False alarm!

May all seasons be sweet to thee... 

A few weeks ago, we had what I call a "false" spring - green buds on the Celtis africana (White Stinkwood) and my peach tree sporting tiny little blossoms. It happens most years, and yet I never learn. Absolutely keen for spring, I start cutting, watering and clearing, only to be caught out by a late frost or a sudden cold spell, ending up with now-exposed plants being damaged or killed off by the frost.

My Tree Fuchsia (Halleria lucida - to the right of the terracotta pot) managed to stay green all through winter and then, suddenly, Mr. Frosty entered the garden and whipped everybody for daring to be so brash on his watch! Luckily the Aloes (aloe ferox) had a good start with mild weather as it started flowering and was strong enough to withstand the onslaught. 

The fact is, plants have to get ready for the cold. They have to make all sorts of interior preparations — battening down the hatches, so to speak — before winter comes. They essentially create an antifreeze, converting easily frozen carbohydrates in their stems to freeze-resistant sugars, and they quit producing the kind of young, tender growth that will be most vulnerable to spring. But as this warm spell of 'early' spring arrives, plants aren’t battening down the hatches anymore, they’re throwing them wide open, and putting on flowers and new growth like summer was just around the corner.

The plants are now so delirious and careless with this warm weather, that it won’t take much to do damage. Just a few hours of serious cold could do serious damage to plants that have, like me, fallen for this early "false" spring.

The birds are still extremely grateful for the feeders I fill every morning - here the female Weavers are dominating this feeder and I noticed most of the males at another feeder - girls sharing some secrets over a snack? "Do you see him girls? He's the one I told you about! The nests he builds are absolute master-pieces!"

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So, here's to spring -

begin . bloom . fresh . subtle . bright . begin . simple . new . soft . cool . burst 

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Listen to the Guinea Fowl

Be grateful for nature. 

Pay the thunder no mind – listen to the Guinea fowl. 

And don’t hate anybody. 

W&N watercolour on DalerRowney 220gsm heavy-duty sketching paper. 

The Helmeted Guinea Fowl is an African family of insect and seed-eating, ground-nesting birds resembling partridges, but with featherless heads and spangled grey plumage. They are the ultimate low-cost, chemical-free pest control and if your garden is already established and can withstand the scratching, you’ll have a healthy and pest-free garden. And be rewarded with some wonderful antics from these lovely birds! 

It is interesting to note that they are monogamous, mating for life. The hens have a habit of hiding their nests, and sharing it with other hens until large numbers of eggs have accumulated. Females lay 25-30 tough-skinned, smallish, creamy eggs in a deep, tapering nest and undergo an incubation period of 26-28 days. The chicks are called “keets” and are highly susceptible to damp. In fact, they can die from following the mother through dewy grass. After their first two to six weeks of growth, they can be some of the hardiest domestic land fowl. 

 They are highly social birds, and hate to be alone. When you see a lone guinea fowl, it usually means trouble, like that the family has been scattered by a predator. Guineas spend most of their days foraging. They work as a team, marching chest to chest and devouring anything they startle as they move through the grass. When they discover a special treat — a rodent, for example, or a small snake — they close ranks, circle their prey, and move in for the feast. All the while, they keep up a steady stream of whistles, chirps, and clicks, a sort of running commentary on the day’s hunt. 

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August gifts

Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment. 

 - Ellis Peters 

Don't ask me where I was on the first of August (in mind and body!) when I was supposed to do this post, but life has been a bit hectic on this Southern side of the globe. I got a new Tablet, the Samsung Galaxy P5100 and you know how it goes once you start playing with a new toy - everything else goes out the window. I've been learning it's ins and outs, playing on the internet and with all the apps and time just slipped by!

I was wondering if it's not a bit early to celebrate Spring because we suddenly had a retreat into Winter, with SNOW and freezing temperatures! It snowed all over South Africa and here in Tarlton we suffered -2℃ in the middle of the day! Now I know that sounds like a joke to some of you living in the Northern Hemisphere, but for us, used to winter temps of around 18℃, it really was something major!

Unfortunately we were not lucky enough to have a thick blanket of white here in Tarlton as some other places in the country, but the pic below gives you a fair idea.

 A scene in Nottingham road, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

But my Celtises (White Stinkwoods in the pic right at the top) and peach trees refused to believe this and are full of buds, positive that Spring is just around the corner. So I'll take my cue from them and quote an old Chinese proverb, "Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men!"

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The thorny side of life

When things are shaky and nothing is working, we might realize that we are on the verge of something. We might realize that this is a very vulnerable and tender place, and that tenderness can go either way. We can shut down and feel resentful or we can touch in on that throbbing quality.  

—Pema Chödrön 

We all have unpleasant things that happen to us. How do you handle this 'thorny' side of life? Do you look upon it as a curse you wish you had never experienced? Or do you think you could use these experiences to your benefit? 

When I saw this nest in one of my Acacia trees (Vachellia karoo), the thought came to mind that we could take a lesson from nature and use the 'thorns' to our advantage, like this Sparrow has done. She could have chosen any tree, but she has learnt that these thorns can provide safety for her family. By looking at the thorns in our lives as a lesson, learning from the experience so that we can handle a similar situation better, we can also have protection against the thorny side of life.

