![Make a kokedama](https://cdn.magzter.com/1376649439/1653485887/articles/rafhHlzvD1654780939126/Make-a-kokedama.jpg)
The art of kokedama has spread - you see them everywhere these days, suspended from a string or displayed on a decorative plate, bowl, stand or rock. A kokedama - directly translated as "moss ball" is basically a ball of soil covered in moss from which a decorative plant grows. On the internet, one naysayer describes it as "stilettos for plants": it looks amazing but is uncomfortable and unhealthy for the plant in the long term!
The interesting thing is that, unlike bonsai, kokedama is not an ancient art form but a fairly recent practice that took off among bonsai artists and gardeners in Japan in the late 1990s.
Last year, when we heard that Toshiki Tanisaki, a landscape designer from Osaka, Japan, would be presenting a kokedama workshop at Botha and Hilda Kruger's wonderful shop Waza Japan in Cape Town, we booked our spot immediately, learnt a lot, and then kept experimenting at home. (Keep an eye on Waza Japan's website or subscribe to their newsletter for updates on workshops and new products.)
This is how
1 Allow the block of compressed coco peat to expand in warm water until it forms a loose, damp mass. Mix together equal amounts of coco peat and potting soil, and use your hands to press the mixture into a ball. Should it fall apart immediately, add more water.
2 Take the plant from its container and brush off most of the soil without exposing the root ball entirely. Pack some of the new soil-and-peat mixture around the roots and shape it into a ball; using a length of clingwrap makes this easier to do.
3 Dampen the sphagnum moss enough that it sticks together. Lay out the length of clingwrap on your work surface and spread damp sphagnum moss on it to form a thick, dense layer to cover the ball and keep the soil mixture contained.
Denne historien er fra Winter 2022-utgaven av go! Platteland.
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Denne historien er fra Winter 2022-utgaven av go! Platteland.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
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There are few secrets in Verlorenvallei
All platteland towns have that one famous (or infamous) character who knows everyone's business. Meet Livia Hoogenboezem, the keeper of every piece of gossip in Verlorenvallei...
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Make magic with winter's abundance
This winter menu is our invitation to look beyond the bewildered herb garden, move out of your comfort zone and bake a loaf of bread, appreciate the beauty of a head of cabbage, and invite the rain gods to the table to feast with you on venison pie, pudding and cake.
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They may be called birdwatchers but they are in fact using their ears. As Johan van Zyl discovered on his maiden outing as an \"avian tourist\" with BirdLife South Africa to find the 450 bird species that live in the Garden Route and Little Karoo.
![To the babbling brooks of Sabie](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/4232/1708872/fjWR-T0ny1721373963450/TO-THE-BABBLING-BROOKS-OF-SABIE.jpg)
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Roughly every five years, Jaco and Jens Reverchon get itchy feet. They hopped around Cape Town, moved up north to the Greater Kruger and then, recently, put down roots next to the Sabie River where they live a peaceful life with their animals.
![Creativity & community in Dinokeng](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/4232/1708872/gRTHBdppP1721373648923/CREATIVITY-COMMUNITY-IN-DINOKENG.jpg)
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The driving force behind the successful Makers Village in Irene has now implemented the same concept in Cullinan, creating an incubator and exhibition space for entrepreneurs and artists. Platteland dropped in at this budding creative hub to find out what it's all about and came away impressed.
![Willie Strauss Never an idle moment](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/4232/1708872/n-QMy2Y7V1721373220647/WILLIE-STRAUSS-NEVER-AN-IDLE-MOMENT.jpg)
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