Pondering peach blossoms

Weekends have once more become full-on gardening weekends. Preparing the garden for spring has become a race against time. With hedges, fruit trees, roses and herbs pruned, the feeding and composting has begun in earnest.

Peach blossoms

The lawn is enjoying a reprieve from being mowed and is rapidly taking on the feel of a meadow. With yellow dandelions lurking in the lawn and winter grass going to seed, it is a scenario all to the delight of the tiny flock of Swee Waxbills that have made the garden their home over the last two years.

A Swee Waxbill

I am glad someone is enjoying the uncut lawn, as we rush about between digging over the gardens, planting out onion seedlings, feeding and watering the fruit trees.

Watering the orchard manually, forces me to slow down. There is the spectacle of nasturtiums on the orchard floor and a variety of peach, plum and almond blossoms against the blue sky, to be enjoyed.

Plum blossoms

The nasturtium seeds were in the soil that we re-cycled to make the new dams around the fruit trees. The seeds have exploded in a feast of yellows and oranges on the orchard floor, spreading between the dams and reminiscent of the nasturtiums of Monet’s garden at Giverny.

Peach Blossoms

The blossoms range from plum white, to faded peach almond and peach pink. They are vibrant against the clear blue winter sky. Each tree with its own distinctive fragrance proclaims that spring is in the air.

Almond blossoms

With the bees flying from blossom to blossom, I could observe which blossoms they prefer. Some even trying to get to the pollen in the closed blossom buds as well.

I am quite surprised by the number of bees still visiting our orchard at a time when the entire valley is a feast of blossoming orchards. Perhaps it is less crowded and the assortment of blossoms in close proximity, more appealing.

With the blossoms comes new life. Some peach trees are showing their tiny buds of fruit. Many an artist portrays new life and youth with blossoms, while others use it to reflect a nostalgia for a fading rural past.

It was in 1888, in Provence, that Vincent van Gogh began his most productive period of his painting career. It is said that the blossoming apricot, peach and plum trees inspired him. And, in this time he nearly completed one painting each day on the subject matter.

I completely understand how he must have felt. I too am excited by our small orchard in blossom, what to say of the larger orchards of Provence.

Almond Blossoms - Vincent van Gogh - 1890 (Van Gogh Museum- Amsterdam)

On the 31^st of January 1890, Theo wrote to Vincent to announce the birth of his son, Vincent Willem van Gogh. To celebrate his nephew’s birth, Vincent started a painting of almond blossoms for Theo and his wife. The almond blossoms symbolising new life for the birth of the baby Vincent.

Peach Blossoms - Winslow Homer - 1878 (Art Institute of Chicago)

In his painting “Peach Blossoms”, 1878, the American painter Winslow Homer, painted a young woman looking at a peach tree in blossom in a rural setting. It is a setting that often recurs in Homer’s oeuvre and the scene indicates early spring and perhaps her youth. The setting is thought to reflect his nostalgia for a fading rural past. ( Source: The Art Institute of Chicago)

The blossoms remind me of so many orchards of my youth. It evokes a nostalgia for an uncomplicated time. I wonder what Homer would have thought about our rapidly changing rural landscape.

On a clear winter’s day, I enjoyed the luxury of standing in our orchard with water rushing into the dams of the fruit trees. I could watch how the activities of the bees made the silk like petals drop to the orchard floor to form festive polka dot patterns in their abundance.  

Looking back to the future

Today, 3 years ago, I posted the first blog not realising the journey of discovery upon which I was embarking. I am learning so much about the history of the cultural landscape in which the house is located. Our food culture, practises and traditional produce that I once thought was lost, I have discovered can be found, if one looks in the right places.

I enjoy sharing my discoveries with readers that might benefit from the information, or who simply enjoy the story behind them.

I have discovered that practices that worked in the past are still relevant today and often just as effective. We have become so accustomed to instant solutions and quick fixes that we tend to overlook the practical solutions that were applied in the past that improved our lives in and around the home. These are normally a lot more cost effective as well.

Historical books on gardening, cooking and maintaining furniture that I bought as curiosities, I find I am consulting more frequently for handy solutions. I am amazed by the innovative ways people historically approached every day challenges.

