Why should Hedgehogs collect apples?
It's not surprising that such a strange-looking little animal as a hedgehog should be the subject of some extraordinary legends and beliefs. Strange hedgehog activities such as running in circles and 'self-anointing' - smearing their spines with their own frothy saliva - are definitely a fact, not fiction, though we don't know why they do these things. But there are also a number of intriguing legends about hedgehogs, most of them dating back to the distant past.
Some people claim to have seen apples punctured as though by spines around a hedgehog nest. Others tell of a hedgehog picking up apples in its mouth, assembling them in a group, then turning over on its back and rocking to and fro on top of them. Others say they have seen a hedgehog waling away from a tree, carrying apples impaled on its spines.
But even if hedgehogs are physically able to carry apples, there's no point in doing so. They eat hardly any fruit and can easily take what they find lying on the ground. Nor do they hoard food for the winter; they store their energy supplies in the form of fat.
So don't believe everything you hear! A dose of good common sense goes a long way in protecting these beautiful little creatures from any misunderstandings.
.
🐾 Maybe the reason I love animals so much, is because the only time they have broken my heart is when theirs has stopped beating.
Monday 1 February 2016
Hedgehog lore and legends - Fruit picking
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
08:52:00
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fruit picking,
hedgehogs,
lore and legends
Monday 25 January 2016
Mother Nature's blessings and her fury
After months of drought, the Sabie River in full flood in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
After some weeks of suffering a terrible heat wave leading to loss of life, coupled with serious drought in parts of our country (South Africa), Mother Nature blessed us with lots of rain but also some of her worst-ever fury, dumping days of rain and hail bigger than golf balls, causing extensive flooding and damage to properties in Krugersdorp in the second week of January.
The roof of our local shopping mall in Krugersdorp, KeyWest, collapsed from the weight of the hail, causing makor damage to most of the shops in the mall, with flooding and ceilings falling in, resulting in the closure of the mall until repairs could be done.
Damage to The Hub retail shop
It's been raining almost every day ever since and this morning I woke up to dark skies and with the rising sun beautifully highlighting the foliage on the trees with a light drizzle to boot. My garden is smiling in leaps and bounds!
Yesterday's rain
Solly's chooks were by no means intimidated by the black skies or the rain and kept on having their early 6am breakfast (this drive-way is in dire need of renovation! It's on my list ...!)
Extreme weather is occurring all over the globe at the moment, and it's easy to consider an apocalypse could be on the horizon. While we hope this is far from true, it's impossible to ignore the droughts, fires, storms and heat waves we've experienced lately, with Pretoria (Gauteng, South Africa), experiencing temperatures in the 40℃'s, the hottest it's ever been since 1865. And here at home, our temps hit 39℃, something I've never experienced in my 40 years of living in Tarlton.
.
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
07:03:00
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blessings,
flood,
fury,
keywest,
mother nature
Friday 1 January 2016
May today there be peace within - New Year 2016
New Year's Day at my wildlife pond
May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of the Universe.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.
On this day and for the rest of our lives.
Goodbye to a wonderful 2015 and Happy New Year!
.
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
02:30:00
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inspirational,
may there be peace within,
new year 2016,
new years day at my wildlife pond
Thursday 31 December 2015
Goodbye 2015
A light wind swept over the corn,
and all nature laughed in the sunshine.
-Anne Bronte
"Golden wheat" - painted with Nescafé instant coffee, strong and black - ©Maree Clarkson
This year has had it's ups and downs in my garden (I've lost two big trees and a few frost-tender plants) and Mother Nature has taken and given in abundance, both in fauna and flora. I've seen many a brood of baby birds being raised but I've also experienced the loss of the baby Robins and a few of my beloved chooks. But overal-ly it's been a good year and I hope we will all still be together for many more years to come!
And remember, life is short. Laugh regularly and connect with nature - it helps you find peace in your busy life while making the world a better place!
.
Thursday 24 December 2015
Season's Greetings from my home to yours 2015
My sincerest wishes for hope, happiness and peace during this Holiday Season. May you spend wonderful, happy hours with friends, family and loved ones!
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
04:00:00
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Labels:
2015,
christmas,
seaons greetings from my home to yours 2015
Saturday 19 December 2015
It's Agapanthus time!
Every summer I look forward to the few Agapanthus (A. praecox) that I have, flowering. I say “few”, because I struggle to grow these beauties in my garden (Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa) – too much shade. I have found that they prefer full sun and not too much water.
The evergreen species is indigenous to the winter rainfall Western Cape and all-year rainfall Eastern Cape and shed a few of their old outer leaves every year and replace them with new leaves from the apex of the growing shoot. The deciduous species come from the summer rainfall Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Free State, Lesotho, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Mozambique, and grow rapidly in spring with the onset of the rains, and then lose their leaves completely and lie dormant during winter.
Agapanthus species are easily able to hybridize with each other, particularly when grown in close proximity and as a result, a bewildering array of garden hybrids have arisen.
Insects just absolutely love Agapanthus and the Agapanthus is undoubtedly one of our indigenous botanical treasures. It has been exported to all corners of the earth, but occurs naturally only in Southern Africa, where it grows in the wild in all our provinces except the Northern Cape, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
I doubt that there is a South African gardener alive that has not come across an Agapanthus somewhere! They line our roads, and are in most gardens and parks, from the tall globular-headed ones to the ever-shrinking dwarf cultivars now available at garden centres. This one above is the smaller praecox minimus species I have in my bathroom court-yard garden.
Here's to another bloomin' blue summer!
. .
The evergreen species is indigenous to the winter rainfall Western Cape and all-year rainfall Eastern Cape and shed a few of their old outer leaves every year and replace them with new leaves from the apex of the growing shoot. The deciduous species come from the summer rainfall Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Free State, Lesotho, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Mozambique, and grow rapidly in spring with the onset of the rains, and then lose their leaves completely and lie dormant during winter.
Agapanthus species are easily able to hybridize with each other, particularly when grown in close proximity and as a result, a bewildering array of garden hybrids have arisen.
Insects just absolutely love Agapanthus and the Agapanthus is undoubtedly one of our indigenous botanical treasures. It has been exported to all corners of the earth, but occurs naturally only in Southern Africa, where it grows in the wild in all our provinces except the Northern Cape, as well as in Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique.
I doubt that there is a South African gardener alive that has not come across an Agapanthus somewhere! They line our roads, and are in most gardens and parks, from the tall globular-headed ones to the ever-shrinking dwarf cultivars now available at garden centres. This one above is the smaller praecox minimus species I have in my bathroom court-yard garden.
Here's to another bloomin' blue summer!
. .
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
06:36:00
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Labels:
agapanthus,
gardening,
indigenous flowers,
it's agapanthus time,
praecox minimus,
Summer
Monday 14 December 2015
Africa's 12 Days of Christmas
Posted by
Maree Clarkson
at
08:00:00
2 comments:
Labels:
africas 12 days of christmas,
Animals,
festive season,
xmas
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