Fuschia fruits and swiss chard seeds

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

 

 6 January 2015.
I must really get used to typing 2015. I love this month – the start of the year filled with new adventures. Starting new programmes and the beginning of new classes and new students; all the tourists leave so the beaches are a bit quieter. And of course the prospect of establishing new gardens. Abu and I can’t wait for children to start school so we can play hookie, take walks on the beach after dropping them off or an early morning swim to recharge our batteries.

the Wolverine

This is truly the morning of the Day of Jumuah and I can hear the pitter patter of rain since last night.  The weather is a bit disconcerting for the kitties. Just at Magrib we were taking off washing, the Wolverine climbed right on top of the canopy chasing after birds or wanting to get a view from the top and he was stuck. Usually he scrambles up peeps around on top and scrambles back down the way he came. Then he started mewing, “get me down”. We laughed so loud but we all gathered to get him down.

swiss chard seeding

I must say that (with a bit of pride) the organic gardens have truly inspired others to plant their own herb and veggie gardens. Had an sms: “A Yasmine we have arrived home safely and we planted the lettuce seeds.” And good conversations about progress of strawberry bushes and eating strawberries every morning. So those of you who are growing your own now is the time in Cape Town at least to start cleaning up the crowns, trimming off old leaves and invigorating the soil around it and it will continue to fruit. The rain will do it the world of good too.



chilli and lemon



I am in the garden everyday but it never ceases to amaze me. Surprises abound. A chilli bush germinated and grew and wrapped itself around a young lemon bush. My loyalities are divided. I nurtured that lemon bush from seed but the chilli bush in two weeks is so lush and many chillies hang from its branches. Petunia seed also germinated between growbags and purple petunias stick out their heads. This morning when I watered many cucumbers have grown to adulthood hiding in the foliage. An opArt bug nestles in the Black eyed susy, and the egg plants shielded from the wind is filled with flowers and fruit. A dear friend gave me a black fig bush and this morning I was ecstatic to see so many small figs on its branches. Yesterday we gathered a bank bag filled with sweet pea seeds for next year and the last of the seeds to dry are the Red Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage. We repotted our Fiddlewood trees into larger growbags and it looks like espaliered trees against the wall.

 

blackfig

petunias

 

egg plants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


blackeye susy



Leo

As for the cats – The Leo has recovered the use of his paw almost completely, the stitches are out and the scabs around the wires are healed and his rich fur is growing back. He now has a pass to come out and play with the Wolverine and some time in the sun. But when he gets too boisterous wanting to jump out of windows and onto counters - its back to his room. I feel sorry for them with the closed door dividing them like in Frozen and they mew to see each other through the door. The Wolverine is also becoming stroppy, when he gets shooed out of my bed he backchats with a very injured mew, “But it’s so cosy”. On the 24^th  of January, the wires come out of Leo’s leg and of course they have to be neutered. My son and daughter wonder whether they will be cat eunuchs, ha ha.

Fuschia fruits

I received a gift of the Complete Fruit Book by Bob Flowerdew and I was pleasantly surprised when he mentions that the fruits of fuchsia is edible and filled with vitamins. I am really enjoying this book. So in the meantime our family is busy packing books and things readying ourselves for the move from here. Whenever we have moved in the past the most baggage we have had are boxes and boxes of books. This time it is pots and crates of plants and seeds, so apt I say. A huge Shukran to family and friends on the lookout for a smallholding to rent and offering space for our project equipment, plants and trees, books and art things.

Should you step outside this morning the air is superbly fresh as the barakah descends from the Sama’ah and a great start for the day. And Mabruk to matriculants and teachers from the Leadership College in Manenberg for doing so well. Also to Spine road in Mitchells Plain who had a 100% pass rate, wow, well done!

Jumuah Mubarak all.

Plant food and enjoy the rain.

Yasmine