Thatching Legget

So many answers and solutions can be found in the recordings of information by passionate people in their field. It may be a housekeeper that saw the need for recording the day to day running of an old farm house. Or a lay gardener whose passion for roses made him record every interaction with his garden from which other gardeners might benefit.

I am learning every day and I still get excited when I discover some old forgotten craft, or find the use for a curious tool that I have seen at a market.

Fig liqueur

I appreciate every new invention that makes our lives easier in the kitchen or garden. But chiefly, I love the charm that is to be found in doing something in the original way.

Bonnievale 1937

I am always looking at history to understand the future and will embrace the new, knowing that I understand the old. 

Snoek en soet patats in die boord

Vrydag ry ons Towerwater toe vanaf Kaapstad Internationale lughawe via Polkadraai Weg verby Belhar. Dis Vrydagmiddag en die bakkies met die blink snoeklywe agterop is volop duskant Belhar en Delft.

Snoek en patats

Die versoeking was te groot en ons stop om een van die blink lywe te koop. Ek het groot geword met my familie wat geglo het dat jy snoek net in die maande sonder ‘n ‘r’ koop anders koop jy pap snoek.

Snoek op die smous se bakkie

Die vishoring hoor jy tydens snoektyd nog in Woodstock en  die viskarre is lankal vervang met bakkies maar om die vishoring te hoor aankom deur die strate bring nog ‘n nostalgie van ‘n vervloeë tyd.  Dit is een van daardie unieke kultuur ervarings van die Kaap wat enige tyd kan verdwyn. Ons ondersteun die vis smouse in die hoop dat hierdie ervaring vir nog ‘n paar jaar vir ons behoue kan bly.

Gevlekte snoek op die rooster

Snoek is seker so Kaaps soos Tafelberg en die S’doos en dit is ‘n vis wat uniek in smaak en tekstuur is. Vir ‘n vars snoek is daar net een manier om gaar gemaak te word en dit is oor oop kole.

Snoek gereed vir die kole

Saterdag was ‘n lekker warm dag en met twee brode wat rys in die oond vir later se bak is die snoeiwerk in die tuin hervat. Ons het besluit om die snoek in die middag te braai want die aande raak darrem net te koud as die son sy kop agter die horison in trek.

Patat met kaneel en gedroogte nartjieskil

Terwyl Keith die vuur aan steek het ek ‘n lekker paar patats in die ballas mandjie op die solder gaan haal. Snoek sonder patats is ook nie snoek nie en wat dan nog waneer hulle uit jou eie tuin kom.

Die patats het ek met gedroogte nartjie skil en ‘n kaneel stokkie gaar gemaak en dit toe so in die bruinsuiker stroop in die oond gesteek vir ‘n paar minute.

Die snoek het so ‘n paar hale appelkoos blatjang gekry net vir die appelkoos bederf wat ‘n snoek se geur uitbring. Terwyl die snoek kole toe is druk ek die twee brode in die oond.

Ons het sommer tafel gedek in die boord en net daar sit en braai tussen die kappertjies en bloeisels wat die heerlike sonskyn weer ekstra geniet.

Hanepoot korrel konfyt

Die warm brood waarop die botter smelt het so ‘n lekker lepel Towerwater  korrel konfyt gekry. Dit moet seker die lekkerste lekker wees om so in die skaam skadu van die kaal peerboom die soet verleiding van die heel hanepoot korrels so saam met die warm brood te eet.

Op die sonnige winter dag geniet ons die grootste bederf wat die Kaap en Towerwater op ons borde kon sit, snoek op die kole, soet patats met nartjieskil, hanepoot korrel konfyt en vars gebakte brood. Dit was amper te veel heerlikheid vir een maaltyd.

Springfield se “Special Cuvée Sauvignon Blanc” was ‘n waardige wyn om saam hierdie winter braai in die boord te geniet.

So sit ons en smul, droom en beplan ons op ‘n warm wintersdag met ons handewerk rondom ons. Die boord het ‘n nuwe onthaal area geword en die nuwe braaiplek is beplan en damme en kanale vloei in en deur die boord.

