Getting down to the Roots

I cannot get enough of how amazing the orchard looks. All the trees have new dams, have been fed, watered and composted. Blossoms are appearing everywhere and the excitement of the new season is evident in the trees.

The orchard old and new

The row of quince trees looks as if they were frosted with soft green icing. The history of the herb garden is repeating itself with seeds coming up everywhere clearly loving the fact that there are no more big plants throwing shadows everywhere. With the abundant sunshine every seed that fell in the garden is coming up and I can just imagine the bursting and spreading of the roots underground.

I am tempted to let the seedlings grow bigger to identify the legitimate herbs and rescue them before I dig over the rest for green compost. The roses are getting their new leaves and some overachievers actually have some flowers already. With the last treatment for scale on the roses completed they are now ready for the new season. It is always exciting to see the first flush of the season - in no year has the display been quite the same.

With most of the seasonal tasks in the garden complete the focus shifts to pest control. The snails are busy with their destructive march through the garden I am starting to question my approach of live and let live in the pursuit of an organic garden.

Keith and Shawn tackled the last big rescue operation in the garden, that of the oak trees.  The oak trees do not like the clay-rich, poorly drained soil in the garden. Pin oaks prefer moist, rich, well-drained, acidic soil, and are extremely intolerant of high pH soils. 

Treating the oak at root level

As with other pin oaks planted in soils with a pH greater than 7.5, our pin oaks developed iron chlorosis, a nutrient deficiency symptom.  Keith saved the oak tree in the parking area by changing the soil structure and a feeding of iron sulphate.

So the brave and laborious task of removing the soil from the roots started after which compost and other organic food is put back in the place of the clay soil. Keith has taken on the challenge to save the oaks and turn them into the dark green beauties that they should be. I have seen what Keith’s determination can achieve and will watch the response of the oak trees to this archaeological approach to gardening.

Classic G and T

A balmy afternoon gave us the perfect opportunity to have our first braai of the season.  Relaxing with a gin and tonic we could throw a few apricot logs on the fire in memory of the apricot that needed to be replaced in the orchard.

The tonic water of choice was the fever tree Elderflower tonic water just to add a hint of summer to one of the best cocktails.

Cape salmon on the fire

Braaied Cape salmon

After we had braaied the Cape Salmon we had lots of coals left and decided to braai the butterflied leg of lamb and have it as cold meat for Sunday lunch. We had a glorious al fresco meal sitting next to the roaring fire raising a glass to our recycled apricot tree.

Butterflied leg of lamb