Random Harvest Newsletter Archive

Dear Indigenous Enthusiast,

Happy days – we can open again. I am excited we just received a directive from the S.A. Nurserymens Association that the Director of Agriculture has given permission to open our doors.

We will be open from 9h00 to 15h00 daily. I cannot wait to welcome you again. Random Harvest is just not the same without my staff and customers.

Thank you

My heart is overflowing with thanks to all those that have contributed towards the food parcels that we have managed to put together and continue to distribute to those with no means of feeding themselves and their families. To date we have managed to distribute 1000 parcels!

When I see the generosity with which you have given to help those in desperate need, I am deeply moved by your kindness and goodwill. As well as being humbled by the trust you have placed in me that I would use the money wisely.

My sister has been overseeing the distribution of the parcels and making sure through her contacts with community activists that the parcels are reaching the needy.

I will have a file with the bank statements for all monies received as well as the invoices for money and Proof of payment for all the money spent. This will be there just to reassure you that your generous donations have been wisely spent.

There is still a huge need out there and if anyone else feels they are able to contribute please do so into the following account

RANDOM HARVEST NURSERY
FNB
51441129818

Deliveries from Random Harvest

We are still not sure if we are able to deliver but are busy contracting with a courier company to do deliveries.

Even if you are not able to visit, we will deliver plants to you. A bit of gardening always helps to keep us sane.

Mothers’s day

When you visit on Mother’s Day, we will have a gift awaiting all the Moms. Unfortunately, we cannot open the tea garden so when you do visit it will be to browse or take a leisurely walk on the farm.

Mother’s Day Gift Vouchers

Aren’t our special Mother’s Day e-vouchers beautiful? With restrictions on our tea garden, we thought you could spoil your Mom/s with a voucher, to spend when you are able to sit and enjoy a meal and some quality time with her. She could then browse and choose at her leisure in our Retail Nursery. We are offering free delivery of purchases made with the vouchers to the value of R800.00 or more, within a 40km radius of the nursery.

Please follow this link for details on how to purchase a voucher. Please note that we will have a price increase in July, but if you purchase a voucher now that your Mom can only use after the price increase, the old prices will still be valid. She just needs to bring her printed or WhatsApp’ed voucher with her.

In The Nursery

Random Harvest’s Retail Nursery is, in short, going to look spectacular. Jeff and I went crazy and decided to revamp the nursery so as to inspire you with new ideas when we were able to open. Well! luckily enough for us we were able to open sooner than later, and the displays are not quite finished. I think you will find it interesting to follow us as were forge ahead with the changes. We will keep you updated on our progress on Facebook and Instagram.

We have a new section for Plant combinations, where we inspire our customers with what plants look great together. We’ll be changing the combinations on a monthly basis, so that you are inspired through all of the seasons.

The first combinations are detailed under “Plants Looking Good”.

I have been redoing all the Plant Labels, as I felt that they were too big. I like the new look of smaller, neater labels, but they still have all the information on them.

The Gladiolus dalenii are looking gorgeous in retail, and for the first time, I have seen Sunbirds visiting them.

Warm water, Sanitisation and Social distancing

I have managed to recycle the heat from the piping in our mist-house to the hand-washing station so that we can wash hands with deliciously warm water! My staff think this is just wonderful. When we do open, please remember to bring your masks, but in case you forget, we will have them for sale at R35.00 each.

All my staff have had full training on the Covid 19 workplace rules and have signed an agreement with me that they will be diligent in their application of them. (They don’t have masks as they were working during lockdown with no one in or out)

In The Tea Garden

We obviously may not yet welcome you back to our tea garden, but we are able to still make and sell your favourite tea garden treats. We are busy applying for a permit to deliver food together with frozen meals, Whole Cakes, Tarts, Muffins and Scones. We will keep you updated on our progress.

In The Shop

Growing products – When we have the permits for delivery in place the following products are available at the nursery or for delivery. Should we not have listed something that you require, please email us on [email protected] or [email protected] so that we can check and get back to you as soon as possible.

Plant And Garden Supplements

PANAF (LIPID RANGE) IN 200ML BOTTLES

Frost Protection

Other Products

For The Birds

Events

All events are cancelled for now, but we’ll keep you posted once we know what is permitted. When we start with this, we’ll tailor make our events so that they comply with social distancing requirements.

