Random Harvest Newsletter Archive

I once again would like to thank you for your generous donations.

To date we have handed out 1600 food parcels on your behalf.

This has made a massive difference.

My sister, Louise, was stopped a few days ago by a young businessman in one of the informal settlements where we have been distributing parcels.

He sincerely thanked her and told her that he doesn’t think she realizes what a difference we have made to the community.

It was heartwarming to hear this.

If there is any possibility of further donations it would be truly appreciated.

The bank account number is FNB Account number 51441129818 Bank code 25 07 41.

We are fully compliant with the Covid-19 Workplace rules.

Our staff are checked every morning and are given clean masks which are compulsory.

All trolleys, tools, counters and credit machines etc. are sanitized at regular intervals. during the day.

Since some of my staff were allowed to come back, we have been hard at work sprucing up the retail nursery and building some new display gardens.

Even Bridget was busy painting the stands for the peas.

We built this shady corner garden out of some old railway sleepers I had in my storeroom for many years.

You can sit and enjoy watching the pond in the nursery.

We have placed a few benches in the nursery where you can just sit and chill and feel the energy of the plants.

Pop in to our shop when you visit. We have some nice stock at the moment.

Kiddies masks R38.50 each – bright, fun and comfortable, but above all puts their safety first with their three layers. We also have adult size masks R48.50 available

Handy Pocket Sanitizer 100ml liquid R58.00 and 50ml gel R30.00 - great to put in your handbag, give to the children or keep in your pocket for when you venture out.

Jams R75.00 – in a variety of flavours are always a firm favourite. Packed full of fruit that is predominantly grown on our farm.

Garden Gloves R98.50 – Hands-on garden work is so much easier on the hands with a good pair of garden gloves.

Nitrosol 500ml R120.00 and 200ml R70.00 – A natural organic, liquid plant food that is readily absorbed and environmentally safe. It is recommended for the cultivation of all indoor, outdoor, foliage, flowering alkaline or acid loving plants.

Seed Blocks - Unlike loose seed, these compact blocks of seed provide a way in which to feed seed-eating birds that prevent larger, more dominant birds (such as pigeons) from taking over the feeding station.

Aloe arborescens (Krantz Aloe) orange and yellow flowered plants are in full bloom and looking great.

These make a lovely addition to a medium to taller backdrop planting in a flower bed, can stand alone or be used en masse as a striking border or tall hedge.

Clivia gardenii (Major Gardens Clivia) mature plants ex open ground.

These beautiful Clivias have lush green leaves when not flowering and the heads of pendulous, slender, tubular orange flowers look like they belong in a fairy garden.

At only R18.50 each they are a real steal.

Leonotis leonurus - Wild Dagga (Orange and White)
Is breathtakingly beautiful at this time of year.

This very evergreen, hardy, drought- and frost-resistant, perennial shrub has masses of showy, compact clusters of orange, velvety flowers repeated in circles up the length of every long stalk from Feb. to Jul.

An important food and nectar plant for Sunbirds, bees and butterflies during autumn and winter.

Plant in sun or semi-shade in well-drained, well-composted soil.

Podranea ricasoliana - Port St. John’s Creeper

If it is a fast-growing plant that is ideal for covering pergolas along walls and on embankments that you are looking for, then this is the plant for your garden. Hardy, evergreen scrambler or climber with lush, bright, compound leaves.

The masses of gorgeous, large, scented, lilac-pink flowers are borne in loose clusters on and off throughout the year.

Pruned regularly and kept in shape it makes a great container plant.

Regular pruning will also ensure that it flowers well the following season.

Plant in compost-rich soil but do prune regularly to keep in shape and to ensure that it flowers well the following season.

Grewia lasiocarpa - Forest Raisin occurs naturally on forest margins, so it is a beautiful addition to a sunny or semi-shade part of the garden where it can form or be part of a dense evergreen backdrop.

The attractive, large star-shaped pale pink flowers occur from Jan. to Mar., followed by 4-lobed, furry, reddish fruit from Mar. to Jul, which attract birds and, in the wild, warthogs and baboons.

Andropogon huilense - Large Silver Andropogon is a tall, hardy, evergreen to semi-deciduous, moisture-loving, perennial, tufted grass that has a reed-like appearance and leaves that have a prominent, white mid-rib.

