The Schaapkraal Diaries: 1 May 2014 – Kaalvoet op die chamomile.

In the name of Allaah most gracious most merciful

Guava trees with sour fig carpet

I hope you all have enjoyed the days off as much as I have. The weather has been excellent for Mayday celebrations, planting and walks. Subhaanallah! Yesterday some friends took us to a farm in Franschoek.

I have been talking about how I would like to espalier some fruit trees against a fence or wall. "Let us take you to see espaliered trees and much more, " they said. “Roadtrip!” So off we went packing a large carpet some water and the rest we thought supples could be bought at farm stalls.

From the first moment we set foot to when we left just after Asr, we oohed and aahed- walking on avenues of wood chips and avenues of peach pip shells. We kicked off our shoes and stood shoulder to shoulder on Chamomile carpets and inhaled deeply, we were so heady we lay down to look up into the clouds.

The creativity of the use of resources both natural and man made looked so easy and in place. I never realised that one could espalier so many trees - nurturing and training fruit trees over time. I always thought that it belonged in smallish gardens where one grows it against a wall of sorts. But here it was used to create spaces for inter-planting that was just superb. So let me say no more and allow the pictures to speak for themselves, shukran Luqmaan for camera work!

Plant food and a chamomile lawn.

Till later

Yasmine