Blog - Blaauwheim 5* Guest House

Autumn at Blaauwheim

2022-05-29T00:00:00+02:00

Autumn is a splendid season at Blaauwheim. The days are not too hot, not too cold and not too windy. An occasional shower or rainy day is followed by blue sky and sunshine. Real champagne weather. No wonder autumn is referred to as being our "secret season".

The shy tips of the March lily (Amaryllis belladonna) first appear and rapidly grow their slender stems before the beautiful pink flowers open. Autumn has arrived!

Then the squirrels come. At first they are selective, only investigating the availability of what the pin oak has to offer. After a week or two they come to harvest every single nut. Up and down up and down, eating some and stashing many more. All of this happens before the leaves even start to change colour.

Other autumn flowers also appear. Beautiful Nerinas, Haemanthus lilies, Clivia Nobilis and Strelitzias all make an appearance.

Autumn is also berry time and suddenly their red and orange add colour to the garden.

The giant fig tree becomes a show stopper in all shades of yellow and the pin oak's red and brown leaves fall. Katryn the cat sees this as an opportunity to play. She jumps into the pile of leaves and ambushes Rafiki the Schnauzer. He also prepares for the changing weather and gets his last proper grooming before winter and soon starts to look like a teddy bear.

The days become shorter and the temperature drops. The garden seems to know that it will be winter soon.

Indigenous South African Christmas wreath the Blaauwheim way.

2020-12-24T00:00:00+02:00

Blaauwheim's lush garden offers lots of clivia berries (Clivia miniata) for me to harvest for my wreath as well as a huge yellowwood tree (Afrocarpus falcatus) from which to get all the foliage needed to fill the gaps.

Our local florist always has wreaths available in all different sizes. The flower foam form comes in a plastic drip tray. The diameter of my wreath is about 30cm. Soak the wreath in clean water until the oasis is saturated. This takes a few hours. Transfer the wreath onto a round platter, slightly bigger than the wreath. This makes transporting the wreath so much easier and prevents water stains on your furniture. It is also more comfortable to spin the platter rather than walking around the wreath during the process of arranging the plant material.

Harvest berries from the previous season that you are prepared to sacrifice. Don't fret if all the bunches are not full or if the berries are not the same colour or of the same size. This is a natural wreath and Mother Nature loves variety in colour and shape. Rinse the berries under a running tap to remove all sorts of spider webs and dirt. Allow them to get a good drink of water. I used about twenty bunches of berries. Work gently with the bunches since the berries are ripe and prone to falling off. Cut the stalks of the bunches so that they sit snugly on the foam when pressed down. Balance your bunches so that all the full ones are not too closely together. Cover the entire foam circle.

The colour, texture and size of the leaves of this particular yellowwood complement the vibrant reds of the clivia berries. Cut a branch and separate into individual twigs. Fill all the spaces and little gaps until the floral foam has been totally concealed.

A sturdy cream coloured beeswax candle in the centre completes the project.

This wreath will last until next year! Water the oasis sparingly from time to time. Once the stems of the bunches of berries start to yellow, pick all the berries and give them to all your friends who have admired your wreath to grow their own clivias.

Blaauwheim's wishes for you: May you all have a wonderful Christmas and a happy and healthy 2021.

Diertjie, gogga of gediertetjie?

2020-11-22T00:00:00+02:00

Daar is sommer baie diertjies en gediertetjies in Blaauwheim se tuin en as ‘n mens mooi kyk, is die een nog meer fassinerend as die volgende. Hulle verskil so baie van mekaar dat ek dikwels oor Homo Sapiens wonder. Verskil ons ook so baie van mekaar?

Die mens is tweebenig, ‘n eienskap wat ons met voëls deel. Hier is ook vier-, ses- en agtpotiges en natuurlik ruspes en duisendpote (wat nie rêrig duisend pote het nie)!