From Sept. to Jun. it bears a tall, flowering stalk topped with beautiful, silvery-white, feathery flowers and seed-heads that glisten in the sunlight.

Plant in a grassland garden, around ponds and along streams to great effect.

Miscanthus junceus - Broom grass is a versatile, extremely hardy, evergreen, fast growing, grass that is always found near water.

It forms large and tall elegant tufts that really make a statement as a feature plant in the garden or in a container, but it does require regular watering to keep it looking its best.

It can also be used to help purify water.

Strychnos madagascariensis - Black Monkey-orange is like having your own decorated Christmas tree in your garden.

This hardy, deciduous, large shrub or shrubby, multi-stemmed small tree produces spectacular, bluish-grey fruits with a hard, woody shell.

These fruits adorn the tree for up to a year before they fall. The pulp is edible, but the seeds are said to be poisonous.

A great tree for a small garden where it should be planted in sun or semi-shade in well-drained soil.

Rhoicissus tomentosa - Common Forest Grape is a beautiful, robust climber ideally used to cover a pergola or it can be trained up and over walls or planted in a container to keep it bushy.

Wherever you choose to put it, make sure to show off its wonderful foliage. The ornamental, almost circular to kidney-shaped, dark-green leaves are interspersed with velvety tendrils.

The young leaves are hairy and a rich copper or purple colour while the old leaves turn crimson before falling. Another great feature of this climber is the large, purple, grape-like berries with white spots.

The fruit is edible and much sought after by birds and other wildlife. It is the host plant of the Silver Striped Hawkmoth.

Anyone who thinks grasslands are boring and brown just don’t take the time to really see.

The colours of the grasses are amazing.

You get red, brown, beige, gold and even purple in the winter grasses.

I love to see the almost daily changes.

When the sun shines on the seeds the grasses seem to glow in the low light.

The other wonderful feature is how open the sky is and how beautifully it is framed by the few trees in grassland areas.

After consultation with my Robert’s Bird App. Jeff made what we hope are ideal nesting conditions at the base of some reeds – a gravelly area. Hopefully, the birds think this is ideal as well. I would love to see them nesting and hatching some tiny babies. I would definitely have to have someone guarding the babies from predators if they do decide to use the area.

There are some mole heaps in the grassland which have turned into a fascination for Abby.

She is bottoms up – nose down in the hole.

I hope for her sake a mole doesn’t come up and nip her nose.

Their teeth are ferocious, but I don’t think it would happen.

It was interesting seeing this mushroom pop up. I would have thought it was too dry and a bit too cold.

Nature is always out to surprise you even though I must admit I am a bit clueless when it comes to fungi..

We had so many bits of twigs and small branches that were too big to put onto the compost and which I was hoping to get chipped or to use in the fire we use to heat up the mist house where we grow our cuttings.

It just got too much and as they were heaped near my compost heaps posed quite a danger.

I definitely don’t need another compost fire.

The Tree Aloes (Aloe barberae) are in bloom at the moment.

I have never seen them bear such masses of flowers.

It is awe inspiring to see.

Even though the trees are huge you can still see the masses of insects feeding off the nectar that is offered to them.

The other Aloes are also offering up copious amounts of nectar which the Sunbirds are really enjoying.

Flitting around and sipping nectar.

I want to make you jealous with this picture of the beautiful climber, Shpedamnocarpus pruriens (Canary nettle) blooming in the garden.

This is a plant that drives me crazy trying to unlock the secrets of propagating it.

I have been trying for years and this year actually had a few seeds germinate.

Wish me luck that it won’t be in the too distant future when we have some for sale.

The garden around my cottage is looking gorgeous.

It is a real winter garden with the Ribbon Bushes and Strelitzias blooming at the same time.

The number of butterflies visiting the purple Ribbon Bush flower is astounding.

The Sunbirds have also been visiting the Strelitzia flowers, so the garden is buzzing with life.

For the customers that visited us during Level 4 I think Random Harvest has been a welcome relief from being so confined for so long.

Here is one sitting on one of the new benches in the nursery enjoying the sun and relaxing. I just love it when I see people enjoy Random Harvest so much.

I am hoping to welcome you to the farm again especially now that we are on level 3.

I would also like to assure we are taking all the precautions we can to sanitise everything as your safety is of prime concern for us.