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As winter fades to spring...

… hangers-on will be forced to let go, 

making room for new growth 

fresh color, 

life. 

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 A little corner created in the shade 

It's almost August and the warmer weather has spawned an activity of going through my garden to check on what needs to be done and I was horrified to notice that the chickens had just about annihilated my whole garden - what the winter didn't get, they did! I haven't been totally oblivious of this, it's just that it's been too cold to do much about it.

 The start of a new garden 

First it was the major job of cutting down and/or removing dead stuff and then taking stock of what was left - lots of open space! Many of the plants I removed were those that needed sun and had totally deteriorated because of too much shade in my garden now that all my trees have matured to 10m beauties - it's amazing how things creep up on you without you noticing… 

 So some new spaces were created in the sun with old favourites. 

 Progress - a little pathway for easy access and still have to add a few more plants 

After removing Red Hot pokers from a shady patch and not having anything to replace them with, I thought it easier to create a feature for the time being, below, but will have to get to the nursery some time or another! 

A temporary feature in a shady patch It's amazing what a bit of crusher stone and things found will do to help out when you're stuck without any plants…

Joseph filling up an empty spot with some crusher stone and turning it into a new pathway.

 

 And of course, no day in the garden is perfect without our feathery friends enjoying a snack! 

Make way, I also need some!

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Expectantly waiting

Ten men waiting for me at the door? Send one of them home, I'm tired. 

 - Mae West 

A Laughing Dove expectantly waiting while I fill the bird feeders - I was a bit late that morning and felt very guilty as there were about ten of them all clustered in the tree above the feeder, thinking that it being Saturday was no excuse… 

It is one of my morning rituals filling all the bird feeders - I'm up very early every day (about 4am), when I spend some time on my MAC connecting with all my virtual friends. Then at about 6.30am it's time for a shower and getting dressed, after which all the jugs and buckets get filled, ready to tackle the feeding job.

 

First comes the feeder in my bathroom court-yard garden - this one, above, is one Solly made for me out of some scrap wood I had lying around. Filled with some corn, wild bird seed and some fruit-of-the-day, I move on to the garden, where I have three more feeders.

This one used to be some fancy feeder, but lost most of its parts over the years and now hangs upside down, also filled with corn and wild bird seed. The bars seem to keep away the bigger and more aggressive birds and gives all the smaller birds and timid doves a chance to feed. 

An apple spiked on a tree branch just above the feeder. 

Next is the fruit feeder - a piece of slate with holes drilled in and nails and chains attached - here a daily smorgasbord of apples, bananas, oranges and any other fruit in season and suet and minced meat is served. The Black-headed Oriole pictured here is a frequent visitor, as is the Black-eyed Bulbuls, White Eyes and Crested Barbets. 

As all you bird-lovers know, your garden birds soon get 'spoilt' and become dependent on these daily feeds we put out, especially in winter, and going on holiday becomes a major feat of organising staff or a friend to take over the job while you are gone. You wouldn't leave your dog or cat without anybody to care for them, why would you leave 'your' birds unattended? Once you take on this job of feeding, you're stuck with it forever!

Did you know that there is a National Bird Feeding Society? They help people create bird-friendly habitats by turning backyards into an oasis for birds. The Society's web site offers tips for bird feeding, information on feeders and food,  and research on the dynamics of bird feeding,.

Camera : Canon EOS 550D Location : Tarlton, Gauteng, South Africa

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Black Eagle chicks in the midst of a Cain and Abel struggle

Two eggs were laid by the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden’s resident Black Eagle pair during May 2012. The eggs hatched in early June after an incubation period of 44 to 45 days and two chicks emerged four to five days apart. 

The sad reality is that only a single chick will grow to adulthood. The reason for this being a phenomena called Cainism (or in other words a Cain and Abel struggle) whereby the stronger of the two chicks (usually the oldest (Cain), attacks and eventually kills and devours its sibling (Abel) after a 3 to 4 day struggle. The first chick, being the older and the stronger, will intercept the food offered by the female. The male provides most of the food while the chick is in the nest while the female feeds the young chick during the early stages and also defends the nest. The chick will grow into a handsome golden/brown juvenile eaglet. 

The gardens are situated in Roodepoort (Gauteng, South Africa) and fifteen eagle-generations have passed since the Black eagles (Verreaux’s eagles) were discovered in the Garden - I have been following the life of these two Black Eagles (Verreaux’s (Black) Eagles) for many years. Over the past 30 years Emoyeni, the female, has produced a chick every second year or even annually at times. In Nov 2011, Mbuso, their last juvenile Black Eagle chick, left the Garden to establish his own territory.

 Mbuso

The Black Eagles on their nest

The webcam focusing on the nest

The male circling the nest

For more interesting info visit the website or view the eagles via webcam or alternatively view them on TV at the Garden entrance.

PS : You can read all the Black Eagle articles in the menu on the left - they are all coloured RED

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