If there was ever a gardener with a zest for life, it is Carol Sacke. From running the New York Marathon in 1992 to completing two of our own Comrades Marathons as well as Iron Man and the famous Dusi Canoe Marathon, this former nurse turned landscaper does not stand back for any challenge, especially not a garden. Her energy is infectious and she leaves a blaze of colour wherever her hands have been.
Carol found her haven at Broadacres Country Estate in 2014 when an estate agent showed her and husband, Kevin, properties in the area. Her neck craned as they drove past the house and the agent told her it had not been sold yet. In true Carol fashion, she jumped out of the car and ran across the garden to the fence line, shouting: Hello, I'm your new neighbour! without having even seen the house!I was so excited; I had eleven orange trees, one lemon tree and a few indigenous trees in the garden.”The previous owner had loved her garden and it broke her heart to leave. Carol felt her sadness, but her chapter was up and Carol's new chapter of healing and creativity was beginning.
This story is from the May 2022 edition of The Gardener.
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This story is from the May 2022 edition of The Gardener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.
