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One of our pollinators is BZZZZZZZBee and you might think that bees are always busy pollinating in the garden but this bee is the exception of the rule. Oh yes; BZZZZZZZBee pollinates but also enjoys life like cuddling with a co-worker and having a break.
See for yourself:
This post is “Under continious Construction”.
In the past we have mentioned a few times ’soil’ and ’soil preparation’. See here, there and there.
Every nursery has its own recipes and one may assume that these all work.
In addition to the info provided via the links above:
Succulent plants thrive in a wide range of soils each with their own characteristics. An Aloe plicatillus originate from acid soil (pH <6) near Franschoek in South Africa and and the Gunniopsis glabra originate from a saline flood plain (pH >7.5) in Western Australia.
These differences don’t necessarily mean that these plants don’t grown in different environments.
A good (general) pH of the soil is just below neutral (=pH 7); pH 6.8 is recommended. Soil analysis in the Western Cape is done by Bemlab in Somerset West Do It Yourself pH-meters are not always accurate.
An interesting article about pH is this one. With thanks to Ralph Martin of the south Wales branche of the British Cacti ad succulent Society.
The most important characteristic of the soil is drainage. Especially the top soil must drain freely an excess of water to avoid ‘neck rot’ and also (high temperatures after rainfall) mealy bugs. Ideal is a free draining top layer (10-20cm) of coarse sand or gravel rich soil and a sublayer (10-20 cm) which can accumulate a little bit of water. The characteristics of the sub soil (>30 cm) should be more or less simular to that of the sublayer of the topsoil and is important for deep rooting plants like collumnar cacti. Soil (top- and subsoil alike) may never be waterlogged.
Preferable poor soil (low organic content) but some compost (preferable of horse manure or composted mushroom medium) in sublayer and subsoil is recommended. In some part of South Africa (for example those with brackish/saline soil) an small dose of bonemeal can improve the soil. Fertilisers (even dried chicken manure or ‘bounce back’) improve plant growth but also make the plants extra vunerable for pests and diseases.
No-till
In large scale agricultural operations there is an increasing amount of farmers that implements ‘no-till’ in the cultivation of their crops thus as less as possible disturbing the soil.
Quote from Wikipedia: In no-till farming the soil is left intact and crop residue is left on the field. Therefore, soil layers, and in turn soil biota, are conserved in their natural state. No-tilled fields often have more beneficial insects and annelids[12], a higher microbial content, and a greater amount of soil organic material. Since there is no plowing there is less airborne dust.
No-till increases the amount and variety of wildlife. This is the result of the improved cover because of surface residue and because the field is disturbed less often than conventional fields.
If you know that your soil is suitable don’t dig. 
Preparation limits itself than only to weeding, cleaning and planting unless you planned to make (small) rockery heeps, etc. (see picture).
Insect repellent teas can be made from any strong aromatic weed steeped in water for 48 hours.
A good result in the control of beetles, thrips, worms and aphids can be achieved with this recipe:
2 cloves of garlic shredded and placed in enough water to cover. After 24 hours add a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, mix it and wait another 24 hours.
Add 500 ml water for a concentrate. You need only 10 ml of the concentrate for 1 liter repellant. Per liter repellant add 1 drop of bio-diswash liquid. Apply every 3 to 4 days until the populations of the different insects are manageble.
It works.
(The original recipe is from New Plant Nursery in George, South Africa)
Publishing House Harpers (USA) has published a new book about mazes and labyrinths
“Mazes around the world” is written by Mary D. Lankford (illustrations: Karen Dugan) and designated for educational purposes.
And you can order the book here.
The author is from Austin, Texas and our first contact dates back a few years. Two of the thirtytwo pages are dedicated to the Klaas Voogds Maze of Soekershof in Robertson, Western Cape, South Africa where at the moment strange things are happening.
Mary D. Lankford is also engaged in a future publication about umbrellas. And guess what: The Soekershof Maze Umbrellas will be in it.
No ‘copycat stuff’ but original design as is everything we try to initiate.
Just an example (we use it for our nursery customers) of a simple, easy to maintain succulent garden. We made it within 4 hours (3 staff) including the sculpture. Plants used are diverse Echiveria species and Aloe barbadensis (Aloe vera).