Voëls is hier baie. Hier is gedurig voëlgesang en selfs snags hoor ‘n mens die uile. Duiwe, witogies, lysters, jan frederikke, bosbontrokkies en baie ander kom kuier gereeld. Ek het belowe dat hier altyd vir hulle water sal wees. Voëls wat daarvan hou om in die oopte water te drink en te bad, geniet die lopende water van die fonteintjie. Die wat skugter en sku is, kan by enige van die drie ander plekke hulle dors les. Verskeie spesies bou ook nes in Blaauwheim se tuin en maak hulle kleintjies hier groot. Voëls is sorgsame ouers vir hulle kleintjies.

Paddas, akkedisse en verkleurmannetjies tel onder die vierpotiges. Akkedisse bewaak soms hulle neste nadat die wyfie haar eiers gelê het. Die Kaapse dwergverkleurmannetjiewyfie (Bracypodion pumilum)skenk die lewe aan lewendige kleintjies maar sy het nie ‘n saak met hulle nie! Nadat ‘n kleintjie hom uit die geboortesak bevry het, is hy op sy eie. Dit slaan my dronk hoe die piepklein diertjies dit tog regkry om te oorleef.

Die hardste werkers op die werf is sekerlik die insekte, die sespotiges. Spuit net die tuin nat en die miere dra vir ‘n vale eiers na veilige plekke. Ek is gek na bye. Hulle kolonies en korwe spreek van orde en samehorigheid. Ek plant met heuningbye se behoeftes in my agterkop en sorg dat daar altyd nektarryke blomme sowel as dié met volop stuifmeel beskikbaar is. Naaldekokers vlieg soos wafferse helikopters hier rond as hulle jag. Dit is ook die tyd van die jaar dat klein bruin torretjies (genus Anoplognathus) hulle verskyning maak. Kleindag het ons hulle krismisbesies genoem. Skoenlappers is ook nou volop maar hulle is soos die kennisse van wie se kinders jy nie hou nie. Ruspes vreet met die aptyt van tienerseuns na ‘n taai rugbywedstryd.

Gedurende November gewaar ons ook altyd spinnekopneste van die reënspinnekop (Palystes superciliosus) wat tussen ankertakkies hang. Die agtpotiges bou hierdie neste van allerlei blare, grassies en stokkies. Dit lyk vreedsaam, maar as jy mooi kyk, sien jy dat mevrou spinnekop in die nabyheid van die nes waghou. Sy sorg dat vyande nie haar kroos speldekop spinnekoppies kom ontvoer om te verorber nie. Haar voorkoms is genoeg om enige inbreker die skrik op die lyf te jaag.

Gogga maak vir baba bang? Soms. Nie altyd nie. Gaan kyk ‘n slag na die “klein vyf” en al hulle maats in jou tuin. As jy niks sien in die dag nie, neem 'n flits en gaan kyk in die nag. Berei jouself voor vir 'n hele klomp verassings!

Al die foto's wat in hierdie blog verskyn, is deur Johan en Jo-Anne Blaauw by Blaauwheim 5* Gastehuis geneem.

Blaauwheim's Defence Force and Allies

2020-11-16T00:00:00+02:00

Blaauwheim 5* Guest House is run with military precision but I am by no means referring to Johan’s long and distinguished career in the South African National Defence Force. We operate with the skills acquired during many years of interacting with people from all walks of life. It is therefore fitting that Blaauwheim should have its own defence force, however, one which operates outside in the garden.

We try to keep Blaauwheim’s garden as eco-friendly as possible. Chemical pest control measures can harm this delicate ecosystem. Spraying insecticides kills indiscriminately. This is where our natural defence force plays an important role. All arms of a conventional defence force are present: army, navy, air force and even a secret service.

Our army consists of chameleons, lizards, toads and geckos among others. They are all effective hunters employing stealth and camouflage to perfection.

The air force includes birds, bees, dragonflies and damselflies with their gossamer wings, ladybirds, praying mantises and many more. This is the group that elicits most oohs and ahs. They are often pretty to look at. Many of them are prime pollinators without which the human race will cease to exist.

The navy is underrepresented with only frogs that live mainly in the fountain’s water reservoir. Being amphibious, we often see them hunting in the garden at night.

