Who the Hell is Colton?: The Fuller Family

By Crystal Tarling

This is the first in the Fuller Family series.

 

When Nana passes and leaves her property to Colton and me to share ... This is our story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crystal Tarling
• Release date: Apr 22, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393874065

Crystal Tarling

I was adopted as young baby and had a wonderful life full of adventure and imagination.  Stories come naturally to me.

Book preview

Nana

After finishing my MBA cum laude at varsity and seeing Nana sitting there at my graduation, I decided to go and live with her now that Gramps has passed so suddenly three months ago. My parents had also both passed when I was in my second year and now Nana was all family I had left. I did have a few uncles and cousins but we are not close at all. I packed up all my belongings and drove back to the farm with Nana. I gave all my furniture to a friend and packed only what I wanted to keep and of course, all my books. I am now qualified and could run any business. I have my grounding.

Once settled at the farm, I enrolled in an online course called a Certificate in Making Natural Skincare Products through the School of Natural Skincare and I loved it. Then I did a Diploma in Organic Skincare through Formula Botanica and followed up with their Advanced Diploma. I studied while helping Nana on the farm with her herb garden and overseeing Jacob and the farm.  Thank goodness for Jacob! He ran the farm like clockwork but told me in confidence that he is getting tired and needs someone to oversee him and take some pressure off him like ordering supplies.  I promised to help where I could and asked him to tell me when he needs me to do something.  I would take over all ordering if he told what and when he needed things.

Nana encouraged me so to follow my passion. 

The one day she asked Jacob to take us to see someone in town and once there, she handed me the keys to a new custom outfitted van.  The back had slotted shelves along one side with 24 trays that fitted in the shelves to hold jars and bottles. These could be locked into place. The other side had bars and straps and slight indentations in the floor which perfectly fitted those square plastic crates that goods are delivered to shops in.  They could stack on top of one another and be strapped to the side so they would not move or fall over.  The van had 20 of those crates in the back all strapped down and space for some more if needed. It was also perfect for carrying plants – and the bonus – it was a double cab!

I drove us home in it and it was a dream to drive. At home Nana told me to go upstairs and pack and, when packed for a week, to bring her ready packed case down too as we were leaving the next morning early for a week to 10 days. I was curious but she would not tell me anything.  Pack your digital recorder, tablet, camera and some notebooks and pens too. That was all she would tell me. That night she arranged for Martha to pack a picnic basket and that we would be up early for breakfast as she wanted to be on the road by 5.

We hit the N1 north and drove, just stopping for petrol or to stretch our legs and stopping once for the picnic lunch. We slept over in Bloemfontein. The next morning we had breakfast and then drove north again and on to Magaliesberg. I started to get excited and asked Nana if we can please visit Margaret Roberts’ nursery as it is in Magaliesberg.  She grinned and said That very lady is waiting for us to arrive. You have 3 days with her and we are buying lots of plants, etc. to take home with us. I pulled off the road and hugged Nana. I opened the window and screamed out of it in pure joy!

We hit the road again and were soon guided to the nursery by road signs. I almost got whiplash driving in as there were so many plants to see on both sides of the road and I did not want to miss a thing. I drove slowly and looked my fill.  By the time we reached the building, I was grinning so wide it hurt.

Nana got out and stretched and Margaret herself came out to greet her. Madison! It has been far too long! I was so sorry to hear about Bill’s passing. How are you? She hugged Nana and then introduced herself to me. You must be Kendra.  Madison has told me all about your studies. I hope I will be able to teach you more!

I am sure you will have much to teach me.  Thank you! You are my idol! I hope to learn lots and if I only remember half what you know, I will be brilliant! I gushed and Margaret laughed.

Come in and let’s show you around and then we will go to the house so that you can unpack. She led the way. These plants here are all ready to be loaded for you when you go home. We can add to them as we go. My eyes boggled at the huge collection already. Now I know why all those other empty crates were loaded by Jacob.

She took us on a tour of the nursery and said we would later go out into the farm itself too.  She gave a quick tour of the area where she starts her cuttings and seedlings and promised to do that in detail later. Then she suggested we drive up to the house for lunch and settle and we can begin first thing in the morning with serious study.  She hopped in the back seat of the van and directed me.  The farm house was beautiful and was almost lost in the plants and herbs around.  Someone came and grabbed our luggage and we went in and she showed us to our rooms.  They were beautiful.

We changed and went down for lunch which was buffet style with breads and beautiful salads full of edible flowers and there were freshly made cold drinks.  During lunch she and Nana caught up with their lives since they had last seen one another. After lunch Nana had a siesta and Margaret and I sat in the lounge talking before we went to the nursery.  She showed me 2 big boxes which were full of her books and they were all signed. Madison and I were great friends years ago and I am glad to do something for her family. Take them, read them and learn. I wish you well. I burst into tears!

At the nursery the next morning, she took me into the first section and taught me how to know which plants to use cuttings from and how to prepare them.  She taught me how to make the sandy mixture they root well in. I made copious written notes but mostly just recorded her so that I could go over it all again and make sure my notes were correct.

She showed me how she harvests seeds and mark them so that they are separate. She had little bags and wide ribbon which she handed me and we went into the fields and picked seeds and cut cuttings and marked them with the black marker pen I had with me. These all went into the baskets we carried. Margaret had donned an apron with pockets with scissors, secateurs, pens, a sharp knife and other things she may need. She dressed me in the same way. We walked through and she told me what each plant was and the uses, both medicinal and culinary. I took photos with her permission to remember how to recognise the plant.  All the cuttings I took were prepared for propagation and a few of each plant made its way to the heap of plants I was taking home. By the end of the day, my head was buzzing!

The next two days were just as intense and I had so many photos and lots of notes ready when we left. She taught me how to make tinctures in large quantity as well as essences and other medicines. Nana settled our bill at the nursery and Margaret gave us many extra plants and essences and medicines. Her staff loaded the plants into the crates and trays and slid the trays into the shelves and locked them in and secured the other crates with straps to the specially prepared sides so that they would travel well. They had already misted them all with water and we hit the road around 8 in the morning. We stopped along the road for lunch with all the delicious treats Margaret had insisted on packing for us. This time we drove through to Colesberg before we stopped for the night. We both slept well and I woke refreshed and made it home by 5 the next afternoon. Jacob welcomed us back and took our cases and my boxes of books upstairs for us.  He took the van and unloaded the stock and misted them ready for planting in the morning.

Over the next week, we planted and prepared and planted some more.  Nana sat in a garden chair under a sun umbrella and watched us. As promised, I sent Margaret photos of everything once it was planted. I spent time typing out my notes and including photos.  I sent this to her too as she had offered to proof read them for me to ensure I had not made mistakes.  When I got the notes back, there was a lot more information added. I indexed it all so it would be easy to call up specific remedies as I