Ons geniet dit om so te sit en droom terwyl  die lekker  die hele bord vol lê maar voor ons nog werk vir ons self gaan soek, moes ons eers nog die kweper laning gaan snoei het.

Haiku for a winter rose garden

The pruning of the rose bushes and fruit trees at Towerwater happened much later than we had anticipated. We knew that we would have to hit the ground running with the pruning as soon as we had arrived back in South Africa after five weeks in Europe.

We planned the trip to return a week later than we would normally start the pruning in July. The idea was to start the pruning over the last weekend in July and that Fungai would continue during the ensuing week. Unfortunately Fungai fell ill while we were in Europe and had to be hospitalised.

Fungai is now fortunately out of hospital and getting better but his recovery will be a slow one. We are back to doing all the work ourselves. Weekends have become very full and busy.

We were relieved to learn in the latest newsletter from a local rose grower, that they have also delayed their pruning this year. The universe once again looked out for us and slowed the plants down.

Now we can stand back as all the pruning is complete. All that remains is for the roses to be fed and composted and they will be ready for spring.

The garden looks clean and under control again. Slowly but surely we are getting up to date with the garden tasks.

Haiku for a winter rose garden

stark cold branches
monochrome memories of pruning
the beauty of winter

Still life with roses

In season we do not as a custom, pick roses for the house. The reasons for that are, that we prefer the roses in the garden and we are normally only there intermittently and for short periods. We enjoy the display in the garden where it can be enjoyed by everyone.

The pruning of the roses in winter means that there will be a festival of rose bouquets in the house. Bouquets that are made up of all the late blooms on the bushes that are picked ahead of the pruning.

This year the garden did not disappoint, with the variety of blooms that were still available in August. The sheer luxury of roses in the house in the middle of winter was a joy to come home to after a summer holiday in Europe.

It was like bringing sunshine into the cold house where the colour and fragrances filled the rooms with memories of summer. I expected to find Monet or Renoir somewhere in a room, trying to capture a scene that is beautiful in its transience.

Roses by Pierre-Aguste Renoir 1841 - 1919

With memories of the Pierre Auguste Renoir paintings of roses in the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris fresh in our minds, one realises what must have moved him to capture the bouquets on his canvases.

The vibrancy of the image of a vase exploding with the colour and texture of the different roses, moves me to want to fetch a canvas and capture that one moment of rose abundance.

Our garden could not have given us a better welcome home gift than this abundance of roses. It will be, for a brief period, a still life with roses that asks to be painted and become more than a memory.

Roses by Pierre-Aguste Renoir 1841 - 1919

The beauty of the roses lifts the spirit. It inspires one to create more beauty just to be able to experience this kind of joy. I have to agree with Pierre-Auguste Renoir when he said, 

 “To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful, and pretty, yes pretty! There are too many unpleasant things in life as it is without creating still more of them.”

― Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Winter Dream

Like the swallows, we migrated north this year to avoid some of the southern winter. With parts of Europe experiencing a heat-wave we felt like Icarus that ventured to near to the sun, at times.

We visited many tea emporiums while in Europe and during a visit to “Het Brugse Thee Huis, L’art du The” in Bruges, I bought some loose leaf tea mix called “Winter Dream”. Maybe it was just an instinctive longing for a colder southern winter in the scorching northern heat. Or was it simply the images the fragrant tea conjured up for me. 

On our return we headed straight to Towerwater after a brief stop at our Cape Town home. The Cape winter after the Parisian summer was a bit of an adjustment, but the fact that we were home again was all the warmth we needed.

We awoke with the house and garden shrouded in the familiar winter mist that clears around midday, to the most brilliant of blue winter days. After spending the day in the garden, catching up with gardening chores, we could enjoy some of the “Winter Dream” from Bruges on the lawn.

The hot tea with all the familiar spice smells of winter was welcoming and soothing in the near monochromatic garden. It was surreal to think that we were enjoying tea from Bruges at Towerwater less than 24 hours after we had left Paris.

From misty mornings to mild middays and azure afternoons, we could sit back with a cup of tea, safe in the knowledge that we are living our winter dream.