Then there is the secret service. Ab-sailing from above, the spider cloaks his prey in a silky web of deception. Bats and mole rats are also clandestine nocturnal animals. These helpers are seldom seen but they leave traces of their presence all over. Mole rats tunnel just under the surface of the soil, lifting and cracking the lawn ever so slightly. I like earthworms but not particularly bats and mole rats. Earthworms and mole rats play an important role aerating the soil.

Beware of our defence force! Our allies employ stealth, speed, camouflage and all sorts of weapons to aid us in this symbiotic relationship of having a beautiful garden.

May the force be with you!

(All images used in this article were taken by the author at Blaauwheim 5* Guest House in Somerset West.)

Clivias Blaauwheim 5* Guest House style

2020-10-16T00:00:00+02:00

One of the most fortuitous decisions we ever made was not to sell our house in Somerset West in 1994 when Johan was posted to Kenia as the South African Defence Attaché. After Nairobi a period of almost ten years in Durban followed before we finally came home to establish Blaauwheim Guest House in 2008. During the time we were away, whatever garden we had was neglected and destroyed. Fortunately the yellowwood, acacia and palm trees survived. There were no clivias in our old garden.

Nowadays visitors to our garden say our success is due to having such good soil. The resurrection of the garden started with mounds of compost being worked into the beds repeatedly. Having a borehole with a good water supply certainly helps.

Clivias have broad straplike leaves and thick, fleshy roots. These roots help them to survive in dry conditions. At the onset of the recent drought we noticed that clivias were out-surviving even agapanthus. They thrive in the dappled sunlight under the canopy of Blaauwheim’s woodland garden as they would in nature. They bear their colourful flowers on long slender stems. Bright berries varying in colour from green and yellow to deep burgundy appear on sturdy stalks after the flowers have died. These stalks eventually become so heavy that they bend and finally rest on the ground. The seeds germinate in the plant debris and a myriad of seedlings can grow closely together. At Blaauwheim this is affectionately known as a "squatter camp". Whenever I plant seed, I simply remove the fleshy part of the berry, make a hole as deep as the first joint of a finger, place and cover with soil or compost. I am an amateur gardener and accept what nature has in store without making a fuss! The bees unknowingly apply Mendel's laws of inheritance but I don't care! There is a "grow or go" policy in this garden.

Many people are not aware of the fact that clivias make excellent cut flowers. Simply put a full umbel or flower head into a vase and see how your centerpiece quickly becomes a conversation piece. They can last for weeks. I regularly use bunches of ripe berries for my Christmas wreath.

Blaauwheim’s clivias come from many sources. We brought back the specimens we had in Durban, some came from a fête, my sister brought a few from Grahamstown and the lady with whom I stayed while marking Matric Exam Papers in Harding, KZN gave me a handful of berries. Our daughter Maritha has also been a regular contributor with clivias as birthday gifts. I also have a couple of “rescues” which I bought at a discounted price from a nursery. They were over watered and looked sad indeed but are now flourishing. Even Jan Volschenk, a well known dedicated grower, gave Johan a few plants, the first of which is now in flower. It is a gorgeous peach colour. There are actually too many sources to list here!

Bees and other insects are the main pollinators while slugs and snails can be a menace. I have often found berries with their fleshy part damaged but never a seed that's been eaten.

We have often been asked how much it cost to establish a garden with so many clivias. The answer is simple! Not much if you start with one or only a few. Initially we did not have many flowering clivias in the garden but Johan and I religiously shelled the berries and for the first few years planted each and every precious pearl.Trial and error... I literally stared plants into growing and the next thing they were flowering. Just plant the first seed or plant, add compost and water. Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Blaauwheim 5* Guest House is a survivor

2020-10-10T00:00:00+02:00

Covid 19 does strange things to people. I have had the words of a song in my head all day long. “I will survive” keeps on ringing in my ears. Thanks, Tina, because I then realized that you might be sending me a subliminal message about our recovery after this pandemic.

