The herb garden

With the number of small housing and apartment complexes having increased dramatically over the past few years several people that I’ve met have started either a small herb garden or a tiny vegetable patch in their little back yards. Kerry-Anne and I’ve tried to do this several times but we never seem to keep a handle on it and the poor patch of plants invariably either overrun (in the case of the hardy plants) or fizzle away into dried up stalks.

Do you have a veggie or herb garden at home, and if not, are you considering starting one?

Last grapes of the season

On 31 October of last year, I posted a photo of the first super-tiny bunch of grapes to start growing on the vine covering our patio. This bunch is one of the fully adult, yet relatively small, bunches of grapes to materialise from the baby-bunches that I photographed in October.

I tasted a couple of the grapes, and while not harshly bitter, they’re not exactly the sweetest, largest, or juiciest that I’ve ever tasted. Perhaps next year’s harvest will be more palatable – although best I don’t leave it to chance. If you have any tips for for producing a harvest of large, lush, and sweet grapes, I’m all ears.

Turtle among the lilies

I wonder how many visitors to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens know that there are turtles hovering in the ponds, keeping a beady eye on passersby. Shortly after I took this photo Mandrake (the turtle in question) swam to the side of the pond, giving chase as I slowly, and then slightly more rapidly, backed away.

As it turns out Mandrake wasn’t really after me, or my pointy camera. He headed straight past me towards the pathway – for what purpose I’m not sure. It seemed as though even he was perplexed when he reached it! I understand that peak turtle breeding season is coming to a close, so perhaps he (or perhaps she) was just trying to look as fierce as a turtle is able to look.

For a moment I quivered.