Is it only me or did we skip spring this year? The early heat and accompanying South-Easter challenges and ...

Gardening in November If ever there could have been another month in our calendar it would have fitted perfectly between October and November. Now is when you realise that the year has truly ran away from you. With only 8 weekends until Christmas time is indeed running out for the weekend garden warrior. There is so much to do, but ...

Gardening in July I am writing this month’s article on the darkest day of the year. The winter solstice has always been a significant marker in ancient cultures. In the southern hemisphere we have lost some of the significance since all festivals surrounding it – Christmas, Yalda, Yune, Sol Invictus – are not celebrated at this time of year. Mid-winter’s ...

Gardening in May As the enduring optimist I went long on rain last month; and for once I was pleasantly proven right. We have had some good early rains in April. Looking at the way the cold fronts are coming through now, my optimism for at least a normal rainfall this winter is growing by the week. Even though we ...

Gardening in March 2018 The drought and accompanying water shortages are still with us. We did get some encouraging figures coming through in recent weeks – agricultural consumption has dropped, households are doing their bit with daily consumption in Cape Town falling to the lowest levels in recent years, the dam levels are dropping very slowly – almost staying constant. ...

Gardening in February How do you even begin to write a gardening column when all that is on everyone’s lips is “Day Zero”? The day when the taps will run dry. People will have to queue for water. Under tight security. There is already talk of bringing the military in. 25L per person per day. What about the sewage? What ...

Gardening in January And that was 2017! The year that saw Robert Mugabe lose his grip on Zimbabwe, Jacob Zuma clinging with all he has to keep his grip on SA, some big traditional companies losing their grip on stock exchanges and our government losing their grip on handling drought, famine, disease and spending. But it was also the year ...

Gardening in December As I am writing this article the sound of the keyboard is in symphony with the sound of rain on our tin roof. What a blessing to receive November rain! Despite the drought and subsequent worst water shortage in modern history we have been receiving weekly bits of rain for the past 2 months. Just enough to ...