Blaauwheim 5* Guest House was established in 2008, the year of the great international economic crash. We survived and flourished.

Then there was an outbreak of ebolavirus in Africa. Ignorant travellers cancelled their bookings, not realising that the outbreak happened much nearer to their countries of residence in Europe than to the Western Cape. We survived!

The following folly was the unabridged birth certificate fiasco. The stories we can tell because of some bureaucrats’ ill-advised blunders, will make you cry. Blaauwheim once again survived.

The next obstacle was a curve ball Mother Nature herself launched at everyone in the Western Cape but especially the hospitality industry. We all suffered because of a terrible drought. Once more our politicians had to play the role of bogeymen. They coined the dreaded phrase “Day Zero”. We overcame the shortage of water by drilling a borehole. Blaauwheim was blessed with enough water of exceptional quality. Disaster avoided. (Thankfully, after a good rainy season, our dams are now full.)

But towards the end of the 2019/2020 tourism season the dreaded Covid 19 reached our shores and our guests had to rush out of the country to avoid lockdown here. All bookings beyond March disappeared… Now we are seven months further down the year and things are looking bleak. However, we are confident that Blaauwheim will survive yet another time.

Guest house owners are resilient. They bounce back. But then they must be real guest house owners who are present, optimistic, dedicated and committed to excellence. TripAdvisor recognised Blaauwheim as an exceptional guest house and awarded us the 2020 “Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Award", only awarded to 25 Guest Houses on the African continent!

Suddenly the tune in my head changed! Still Tina Turner, but now it is “You’re simply the best…!”

“I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way…” Thanks Johnny Nash and RIP.

Lente by Blaauwheim

2020-10-06T00:00:00+02:00

2020 was 'n onderstebo, deurmekaar jaar. Ek dink dit is een waaarvan baie mense wil vergeet. Gelukkig is dit nou lente met bloeisels wat vrugte en knoppe wat blomme belowe. Dit is tyd vir hernude optimisme. Ons sien elke dag hoe vaal landskappe groen word en tuine ewe skielik vol kleur en lewe is. Sommige tuine is mooier as wat ek hulle al ooit gesien het. Die Wes-Kaap is nat en ek dink baie mense het gedurende die grendeltyd tuin toe gevlug as hulle kon. Ek het self baie in Blaauwheim se "woudtuin" gesit of in die grond gewerk.

"Dis heerlike lente, die winter's verby…" Ek is seker hierdie liedjie het al onwillekeurig by baie van ons opgekom. Die vrolike woorde het elke jaar in talle skoolgange weergalm. Onthou jy jou weeklikse sangklas toe jy in die laerskool was? Dit was ook van die min kere dat die seuns saamgesing en nie die arme onderwyseres probeer ontsenu het nie. Die "ho-la-dri-hoe-a" is veral uit volle bors gesing!

Een van ons gunsteling lenteliedjies was "Al die veld is vrolik". Doris Brasch en (ek dink) Dawie Couzyn het dit gesing. Daarin het die koggelmannetjies feesgevier, die goggatjies galop en die miere gedans. Snags hoor ons nou die uile roep en vroegoggend praat lyster al. Blaauwheim se tuin het net verkleurmannetjies. Hulle geniet beslis die langer, warmer dae.

Hierdie outjie sit behoorlik tussen die jasmyn se blare. Ook die digter C. Louis Leipoldt het van Oktober gehou en dit die "mooiste, mooiste maand" genoem. "En oral in die tuin rond ruik jy sering en roos, jasmyn en katjiepiering, lemoen en appelkoos". Daar is min skoolkinders wat nie ook hierdie gedig moes memoriseer en voorgedra het nie - in die dae toe ons nog in standerd 5 was en nie graad 7 nie!

Die lente beteken egter ook 'n genies en 'n geproes vir baie van ons. Omdat dit so nat is, het die ergste hooikoors hierdie jaar genadiglik weggebly. Niesbuie kan 'n mens enige plek oorval. Deesdae word jy omtrent aangegluur as jy sou waag om te nies.

