Bits of everything

Tony must have been quite frustrated as we found that he had been swinging a sledgehammer with abandon in the old aviary and knocked a layer of bricks off all the internal  walls and even started on one of the very solidly built birdbaths. The result of course was the place strewn with rubble so we kindly collected it and made a large heap outside to be cleared away. Pottaman showed us where the connection for the water is buried so we can put a tap by the braai and Ellie made use of the opportunity to show him where to mow for the extension for the Fynbos Ramble. Hopefully he will now stop mowing in rows between the Proteas and give it a more natural look.

The alien buster team of Rob, Keith and Cathy ringbarked more Bluegums, nearly finished now and then they can concentrate on seedlings again of which there are plenty. Rob will give a course next Tuesday to the Van Stadens staff how to deal with aliens using poppers and/or herbicides rather than their current methods of slash and coppice.

The misting house continues to surprise us, we could wait no longer to check the tree cuttings and were pleasantly surprised to find lots of roots on the ones in sawdust while fewer roots on the ones in grit. So guess what we will be doing next week.

I keep on trying to find the optimum mist setting and am getting close I think.

It is still very dry in the Reserve, while Ellie braved the cold water I weeded a bit on the Aloe koppie but the soil was very hard and it looks like it can do with a lot more compost and mulch.

Vee alerted us to a special Protea behind the Dell so we went to photograph this Protea scolymocephala, not from the Eastern Cape, pretty none the less.

The Open Day with plant sale is getting close, still lots to do with few hands to do it, where is everybody?