An oasis! In the semi-desert. Cool botanical bliss only 20 minutes dirt road away. This pretty piece of paradise is also the exquisite garden of a fellow homesteading, homeschooling hippie organic friend. She does it all. Alone. With minimal water. Maximum sunshine. And, of course, indignant bleeting and cackling from her two goats and dozen chickens. Wandering through her magnificent though postcard size garden is quite an experience. Looking around at the rugged mountainside and rocky valley it is hard to believe she has built a gem of a garden off dry rock. It is truly an oasis in every sense of the word.
We love to organize playdates. Our children play while us mamas take a break from the demanding homesteading life to sip our latest fermented concoctions and catch up ....
Well what is there not to discuss when you have so much in common with someone and so little free time to talk. We sample each others latest health snack or treat. Exchange herbal cuttings and veggie seedlings. Laugh over the latest goatie antic.
She's recently had solar issues. Join the club! We're discussing mama creative alternatives to feed and bath children. There's also the dilemma of poor seed germination and broody hens. She has pink yarrow - pink! I have white. We swap. We also swap echinacea seed. She has white and I have pink.
This week she's made fermented wild honeybush and buchu kombucha. It is delicious! She explains where up the mountain pass I can forage. Which leads us to discuss the snakes this summer. She points to an old milk can near the goats house and explains how they found a black rattle snake inside a couple days ago. Country living has dangers of a different nature to the cities.
We coo over the new year's homeschooling books. If only our own school textbooks were half so beautiful and captivating. My youngest toddles in with a handful of baby chick.
I raise my eyebrow. "Rosie stashed that away in the dog kennel" she rolls her eyes. "One egg! One! Let's just hope it's not another rooster".
Eventually after getting the children out of the thorn tree treehouse we wonder through the picturesque country garden. It is a riot of colour. "Not too many veggies though." She stares at her calloused hands, deeply tanned from long hours in our Karoo sun. "I sometimes wonder if it is worth it" She sighs. "And yet look at the view. Look at the contented children. I wouldn't exchange this for all the money in the world".
Quite an inspiration - like me. The pink yarrow looks amazing.
Isn't it? So so pretty
This garden is amazing!!! All these colors, the beauty of the flowers have warmed my heart and have also inspired me in so many ways!
I can't wait to find a beautiful piece of land soon for a new vegetable garden. First year without having one as we want to move out to another village... We thought that we would have already managed to find a new house, but still nothing. Hopefully soon!
You are lucky to have such a good friend with so many interests in common! Plus a gorgeous garden to visit :)
Oh no!? I didn't realize! All those beautiful herbs that you are planting - is it for someone else?
This piece of land is ours!!! That's why we are free to do anything we want!!! And I looove this feeling!!!
We also have some olive groves, but we rent land, too! Hopefully one day we will be autonomous :)
OH!!! I thought so. That is wonderful. I was confused because of you renting. But it all proves how much you love the land and bringing out the beautiful that it was created to be!
So sweet of you!!!
Obviously you understand how much effort all this process needs, so renting ringed a bell, haha! Thank you for the encouragement!
Oh wow, what a wonderful oasis and a slice of heaven! Envious, green (punny!) with envy.
You have done a wonderful job and in sharing with us we can kind of feel some of what you feel.
To be honest, I want this as well! Do you know of anyone selling some property there 🤣🤣 In any case, till then, I will farm my suburban family property. I harvested some marog (amaranth) this morning, so I can also say I did something with my property (besides the thousands of fynbos that do not yield any food haha).
I really enjoyed your post today. I have three onions that have gone to seed, also almost ready to harvest and your first photograph reminded me of it!
This is a beauty! Truly your hippie friend applies her knowledge 100% to make Mother Earth do her best. I love the great variety of flowers and plants you have, this really is the best way to learn to love nature and to establish a harmonious relationship with our environment. Everything is beautiful in this place, there is so much to learn there. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos. Greetings and happy new year 2022.
Omg that's incredible. How does she water it or does she just choose waterwise plants? What an incredible oasis and beautiful place to visit.
It was you I was waxing lyrical about apricots wasn't it? Funnily enough we just started our road trip in Tassie and guess what roadside farm stall we passed?
Wow, I love your garden. If I have a garden like yours I think my wife would love it too. Have a nice day ahead.
I don't know why I imagine the Karoo, like the driest place on earth.
It does look like an Oasis! I am sure weed grow so well there. It would be perfect for solar powered mining rigs, making some of that sweet sweet crypto, eating goat cheese, smoking a little.
Aaaaaah.
Yes it does. It's self seeding all over the goat area at the moment. They love it