W.E.G. Louw se antwoord sou eenvoudig wees: "Maar in die Boland is dit nou Oktobermaand."

Verbeel ek my of is die kleure van maskers ook eensklaps helderder, die mens se gemoed ligter?

The first wedding at Blaauwheim

2020-03-02T00:00:00+02:00

We have had more than our fair share of brides preparing for their "big day" at Blaauwheim. The bridal party usually checks in the night before the wedding. The day of the wedding starts with a leisurely breakfast. Then pandemonium disturbs the quiet suburb of Jonkershoogte as service providers arrive to do from hair to make-up or deliver bouquets and messages. At long last the gate closes behind the nervous bride-to-be and all at Blaauwheim heave a sigh of relief that the bride was only going to be fashionably late.

This time around it was totally different. All three our rooms were booked well in advance by the prospective bride. Every single thing was done timeously and all questions from our side answered promptly. They came for a site inspection to decide which room they wanted.

At last the big day dawned. The three young women arrived with dresses, flowers, the cake and all sorts of needful things. Another lady entered with an array of beauty equipment and promptly started curling and colouring in.

The three guys came much later. They did not even show a glimpse of nerves. The wedding official rang the bell and the photographer arrived with all her paraphernalia.

The maids of honour scurried all over to get everything ready. They were so well prepared that Johan and I could just enjoy that history was being made at Blaauwheim and that without a single worry. Even Rafiki the Schnauzer calmed down, having had enough barking opportunities for the day.

Our bride looked absolutely radiant when she came down the stairs to meet her groom who was waiting to escort her into the garden.

Excitement toned down with the realization of the solemnity of the occasion. The wedding official is also an ordained minister and captured her small audience with her words of wisdom. Wows and rings were exchanged, reminding us of our own wedding 41 years and one day ago...

The register was signed inside the house to make and keep everything legal.

With all formalities over, champagne corks were popped and glasses filled and raised to toast the newlyweds and wish them a long, happy, fulfilled life together as husband and wife. The cake was cut amid lots of cheers and laughter.

At long last the bridal party took off to a fancy restaurant for a celebratory dinner.

What a memorable day in their lives and the history of Blaauwheim this has been!

Dear Koos and Ingrid

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing this eventful day with us in person and in pictures. May this new chapter in your lives be a very long and happy one.

Johan and Jo-Anne

Our Blaauwheim garden, Part 2

2020-02-25T00:00:00+02:00

The typical South African garden of old had a lawn, the bigger the better. Any garden without a verdant lawn was unthinkable. A proper garden also had several roses with Peace, Virgo, Queen Elizabeth and Crimson Glory at the top of the favourites list. The roses were all fragrant and well suited for picking.

And then there were the flower beds filled with colourful annuals.Dahlias! We used to have dahlias the size of breakfast plates. My father ordered the tubers from a mail catalogue and I can vividly recall my disappointment seeing these shrivelled promises of glorious blooms.

Winter was the time for red hot pokers that frustrated my mother to no end. There were always freshly picked flowers in our house, beautifully arranged by her. The pokers would turn their heads in all but the desired direction. She also loved pyracantha berries.

The bulbs for the spring display ranked from freesias to narcissus and everything in between, preferably those with scented flowers. As kids we even picked bunches of ranunculus to take to school.

In an arid corner of the garden might have been a rockery with a couple of sad looking aloes. Succulents often did not even feature in suburban gardens. Things have changed. Go to any reputable nursery today and notice the huge shift to succulents and other water wise plants like strelitzias. Succulents are no longer the stepchildren of the garden!

Climate change and frequent droughts changed so many aspects of life and all gardeners had to adapt. We still have a few roses like the "Chicago Peace" featured above. I love bulbs and the Western Cape has an abundance of indigenous species from which to choose.

They often flower from autumn right through to spring. In summer their foliage dies down and the bulbs are dormant until the next season. The pink amaryllis belladonna is the harbinger of autumn and will show up in the most unexpected places.

