Despite its pretty spring flowers and its summer fruits, the horsewood is known more for the smell associated with its crushed leaves than for its attractive appearance. In South Africa it is commonly referred to by its Afrikaans name, perdepis, which literally means ‘horse piss’.
Continue reading “Horsewood: Slender tree of the forest margins”
I first fell in love with a Tassel Berry tree at the Hluhluwe Game Reserve Hilltop Camp. It was old, gnarled and shaped by the prevailing wind. By contrast, the tree in our garden leads a sheltered life. Continue reading “The Tassel Berry tree: Bountiful in fruit and flower”
Here in the southern hemisphere, spring has arrived even if with minimal rain. The little rain that has fallen is nothing like “normal” spring rains (remember normal?) and nowhere near enough; we have we had about 10 mls of rain over the past week. Even so the frogs are very vocal in their celebrations. Continue reading “Spring is bursting”
letting nature back in 