I once had a garden in a suburb of a small African coastal town called Knysna. The suburb is called Paradise.  And it was a true paradise until the recent fire storm which took  our property and 1000 others too.

Tonight, I can finally cry.

I cry for our cat Patch which disappeared, I cry for our family home of 20 years. I cry for the garden I co-created, for all the trees, shrubs and flowers, for the bat colony under our roof, for the rain spiders, toads, snakes, snails, and clicking frogs. For the Knysna Loeries, the Drongos, Orioles, Sunbirds, Cape Whiteeyes, Batis, Doves, Owls, Nightjars, Dikkops, Finches, Thrushes, Hoopoes, Hadedas, and many other bird species.

I am crying a lot for the Vervet monkeys, the boomslang, the many geckos and lizards, the dragonflies, the butterflies, the bees, the wasps, the beetles and many more. I am missing many stones I collected on hundreds of journeys, many presents from the ocean, like the rare paper nautilus, and a whale vertebrae, and so many more presents from kind souls. Some of which appeared in the ashes, like the terracotta angel, unharmed on top of a pile of burned letters or the tiny little metal box from my late mother in law who only recently passed away.  

What a very humbling experience this is and a great practice for non-attachment. I am deeply grateful for these years in paradise, our refuge in difficult times, our family christmas retreat, our cat bird and monkey paradise, our creative outlet, our LOVE.

I will always remember these sunny mornings, woken to bird calls, stepping out onto the patio with the sun shining through the branches of the Cape Ash tree and the Stinkwood tree which grew so fast from all the shower water it received. Glancing up where the monkeys appeared swinging happily between the trees, visiting the compost and often also the vegie patch.

Then going their way between the wild  Bauhinia, and the stunning purple Tibouchina, and flowering gum trees.

Practicing yoga on the patio below the Tibetan prayer flags – my sacred space where Patch joined me so often.

Having an outdoor shower in the mornings, hidden behind the Camelia with its pink flowers in spring, appreciating the  orange flowering  clivias in the half shade of the trees, then passing the sweetly fraganced gardenia , along the small garden path seamed by Agapanthus and shrubs, on the way to a sparkling gorgeous pool. Heaven!

The Oak tree, the Swamp Cypress, Wild Plum tree, especially planted for the Loeries, the Hibiscus flowering in bright red and rose, the white rose shrub, the fynbos grasses, bulbs, and proteas, the old lavender bush, the confetti bushes, the tall Strelitzias, the Bougainvilleas along the fences, the majestic Pine tree, the little spiny Fever tree, which never really found its happiness in a non-endemic space. Plumbagos and Honeysuckle…. yes, so many different species, most of them indigenous and water saving plants, which did withstand the ongoing drought, now all gone with the fire. ALL of them, plants and animals and stones.

And now, a month later, after just a few mm of rain, the first green tips are showing between the rubble.

Magic !  and a good sign for a new beginning. So I planted a Plumbago and put it next to the remaining bird bath. May a garden re-grow, may the birds, snakes, insects, frogs, and all come back.

May the next generation be happy here.

In deep gratitude,

Angela

Azalea

The awakening of nature is a wonderful sighting and here in Zauberberg´s garden you can find many niches to enjoy.

The quietness and beauty invite you to contemplate and breathe deeply.

Plants and animals are all coming alive!

tree fern

vervet monkey

Es ist ja Frühling.

Und der Garten glänzt

vor lauter Licht

Die Zweige zittern zwar

in tiefer Luft, die Stille selber spricht

und unser Garten ist wie ein Altar.

(Rainer Maria Rilke)

The Southern Right Whales have arrived !! We could also watch them from Robberg Nature Reserve recently. Can we see them in Knysna? Yes, you can go for whalewatching tours with one of several operators, e.g. Garden Route Boating Adventures  for a sporty trip or Springtide Charters for the more luxurious event.

This is the eggcase of Argonauta argo which was washed up to my feet on Brenton Beach one evening. And not only the eggcase but the octopus inhabiting it as well. I was so amazed about it´s sight and not sure what to do…before I could decide, standing in the waves knee deep with my jeans and some black ink dripping off the animal, it slipped back into the ocean with one last glance out of a one very black eye and left me behind puzzled about what I had just witnessed….and sorry about me holding it´s “house” still in my hand.