All plants are welcome in my garden but if they don't thrive they have to make way for those that do. I have replaced most of my ailing agapanthus with clivias. Gazanias are also hardy and provide lots of colour too. Very often self-sown seedlings fare the best and are real survivors.

I cannot imagine my life without a garden!

Cycads at Blaauwheim

2020-02-25T00:00:00+02:00

“Are these dates? Can we eat them?” Many a conversation on the Blaauwheim veranda has started with these questions. The conversation piece is a big bowl full of vibrantly coloured cycad seeds gathered from various female cones that fell apart after ripening in the garden.

Cycads are survivors, literally living fossils - they even survived the dinosaurs with whom they shared the planet. Fossil records suggest that conifers evolved much earlier that flowering plants. Both dinosaurs and

cycads peaked during the Jurassic period, the 57 million years between 193 million years and 136 million years ago. Did I say survivors?

Many of Blaauwheim's guests are foreigners in whose countries no cycads grow naturally. They even gasp in disbelief when we tell them that these plants are not palm trees but miracles of nature, highly sought after and very collectible. This fact immediately conjures up images of illegal activities. Cycads in their natural habitat are being poached by smugglers at an alarming rate. Organized syndicates have even brazenly raided valuable plants from Kirstenbosch and Durban's Botanical Gardens. The avarice of humans threatens many species.

By now you have their attention and if one goes on to tell them about permits to possess and even to transport these plants, the cell phones come out for pictures. Tell them that the specimens on the property are micro-chipped and they fetch the expensive cameras with the big lenses. Our cycads were obtained legally from nurseries registered as dealers in cycads.

It is ironic that cycads are known in Afrikaans as "Broodbome". This literally translates as "Bread Trees'. They were initially called Bread Trees by the famed botanist Thunberg who observed indigenous people taking the pith from the stems and burying it for up to two months to ferment. This process broke down the deadly toxins in the plant to such a level that the pulp could be kneaded and formed into flat cakes which were then slightly baked in embers.

I have chosen Encephalartos Ferox as the cycad example for this article. This plant was given to us as a seedling with only two small leaves. The unmistakable bright red cone of the female E. ferox plant helps with identification. No other species produces such spectacular brightly coloured cones. Our plant has only ever produced a single cone but they can have up to five cones at a time. Although the specimen at Blaauwheim is considered to be a mature plant, at more or less 20 years it is still very young. It gave me great pleasure to observe and document this plant over a period of time from the appearance of the cone right up to a plant with new leaves.

The sighting of a whorl of new leaves or cones is always cause for happiness at Blaauwheim.

I have consulted books by Nat Grobbelaar and Douglas Goode to verify facts for this blog.

Our Blaauwheim garden, Part 1

2020-02-09T00:00:00+02:00

Blaauwheim’s garden, Part 1

Blaauwheim’s garden is my sanctuary, my happy space. It is calming, offering peace and serenity with its colours, textures, scents, smells and aromas which take me back to a happy childhood spent growing up in Kimberley.

I love all things botanical. The garden is the fruit of a multitude of seeds sown in my tender mind by my late father, fondly referred to in our home and family as Dannyboy. We were moulded into seeing “all things bright and beautiful” and appreciating “all creatures great and small”.

He taught us the importance of every little animal in the greater context of things, from the humble earthworm to lizards, bees and chameleons. To this day I have not outgrown this sense of wonderment when I chance upon a little garden surprise.

Another important life lesson was that you have to put in before you can take out. Water and compost your garden’s soil and it will reward you with flowers and fruit. Do not treat all plants as equal for citrus trees like magnesium sulphate but olives dislike this mineral.

It is no wonder that my two sisters and I cannot help ourselves when it comes to gifts. Freshly cut flowers are favourites. Slips and seed rank highly too.

Any garden is a place of hope. Hope is all one has when planting seed. It compells a person to reflect on life and the wonder of new beginnings too.

A blog about my garden has morphed into an ode to my father. RIP Dannyboy.

