Home is where the heart is

With our trip to Europe in June and July 2017 but a memory, we busy ourselves with the tasks at hand. We have decided to forgo any oversees traveling in order to dedicate our leave time to work on the gardens at Towerwater and Melbourne Terrace.

This year, we plan to complete projects and have a less frantic pruning season than last year. Hopefully, everything will happen in the right time. We hope to complete the rose hedges and Victorian kitchen gardens for the cottages.

The garden at Towerwater has embraced the magic of winter. On rare balmy days, when it is not raining, we can enjoy an al fresco meal in the dappled sun under the leafless oak tree. On rainy days, we enjoy the blessing of water feeding the sleepy plants.

The citrus trees are adding their oranges, yellows and greens to the fruit bowls in the house. The kumquats are exploding in tiny orange fruit in their terracotta pots in front of the house. Wayward violet seeds have found their way in between the stones of steps that lead to the rosarium. Being the eternal romantic, I found it charming and have decided to let them be. I hope I will not regret this decision later.

On the parking terrace, the narcissus are starting to flower. Softening the bed under the oak that is customarily filled with stones in summer. The potted daffodils are pushing up their little spears in preparation for spring. I was worried that they did not survive the dry summer. They are more sensitive than their robust narcissus cousins.

I read that the Hereboontjie is a perennial that can survive a couple of years in moderate climes. The plants are still happy for now. They are using the Seville orange tree to reach greater heights. But, I doubt that they will survive the cold frosty winter evenings of Towerwater.

Traveling brings with it the appreciation of new experiences. Experiences that add a richness to the fabric of life at Towerwater. However, sometimes simply standing in one spot, enjoying the moment and the uniqueness of the space, can be as enriching for one’s soul.  As the saying goes, home is where the heart is.