Posted by quentin on Sep 3, 2013 in Landscaping
Spring has officially begun(1st Sept) although I consider Spring to be ‘official’ on the equinox. It is a time,nevertheless when the climate changes and gardening activities: preparing for the Suns benevolent, energetic offering,begin. The earthworms work in the spil tirelessly converting matter into accessible nutrient rich plant food. On large lawns very little debris accumulates to replenish the worm larder, so we topdress with a nitrogen rich organic ‘compost’. This encourages new growth and sustains the soil. Every year we note the increase in worm castings and our lawns are improving giving the gardens a green...
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Posted by quentin on Aug 28, 2013 in Landscaping
The best time of the year to pull these invasive wattles is during the winter when the soil is moist. We choose to hand pull rather than use poison which is harmful to the enviroment. Poisoning is not thorough. Some criticize pulling saying it stimulates germination,if so, so be it, the sooner the seed bank is reduced the better. We carried out this task at the end of a hard days work preparing holes for replacement trees lost in the conflagration. It was a good way to wind the day down, chatting, joking and...
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Posted by quentin on Aug 23, 2013 in Landscaping
Magicians have wands, doctors scalpels and gardeners have mulching machines. Our spells improve soil by adding mulch, liberally, which imitates the effect of a forest floor. Rich humus forms under the mulch layer, improving the fertility, water retention and soil fauna biome. An environment which quickly attracts the masters of soil management: earthworms. This is an organic method I favour as it also provides a way to return all the clippings, cuttings ,weeds and debris back to the garden. Carbon return offsets the small carbon footprint we have and leads to a concious earth loving method of...
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Posted by quentin on Aug 22, 2013 in Landscaping
Sunshine, inspiration, positive energy and abundant plants are a recipe for a great days work. ‘Hard’ landscaping is our favorite activity, the feel good factor for everyone, keeps the job fun. We had imported some soil and large rocks which we arranged between the gum and acacia trees. We followed this by populating our berm with aloes, strelitzia, dietes,agapantha, ground covers and finally mulch. A bright, fresh and inviting arrangement at the entrance to one of biggest gardens in...
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Posted by quentin on Aug 17, 2013 in The Green Life
Majesty,marvelous mountain.The earthworm team are taking in the beauty of the gnarled, colourful rocks and the pristine water, The reflections and echoes were startlingly crisp and clear. The reward for hard work was a walk up to Three Dams cradled in kloof. Our gardening water originates from this catchment, live energised water. How blessed. To the uninitiated and frequent visitor alike these are reservoirs of...
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