It’s ideal for people who want to have a different garden but don’t have the time for extensive maintenance.
At Soekershof, Private Mazes & Botanical Garden in South Africa, we are continuously busy creating new gardens. Some are simple to make (see picture); others can take a few years before they are ready. For the rockery at the entrace we count that we still need two more years to finish it. Partly because we are still growing plants which are still too young and partly because it’s very labour extensive to arrange rocks (different sizes and colours etc.) and gravel between it. The rockery (below an artist impression of how a part of it looks now) covers a surface of around 2000 sqm (almost 1 acre) and is divided in a caudiciform garden; Australian/Asian succulent garden; American succulent garden and an All Africa Succulent Garden. Yes; we are ‘Rocking the World’.
Some people ask us, with their enquiries, why we don’t have a restaurant on our premises or a craft shop like the botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, Harold Porter in Betty Bay and the Karoo Botanical Gardens in Worcester; just to mention the ones of the National Botanical Institute of South Africa within the Western Cape.
“Soekershof is in the first place what a garden, in our view, should be; a place of calmness, relaxation and contemplation. It’s not designated for mass tourism but for people who can enjoy Life in a slow pace”, is every time more or less our answer.
Don’t expect the banter of restaurants, coffee corners, craft shops but an experience ‘Pure from the Heart’.
For us it sounds crazy to get a subsidy of 3.2million Rand (approx. 500,000.00 USD) to make a parking at the entrance with a restaurant next to it as happened at one of the mentioned gardens. If that’s the way of making a revenue out of a garden ……….
And we are proud of doing it our way; in peaceful harmony.
We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Great 2008!!!
Herman, Yvonne & dedicated Staff
of
Soekershof
Walkabout
Mazes & Botanical Gardens in South Africa
Klaas Voogds West, P.O. Box 291, Robertson 6705, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)23 626 4134 E-mail: soekershof -at- lando.co.za Skype: soekershof
Website: http://www.soekershof.com Blogsite: http://soekershofwalkabout.blogspot.com/ Soekershof Science: http://soekershof.wordpress.com Dutch: http://www.dagboek.iblog.co.za Certified by Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa
Soekershof Walkabout is a rare combination of aesthetics, cultural discoveries and ecological balance.
A visit is a personal experience which is simply described as the “Largest Hedge-Maze in the world” and/or “a garden with more than 2400 different succulents from all over the world under the open sky”.
But Soekershof is more than that.
The original concept goes beyond all prejudice perceptions.
Walk, Wonder and be Inspired!!!
Just let it happen and take your time; a few hours at least.
Soekershof Walkabout is, globally, a unique and hugely entertaining exercise for Body, Mind and Spirit.
Mission statement:
Soekershof Walkabout is a sacred enterprise, based on an appreciation of nature, humor, play, creation, expression and respect for the land, and the growth and development of the people and plants that participate -employees and visitors alike.
Previously we wrote something about the South African Garden Forum. Not that we are ‘going strong’ in only that forum; there is another Garden Forum with members from all over the globe. Yesterday we published a few photos and look to the comments!!!
OK, we are proud of our garden but the real reason we provide the readers of this blog (all succulent plant lovers we assume) to these forums is that these consist of submissions of people who are all dedicated and passionate about their plants and they exchange knowledge freely. Worthwhile to bookmark the home pages of these forums.
The group of succulent plant lovers in South Africa is, as everywhere around the globe, a small bunch of dedicated people. They have their own share in the Garden Forum.
This morning we published five photo’s of flowering succulent plants which were taken this morning (hundreds of different succulent plants flowering in our garden in this South African Winter, by the way).
No fertilisers, no hormones, no chemicals; just Nature with a friendly caring human touch.
We love it.
P.S. In the South African Garden Forum (general section Aloes and Succulents) you’ll not only find more of our contributions but also those from others.
For the American readers of this blog we can recommend the website of Altman Plants in Vista CA. Ken & Deena Altman visited us today and they are impressed but our ‘operation’ is small in comparison with theirs: 800 acres on 3 locations in Florida and California of which 290 acres with succulents. And their website is the most informative of all US-nursery websites we’ve seen with pop-ups which describes (with pictures) the different plants. Their prices are, within the USA, very competitive.
What started as a small backyard operation in LA in 1975 has grown into a huge well organised nursery.
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