Exactly what is it about a forest that awakens that feeling of pure enchantment? The muffled silence, the coolness, the dampness, the light that is blocked and fragmented and softened… There is the life in the branches above you; the soft carpet under your feet built up through the seasons of many years, a sponge that harbours life: insects, reptiles, mammals, plants, fungi… (And, sigh, snails…– Eds.)
And the most wonderful thing of all? Nobody comes along to scatter fertiliser to sustain these various forms of life.
A forest takes care of herself.
THE GARDENS of my life have always – unintentionally and unplanned – veered in the direction of a forest. Fortunately this has always been possible, because there has been space, the weather was moderate and without devastating extremes, the rainfall slightly more predictable, and the soil deep and rich in humus.
It was here in Koringberg that we finally realised what a privilege it is to have good soil. Surrounded by grain fields, the town lies diagonally at the foot of a hill, and the topsoil is clayey and meager. Just below it lies the shale, layers and layers of it…
Rain is a major event here, and the groundwater is brackish and unusable. In summer the sun beats down mercilessly, causing all creation to wilt. Our prospect for a forest therefore seemed bleak.
The property around the almost 100-year-old house was bare and dusty, filled with old car wrecks and other junk, a wasteland where even the weeds were giving up.
The two trees in the yard looked sad, as did the empty fishpond where we came upon a barbel taking its last gasps in the mud.
This story is from the Winter 2023 edition of go! Platteland.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Winter 2023 edition of go! Platteland.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The art of small talk
In the city, a glib smile suffices when it comes to interaction with any stranger that crosses her path. Yet a visit to Struisbaai taught Elizabeth Wasserman that small talk is no small matter
From food scraps to compost in a jiffy: We test the iCompost
If turning kitchen waste into compost could be done at the touch of a button, more people would take it up, and much less waste would end up in landfills. That’s what Himkaar Singh, the man behind the innovative iCompost, believes. Platteland was keen to put this innovative appliance to the test
Find wisdom in the forest: It all starts with soil
A tree is an investment in any garden, even though patience is required to pluck the (figurative) fruit. When you plant several trees together to create your own forest, the reward is much greater. They offer shade, they support life… and they improve your soil. We spent time reflecting in our white karee“forest”– and learnt a lot
Ohrigstad's tiny big farmer
Agriculture courses through the veins of the Els family, who have been farming in the Ohrigstad valley in Limpopo since the 1930s. And they are getting younger and younger: Grandfather Jan Els was 36 when he set out, father Dewald 27… and littleWaldo got behind the wheel of massive machines at the age of 6!
The head hen who lays the golden eggs
The Country Chic is a delightful specialty store in the Swartland where small farmer and entrepreneur Suzanne Smit sells the organic free-range chicken eggs and poultry meat she produces – straight from her farm to the shelves of her own store
On mountains and moments
On a trip in the southern Drakensberg, a torrential downpour and a field of prickly thistles got acclaimed photographer Obie Oberholzer thinking about the power of perspective
Ballad of the butter farmer
High up in the Italian Alps, Maria van Zyl learnt to make the tastiest butter in South Africa. Then she started a clever “subscription farming business” delivering dairy products to households in the Cape on a weekly basis, which is how she could afford to buy the first five cows for her micro-dairy. Meet the (bio)dynamic small-scale farmer with big plans
Spring on a stick
Expand your braai repertoire by serving a side dish of flavourful spring-vegetable kebabs cooked to perfection over the coals.
A puzzle of nostalgia
Ride a fat bike through the town where you grew up - an abiding landmark in your life - and behold the picture that reveals itself.
Let's braai!
Celebrate Heritage Day on 24 September with this braai menu, which Platteland put together from Martelize Brink's recently published second cookbook, Oor die Kole.