The gardens of Stone Cottage in Bedford are the culmination of a long personal and physical journey by the owners, Tony and Lesley. They relocated to South Africa from the UK in 2009, but it was only in 2016 that they moved to the Karoo and found the home they had been looking for.
Compared to the 13 acres they gardened in the UK, Stone Cottage sits on a tiny piece of land, only 1100m2. However, as Tony and Lesley are not the spring chickens they used to be and as they always do everything in the garden themselves, a smaller property makes more sense. What really appealed to the couple, apart from the location, was that the cottage sits in the exact center of the plot, so the garden wraps around the cottage, making it feel much larger than it is.
When they arrived at their new home in the middle of winter, the new owners were greeted by a very dry, rather barren and sorry-looking garden. Although the previous owner had been a keen gardener, the garden was planted mostly with deciduous trees and shrubs, making winter a bit depressing.
Situated in the Karoo, as Bedford is, water for the garden was obviously going to be an issue, especially as the property had no borehole and just a single JoJo tank. Tony and Lesley realized that they would have to address the question of water if they were going to put their own stamp on the garden, so they decided to install a borehole. Even that was a challenge, though, and the borehole driller’s promise of “next month” turned into a 15-month wait! Being impatient to get on, the water problem was put aside and remodeling the garden began.
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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.
Bonding Through Birds
Kindness spreads through this Kentucky nursing facility, but it starts with feathered friends at a window.
Junco family tree
Meet the many variations of this beloved snowbird and popular wintertime visitor.
What is your favorite owl and why?
Readers share special memories and the species they think is most interesting.
At the Edge of Lake Erie
Try these three activities at Point Pelee National Park.
How Birds Get Named
Meet the committee in charge of naming and organizing birds.
Prime Time For Planting
Find Out Why Fall Is Perfect For Late-Season Gardening.
A Mind Shaped By Gardening
Sue Stuart-Smith is a psychiatrist and gardener. Her new book The Well-Gardened Mind explores the power of gardening to change people’s lives.
Two doves: One native, one an intruder
We have two types of doves in north-central Washington: Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared-Dove.
Find Your Voice
Do you love to sing? Botanicals can improve your voice and soothe a sore throat
Why Birds Do What They Do
The more humans understand about their behavior, the more inaccessible their world seems.