Rafiki, your friend at Blaauwheim

2020-01-12T00:00:00+02:00

Rafiki is a Miniature Schnauzer. Comical, amusing and highly intelligent, he is Johan’s constant companion and the CEO of Blaauwheim. CEO is the abbreviation for “Canine Executive Officer” and his (very official) designation is that of Chief of Security.

Several of our pets have had Kiswahili names originating from the years we spent in Nairobi, Kenya. Rafiki means “friend” and that is exactly what he is. He greets each and every guest with his welcoming bark. When friends come around, the pitch of his voice rises as if to say that he recognises the people. Rafiki, however, also has an Olympic name! If the gate is accidentally left open, Woofsain Bolt takes to the road and runs down Bakkerskloof Road. The easiest way to catch him is to jump into the car and catch up with him since a drive trumps a run every time.

We did not choose a puppy, Rafiki chose Johan. On the day that we went to Tamarack Miniature Schnauzer Breeders all the puppies were playing around their watchful mother. Johan sat down on the paving and this cheerful little tramp scampered onto his lap. They have been inseparable ever since.

Miniature Schnauzers make excellent pets because of their amiable temperament. They are very alert and vocal. One other important Schnauzer attribute is that they do not shed at all. Rafiki loves being groomed. Going to the doggy parlour is the highlight of every fortnight. After being pampered, he comes home all bright eyed and scorpion tailed and prances around as if he knows that everyone will tell him how adorable he is.

Rafiki has built up a following of loyal supporters over the years, having been mentioned on TripAdvisor numerous times. He has been offered tickets to visit many places from Germany to the USA.

Indeed, if it's not a Schnauzer, it's just a dog!

At Blaauwheim we create an indigenous South African Christmas wreath

2019-12-23T00:00:00+02:00

Blaauwheim has a garden with many mature trees which form a natural canopy. Indigenous Yellowwood trees (Afrocarpus Falcatus and Podocarpus Henkelii) and a huge Sweet thorn, among others, have created the ideal shady habitat to grow Clivias (C miniata and C nobilis).

Also being indigenous, the clivias flower prolifically in spring in colours ranging from pale yellow to deep red. The bees pollinate the flowers and then berries appear on the flower stems. The new berries are green but last year’s berries are now ripe and have turned into all shades of red. They are ideal to use in an indigenous Christmas wreath.

Soak the wreath (which I bought in a plastic drip tray) in clean water until the floral foam (oasis) is saturated. Pick stems that have well developed berries and give them a rinse and a good drink of water.

Cut the stems and press the bunches of berries into the foam. Pick branches or twigs to fill up spaces between berries and to conceal the oasis. To keep to my indigenous theme, I used foliage from the yellowwood. Confetti bush and buchu are alternative shrubs ideally suited for wreath making. Both of these are fragrant.

Place the wreath on a platter as it is rather heavy and akward to move without breaking off berries. This also makes it easier to add water to the oasis.

A sturdy wax candle finishes off the wreath.

Indigenous does not have to be boring! Carefully thread a strand of fairy lights through the berries for added atmosphere at night.

After the festive season all the clivia berries will be shelled and the seeds planted.

Chameleons in the Blaauwheim garden, Part 3

2019-12-22T00:00:00+02:00

Chameleons moult several times before they are fully grown, also periodically as adults. Their vibrant colours make them so attractive to look at and photograph but sometimes we see specimens that really look dull, even faded. We have come to know that in such cases moulting is imminent.

A moulting chameleon is a sight for sore eyes! The loose skin is either itchy or irritating because they can be seen rubbing their bodies against twigs. They are more vulnerable during this time because their camouflage has been compromised.

The swaying gait of the chameleon deceives a person into thinking that it is slow moving. It is merely another device it uses to trick its predators. I don’t carry my cell phone with me when I am in the garden. I have spotted a chameleon, rushed inside to get a phone or camera and suffered frustration many a times because it had simply vanished when I arrived outside at the place where it had previously been…

A chameleon often uses its tail as if it is a fifth limb. The tail firmly grips branches and twigs and thereby extends the animal’s reach, precariously hanging upside down. The tail also helps the chameleon to balance.

