A happy find

On one of my weekend mountain explores recently I stumbled upon a bulb lying in the Winter grass. I picked it up for closer inspection. The soil seemed to be mostly cleaned off and the bulb itself was intact. A few dried leaves and scaly sheaths were still clinging to it. A puzzle. I do …

Cotyledon Orbiculata

Cotyledon orbiculata is a wide spread South African succulent that is grown all over the world. This is an attractive and easy to grow plant worthy of a spot in every garden. Naturally they can be found growing amongst rocky outcrops in the grasslands, Karoo and also fynbos biomes. The leaves are variable and range …

Both sides of the story

On a little mountain tucked away on a sheltered plateau grows the most spectacular tree. I could tell you that this is a Cussonia spicata, of the family Araliaceae - But, I would prefer to tell you about Mkhulu, Mkhulu the African faraway tree. I could tell you that Cussonia spicata is found extensively throughout …

Aloe Aloe burning bright ….

Aloe arborescens and a White bellied sunbird - Acrylic onto canvas board In this time of pandemic it is easy to get caught up and mired in fear and negativity. The intense cold that we have  been experiencing (a cold that Dundee has not seen in decades) is certainly not conducive to a happy sunny …

Our Grasslands – So much more than meets the eye

“There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story” Linda Hogan Our South African grasslands cover one third of the country, providing an extensive range of biodiversity. Dundee and surrounding Northern Kzn fall into one of …

Be a curator

When talking about the creative process the term 'inspiration' inevitably comes up. The general definition of the word is that of an impulsive urge that can be triggered quite suddenly out of the blue. An unconscious burst of creativity in ones artistic endeavors. That is all well and good but anyone who does creative work …

Mpati Mountain and her ‘Painted ladies’

Kalanchoe thyrsifolia or 'painted lady' as she is commonly called is a striking and attractive succulent plant - preferring to grow between the rocky slopes of the mountain and surrounding grasslands. This succulent is quite widespread throughout Southern Africa and is also found in Swaziland and Lesotho. The attractive paddle shaped leaves The grey green …

Mpati mountain and its bountiful Bottle brushes – Greyia Sutherlandia

This small tree is endemic to South Africa - found mainly growing on the rocky cliffs of the Drakensberg. Our Mpati mountain however is also home to this lovely small deciduous tree. This tree (or large shrub) although having ‘bottle brush’ like flowers, is not to be confused with the Australian common bottlebrush ‘Calistemon’ which …

Mpati mountain and it’s ‘pride of Proteas’

Not all Protea species belong to the fairest Cape. The Drakensberg and many other areas of Southern Africa (usually at higher altitudes) are home to this iconic South African shrub or sometimes small tree. Our Mpati mountain is host to two species of Protea namely Protea caffra and Protea simplex. These two Natal Proteas have …

Sauntering in Lesotho

The great Henry David Thoreau was a man of extraordinary wisdom. He claimed that for the preservation of one's health one should "saunter through the woods and over the hills and fields". Sauntering should be approached with a mind set of 'presence' rather than 'productivity'. The origin of the word "saunter" goes back to the …