Argonauts are a rare find on our beaches. They are also called paper nautiluses, referring to the paper-thin eggcase that the females secrete.

They are found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide; they live in the open ocean, i.e. they are pelagic. Like most octopuses, they have a rounded body, eight arms and no fins. However, unlike most octopuses, argonauts live close to the sea surface rather than on the seabed.

I started with some vegie boxes in our Knysna garden and this is the 2nd year with limited success due to very hot days, limited water from our rain tanks and compost which seems to be too weak for tomatoes. I had bought worm compost which did not give the desired results, then added seagrow fertilizer every other week which proved to make the fruits grow nicely. The plants themselves look rather dry now in February. The plan for next season is to add more manure to the boxes in autumn and find/make better compost. The companion planting with strawberries seems to work well.

A delicious recipe for “Zauberberg Raw Tomato Soup”: 5:2 tomatoes:red peppers, 1 handful of ground cashews, 1-2 handful of basil, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/4 red onion, 2 Tsp olive oel, himalayan rock salt + pepper, or cayenne and a handfull of gojiberries (from Rawlicious) – blend everything together and enjoy !

I love beach walks! Other than the oceans energy, the salty air and beauty of the scenery, there is always something interesting to find. Last weekend we walked around Robberg, the rocky island and nature reserve at Plettenbergbay. And there he was, a bit smelly and immediately catching my eye. I had found a boxfish before and wondered about this not so common family of fish – at least along our beaches here at the Garden Route. This chap is a reef fish and might have come from further north?

Wikipedia tells us that Ostraciidae is a family of squared, bony fish belonging to the order Tetraodontiformes . They occur in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans. Members of this family occur in a variety of different colors, and are notable for the hexagonal or “honeycomb” patterns on their skin. They swim in a rowing manner. The hexagonal plate-like scales of these fish are fused together into a solid, triangular, box-like carapace, from which the fins, tail, eyes and mouth protrude. Because of these heavy armoured scales, Ostraciidae are limited to slow movements, but few other fish are able to eat the adults.

At Cape Towns Two Oceans Aquarium you can see the triangular boxfish Tetrosomus concatenatus http://www.aquarium.co.za/species_exhibits/browse_species/triangular_boxfish/

We haven’t had such a long, cold winter at the Garden Route in a long time!

It is August and we can still see the last snow on the peaks of the Swartberg (the higher peaks behind the Outeniquas), and in the mornings our breath when  moving outside. Luckily the sun is already warm during the day so that we can walk around in T-shirts (19-25°C). Our guests from Munich seem to enjoy their stay with cosy evenings at the fireplace and sunny days perfect for the many opportunities for outdoor activities. We can watch the whales not only in Hermanus but also here along the coast of the Garden Route. From Plettenbergbay we hear that about 10 Southern Right Whales (Balaena glacialis) are in the bay. There are various offers for whale watching tours in Plett as well as in Knysna, e.g. www.knysnaboattrips.co.za which is at this time of the year an absolute “must do” in the area.

We are welcoming the South African spring which traditionally already starts first of September. It is announcing itself through a show of Erythrina caffra blossoms – the coral tree – which is much enjoyed by the sun birds as well.

“The Knysna Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion damaranum) is a species of dwarf chameleon in the Bradypodion (“slow footed”) genus of chameleons that are endemic to South Africa. It is a forest dweller, found only in a limited range in the afromontane forests near Knysna, South Africa, and in certain other areas. As with most chameleons, its tongue is twice the length of its body and it can be shot out of its mouth using a special muscle in the jaw. This gives the chameleon the ability to catch insects some distance away.”

(See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knysna_Dwarf_Chameleon )

Unfortunately the habitat of this little creature is shrinking and they are extremely vulnerable – from mechanic hedge clippers to pet cats the urban garden environment holds many dangers for them. Little wonder considering how small they are, and how slowly they move…

Which is why, after taking this picture, I picked up this one and carefully dropped him in the thickest and most remote hedge at Zauberberg, where the wild creatures live!