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Peonies are regarded as the star of any garden: they’re simply breathtaking. But this graceful lady happens to be fussy and knows exactly what she wants: sufficient sun, with a dash of shade – not too much – and not planted too deeply either. Peonies

Summertime is when most people show off a bit more skin, but if you suffer from skin conditions such as eczema – or just have dry, sensitive skin – summer isn’t always so sweet. Zene Kaye, whose hands were affected by eczema, started experimenting wi

6–22 DECEMBER No fewer than 140 stalls mean you can be assured you’ll be able to find something special for each person on your list this Christmas. Where? Pretorius Hall, Main Road, Gansbaai CONTACT gansbaai.kersmark@telkomsa.net 083 793 0972 8 DECE

You might remember the lovely Karoo at the Beach Box we featured on Platteland’s shopping pages in the Spring 2021 issue (#32). It is the brainchild of the mother-and-daughter team Lani Lombard and Louzel Lombard Steyn from Cradock (the two of them q

• That is R61,75 per issue – you save R133• Free delivery included FOR NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS 087 353 1300 (for local calls) or +27 21 065 0033 (for international calls) subs@media24.com WhatsApp 087 353 1333 SMS “plattelandint” to 32361 and we’ll contact

“Then it is true: Every second building in Swellendam not only looks like a National Monument, but it probably is one,” you joke as Hennie Steyn, a native of the town, retired farmer and stalwart at the publishing division of the Swellendam Heritage

Writer and project manager Audrey has lived in Railton for many years. Her job as a project manager for the engineering company Delta means she’s often on the road, but writing will always be her first love. She was born in a “poorest-of-the-poor two

Walk the “Golden Mile” to the Drostdy Museum complex Swellendam has more than 50 provincial heritage sites, and they’re all featured in the Heritage Association publication Treasures of Swellendam. Walk the “Golden Mile” (short for Swellengrebel Stre

Starting off with two ponies in 2001, Ranger Stables has grown into a community-based equestrian centre with 24 horses, most of which have been rescued and rehabilitated. The stables are situated on an urban farm in Craighall Park, next to Delta Park

We live in a world in which accommodation venues would promote free WiFi as a selling point rather than the beautiful polished copper fourposter in the bedroom, or the mid-century Formica table in the kitchen. And that’s probably why you chuckle over

Should you find yourself on the R531, travelling through bushveld and past towering trees in the foothills of the Drakensberg, you are pretty much travelling along the border between Mpumalanga and Limpopo. If you’re heading north-west, the crags and

Since the launch of Platteland eight years ago we have visited many places all over the country to gather stories for the magazine. What a privilege and a pleasure it has been! Time and again, a dorpie would enchant us: Kaapsehoop, Albertinia, Rooibe

Lion’s Den Butchery The man with the big beard and his wife are retired; they’ve lived in Kampersrus for four years. They moved here from Lydenburg, where Aletta was born. Gerhardus used to be the regional manager for Shoprite and had to travel almos

Let’s get one thing out of the way: you are not a bad person if you live in a big house equipped with every creature comfort, and no one is judging you. Unless, of course, your home is surrounded by guard towers, landmines and apiranha-infested moat,

When did you get a personal protection dog, and why did you pick that option rather than a uard dog? We live against the Magaliesberg; our property borders on the mountain. Someone came from that direction and broke into my daughter’s cottage at the

Nothing can ever prepare you for it: waking up in the pitch-dark night with the realisation that there are people in your house. Strangers. In that moment, even through the fog of a deep sleep, you know the whispers and the swinging beam of a torch i

KEEP IT LOCAL AND SUMMER DIFFERENTLY - Kayak on the Orange River, follow in the footsteps of dinosaurs in Frazerburg. Discover the Dark Skies Sanctuary in the Kgalagadi, be enchanted by the skylore of the Khomani San - or be fascinated by the glimmer

Before I am allowed to take a seat in the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Pella, I have to confess my sins to Father Angus Osborne. As a journalist, I often have to confess: I am here with a camera and a notebook. The priest seems sceptical and se

The weather is fine here in Bushmanland. A cold front from deep in the Atlantic Ocean is pushing dark clouds over rocky ridges, quiver trees and bare expanses. The veld around Pofadder is so red it seems as though the edges of the clouds have caught

The late Jaap Oosthuizen of the well known Brabeesmond Nursery near Augrabies, Northern Cape, would smile today if he could see how his grandchildren are honouring his memory in a place where the succulents continue to flourish. On a hot Saturday mor

Anneke was bitten by the staghorn-fern bug a few years ago when she saw a giant specimen of Platycerium superbum in a garden. Ferns in this genus are something of a rarity in the Western Cape, so she relished the challenge of finding some and getting

House plants are popular once again, as so many people have been spending time indoors because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ouma’s ’60s-era stoep plants are now getting Instagrammers and Tik-Tokkers excited! It’s taken barely three years to attract more

For centuries, people have been observing the cycles of the moon to determine when to sow, harvest, take plant cuttings… and even when to surf or get a haircut. (And to the cynics we say you have nothing to lose if you at least give it a try.) After

At Aussenkehr on the north banks of the Orange River, the spectacular flowers of 21 amaryllis varieties announce the arrival of spring, while the James family’s other garden, in Lüderitz, is adorned in red, pink and yellow succulent flowers. What are

My journey towards healthier eating began more than 25 years ago, when I started growing my own herbs, vegetables and fruit using natural and sustainable methods. The lessons I’ve learnt while growing organic food apply to my health and wellbeing too

Golden, crispy and economical finger food, perfect for dipping into a chilled yoghurt sauce. Serves 4 as a snack Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 3–4 minutes • 12–16 medium courgettes, quartered lengthways• 1/3 cup (80 ml) cake wheat flour or

If the Psalms poet had lived in South Africa, Psalm 23 would have read quite differently, for David’s soul would have been invigorated by a diversity of places far beyond green pastures and still waters. The first hard lockdown following the outbreak

–Augrabies Falls, Northern Cape – North of the Orange River, in the summer of 2020/21, it rained and rained and rained. Rivers flooded, dams overflowed, waterfalls thundered, and my good friend Michael Collett and I followed the course of the Mighty