Chameleons in the Blaauwheim garden, Part 2

2019-12-05T00:00:00+02:00

Local visitors to Blaauwheim often tell us that they do not have chameleons in their own gardens. Wrong! One only needs to be sensitised that they might be in your area to start seeing them. They are rather common in Somerset West gardens that have healthy eco-systems and a variety of flowering plants and shrubs which attract insects such as bugs, flies and butterflies. Once you have succeeded in spotting one chameleon, you will probably see another one more easily. Adult males (like this exotic chap below) have elongated bodies whilst the females tend to have more rounded figures.

They also need water. Chameleons cannot go to a birdbath for a drink of water. They drink drops suspended from leaves or water collected on leaves with those amazing tongues. I spray the shrubs that they frequent with water from a bottle. On hot days they really come out of the woodwork for those precious drops of water.

Chameleons are active during the day. The best time to spot them is early in the morning or late afternoon. Being reptiles, they need sunlight to warm their bodies. In winter they can be out all day long and can be seen all over the garden basking in the sun. They do not like to be exposed to wind. They will take shelter on the leeward side of a shrub when it is windy. This often makes for a good number of sightings and if it can be shared with guests, it is so much more rewarding.

Part 3 to follow soon.

Chameleons in the Blaauwheim garden, Part 1

2019-12-01T00:00:00+02:00

I have been fascinated by chameleons ever since I was a little girl. It is thrilling to “host” many of the Cape Dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion pumilum) in our garden. We like to refer to these intriguing creatures, that are endemic to the Western Cape, as part of Blaauwheim’s very own small five.

Chameleons are reptiles, yet the Cape dwarf chameleon is ovo-viviparous. This means that they give birth to live young ones. They have 360° vision because their two eyes operate independently. One eye can literally watch a predator and the other a prey. Once a chameleon has spotted its prey, it focuses with both eyes and shoots out a telescopic tongue to catch its next meal.

Sometimes difficult to spot, these masters of camouflage come in many shades of green with distinct markings in yellow, orange, brown, pink and blue. Young chameleons are mostly brown. They are solitary and as individual as humans with no two looking alike. These captivating creatures also use colour to communicate. Whenever we spot one sporting dark colours and quivering like a leaf, we start looking for another specimen. This is their way of telling an intruder to back off.

Signature fruit platters at Blaauwheim

2019-11-10T00:00:00+02:00

Johan has always loved to cook and be creative in the kitchen. He has honed his cutting skills to almost surgical perfection creating fruit platters pleasing to the eye and the palate. Some guests have called it "fruit art", too good to be eaten.

South Africa is a unique country blessed with both a west and east coast. This makes for growing all kinds of fruit from subtropical varieties like mangoes and litchis to everything the Cape with its Mediterranean climate has to offer. Abundance, variety and excellent quality are the prerequisites for Johan to give his imagination flight.

Creativity can be expressed in many ways. He has surprised many a guest with a themed platter eg. fruit creations of flags celebrating a national day, digits for a special anniversary or flowers and hearts for Valentine's Day.

Johan has a collection of gadgets with which he works. His cutting board for fruit is never used for anything else and he takes great care that there is no cross contamination of flavours.

Discover amazing Blaauwheim

2019-08-26T00:00:00+02:00

Your time is precious and you do not want to travel far once your plane has landed. Blaauwheim is in the town of Somerset West which is really Cape Town East. It is less than half an hour away from Cape Town International Airport and well signposted. Shuttles can be arranged. Uber works well too.

You need luxury and the feeling of being pampered. Our five star grading says it all. Pinotage and Chardonnay are huge suites and Shiraz a lovely double bedroom. All rooms have full en suite bathrooms.

You need to get far from the madding crowd. This guest house has only three rooms. No crowd here.

Breakfast is important to you. Owner Johan will spoil you with a fruit platter almost too beautiful to eat and then a delectable Blaauwheim farmhouse breakfast.

Book now