In The Garden – monthly gardening tips

May has to be one of my favourite months in the garden. Although the chilly mornings are really starting to set in, there is plenty of activity in an indigenous garden throughout the year, with pruning, planting, tidying up and just enjoying the garden too.

For those not in essential services, Lockdown has gifted us some time to soak up a little peace and serenity. Gardening is hard work, but so satisfying and good for the soul. I love the words of Ken Druse: “When Gardeners garden, it’s not just the plants that grow, but the Gardeners themselves”.

Plants Looking Good

Plants have been combined into groups that have similar growing conditions as well as looking fantastic together.

Water plant combinations
Cyperus albostriata - Forest Star Sedge (E);
Cyperus papyrus - Papyrus Sedge
Kniphofia linearifolia - Common Marsh Poker
Kniphofia pauciflora – Dainty Poker

Coloruful perennials.
Aspilia mossambicensis – Wild Sunflower (E)
Dietes grandiflora – Wild Iris
Senecio speciosus – Beautiful Senecio

Shade bed Crinum moorei - Moore’s Crinum Gerbera jamesonii - Barberton Daisy Justicia capensis - Money Plant Metarungia pubinervia - Red Sunbird Bush Stipa dregeana – Stipa grass
Grassland Aristida junciformis – Ngongoni Grass Eragrostis superba - Saw-tooth Love Grass Gladiolus dalenii - African Gladiolus Hypoxis sp. ‘Small Hairy’
Colourful purple and orange Euryops pectinatus - Golden Daisy Bush Hypoestes aristata – Ribbon Bush Leonotis leonurus – Wild Dagga

On The Farm

The sunrises at Random Harvest have been nothing short of magnificent. In the quietness of the coming day, I am reminded that life is so much bigger than us and our current situation.

Although Abby and I missed you as it was way too quiet for two busy, busy entities like her and I. Thank goodness we had the grassland to visit a few times a day. Peace is sometimes good - it gives you time to reflect on what is important in life. I am hoping everyone saw the value of an indigenous garden during this time of forced quiet time.

My staff were highly amused when they found a Corona virus in the shade house. It is the fruit of Cucumis zeyheri. Even in the toughest of times there is something to smile about.

We have had an amazing yield from the cuttings in the shade house. Don’t you just love this picture of all our happy babies, waiting to be bagged and bought for your gardens? They also give you an idea of just how beautiful a garden can be with leaf colours and textures. I hope this picture inspires you to try something like this in your own garden. Who would have thought one of my shade houses could look like this?

The live-in staff have been amazing – keeping the nursery looking good, weeding the multitude of plants we have in containers and doing the maintenance on the farm.

This is a picture of our chef, Yolam, happily weeding the nursery. Not only the men who work for me, but their wives too were dedicated to keeping Random Harvest on track.

We didn’t have to worry too much about spreading the virus as we were totally locked down and no one came onto the farm or left for any reason. Now that I am allowed to have staff back, we have had to institute a strict regime of sanitation, masks and all the other precautions we have to take to ensure everyone’s safety.

It was weird seeing Paul and David, who are both important members of the Admin. Team acting as security and sweeping the parking.

Just goes to show how privileged I am to have such fantastic and dedicated staff – they are a true blessing. We also installed this ‘Donkey’ to provide a constant supply of hot water and also save on our electricity bills. It is working perfectly and a tiny fire provides all the hot water needs.

The grassland is looking beautiful. It may have donned its winter colours but they are breath-taking as well. After the rain the grasses were glittering like diamonds. A beautiful sight.

The dam is looking gorgeous and is very green in comparison to the surrounding grassland.

This pair of weird hybrid ducks visited the dam. Even Andre has no clue what they are.

The air has been so clean without the millions of cars running that the plants and animals’ outlines are so clearly etched not to mention that the colours of things in nature seem to have changed. Long may it last, there is some positive outcome of our confinement.

This could be the dawning of a new day and a new way of looking at life and the beauty of nature around us. Looking at our homes differently. Treating them as a sanctuary rather than just a place to lay our heads.

Looking forward to seeing you again. You will not believe how I have missed the life, the love and the buzz you bring to Random Harvest.

Sincerely

Linda

Cell 079-872-8975
email [email protected]