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Easter Basket
Turn your garden bits into an upcycled basket just in time for the children to enjoy hunting for Easter eggs.
The Malaise Of FOPB!
Living remotely from others leads to a bigger reliance on remotes and their confusing buttons. It is terrifying if you suffer from FOPB…
Autumn Splendour
Fiery shades of red and orange make for a bold autumn display.
A Haze Of Purple
The evergreen ribbon bush, a compact shrub with dull-green leaves and abundant spikes of two-lipped deep purple flowers with darker purple spots, is a selection derived from Hypoestes aristata and was developed at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical garden. It carries the apt varietal name of ‘Purple Haze’ and is widely cultivated in gardens all over the country.
The Allure Of Lavender!
This herbaceous plant, a member of the mint family Lamiaceae, is so famous that its common name is even used to describe a colour. Most of us will associate the term lavender with a gentle shade of light purple that symbolises elegance, refinement, serenity, purity and luxury – the latter two probably due to the Latin word ‘lavare’, which means to bathe and to wash. One can just imagine how the conquering and decadent Romans bathed in bunches of lavender sprigs and flowers, draped their newly washed togas over the bushes to permeate them with the fresh smell, and stacked dried stems of leaves and flowers in dark corners to repel plague-infested fleas!
SPECTACULAR GEM
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’
Preserving cauliflower
If cauliflower was a stock to trade, some would have made millions in the last few years as the humble cauliflower became one of the most versatile cruciferous vegetables in the kitchen. With an increase in the popularity of flexitarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto and plant-based diets, cauliflower is no longer only baked into a cheesy casserole, but spiced and grilled as ‘steaks’ on a braai, mashed, riced, sauced, powdered, blended and made into pasta or a crispy pizza base. There are not many vegetables that can do all that!
Mushroom plant
Mushroom plant (Rungia klossii) is a bushy perennial with crisp, mushroom-flavoured leaves that are good for adding to salads or for cooking. Steam just before serving so that the leaves don’t lose their fresh green appearance.
A passion for roses
For five generations of gardeners, maybe more, Ludwig Taschner has been the friendly face of rose growing.
Time For Wild Hyacinths!
We told you in January that planting bulbs would be a great trend in 2021, so March is a good time to kick off your annual bulb planting quest with the indigenous wild hyacinths, also called Cape hyacinth, Cape cowslip and, more botanically correct, Lachenalia. Between South Africa and Namibia there are more than 120 natural species (some of which are sold in flower by specialist nurseries), but there are also many desirable hybrids bred by commercial bulb growers that are readily available in bulb form from the end of February.
GEOLOGY 101 Columnar Basalt
A distinctive volcanic structure found throughout the world has been given fanciful names: “Organ Pipes” in Namibia and Victoria, Australia; “Kilt Rock” and “Samson’s Ribs” in Scotland; “Giant’s Causeway” in Northern Ireland; “Thunderstruck Rocks” in Romania; “Devils Tower” in Wyoming and “Paul Bunyan’s Woodpile” in Utah, USA; the “Baigong Pipes” in China; and the “Cliff of Stone Plates” in Vietnam. High-resolution satellite images have even shown similar as-yet-unnamed structures on Mars.
A REACH TOO FAR
This is not the story I thought I’d be writing when I began my motorcycling adventure on Namibia’s gravel roads.
AFRICAN DREAMS
With cruises that visit South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, CroisiEurope shows off the best that land and water have to offer.
ESCAPIST UTOPIA
A JOURNEY FROM THE HEART OF NAMIBIA TO THE SKELETON COAST IN LAND ROVER’S STUNNING NEW OFF-ROAD CHAMPION
Truth Or Fiction? It's Perfectly Safe To Airlift A Rhinoceros
Flying rhinos upside down looks ungainly but is it harmful, too? New research set out to find the answer.
Reversing the impact of soil degradation on livestock production
Livestock producers, particularly in arid climates, are struggling to remain profitable. Soil degradation and declining stocking rates have been identified as some of the main reasons for this decline. Colin Nott, a regenerative agricultural consultant from Namibia, spoke to Annelie Coleman.
Namibia Sand, Stars & Safari
One of the most sparsely populated countries on Earth, Namibia is a byword for vast landscapes shaped by fierce elemental forces. From the blustery, shipwreck-strewn Skeleton Coast and wildlife utopia of Etosha in the north, through the central region — home to extreme sports hub Swakopmund and the capital, Windhoek — to the ochre dunes of Sossusvlei and the mighty Fish River Canyon in the south, this is Africa at its most wild and raw. The country’s offering to travellers is developing apace: be it safari, sandboarding or camping under the stars, adventure beckons, with new lodges and camps blossoming in remote regions. And the nation’s fascinating indigenous history and bush lore are being preserved and protected in captivating new Living Museums
Rebel with a cause
Hollywood star Rebel Wilson joins former SAS hardman Ant Middleton for a gruelling challenge in Mexico
Long and short of it
BEING a giraffe this tiny must be a pain in the neck...
Skeleton crew
Cruising the west coast of Africa would be an adventure into the unknown for most. Nick and Jenny Coghlan share an insight on a voyage along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast