EASTER WEEKEND 2008 - Thursday, 20 March to Monday, 24 March With Conroy’s Dad having spent eight days in hospital and specialists still deciding what to do about the two aneurisms he has, we decided on the spur of the moment to visit Conroy’s family in Uitenhage for the Easter Weekend. Conroy’s Dad is doing okay. He has a lack of oxygen in his blood (caused by the aneurisms) and uses an oxygen machine and handheld oxygen pumps at home. He was doing so well that he even had the energy to live out one of his passions i.e. baking some mini curry bunnies for the family visiting … getting up at 3:30am to do the cooking and baking. He also made us a few fresh bottles of tomato jam over the Easter weekend to bring back home with us.

Beach at Schoenmakerskop in Port Elizabeth

We stayed at a B&B in Mill Park, Port Elizabeth. The B&B was situated in a lovely quiet neighbourhood and the cottage was very comfortable … even with a little kitchenette. It was great to visit our home town and go down memory lane whilst driving past popular spots. Me and Conroy are still both in agreement that PE is the cleanest, most peaceful town in South Africa … definitely worthwhile considering for retirement in 30+ years’ time. The beaches are all clean and the air kept fresh by daily winds … PE is not nicknamed ‘the windy city’ for nothing. Once again I took the opportunity of taking some photos of Leandri and her family. Leandri is an absolute dream to photograph … posing comes naturally to her.

This photo gives reality to the true meaning of a family tree: Leandri with her Dad Leon and her twin brother Conrad far left and her Mom Adri on the right with her twin brother Willem

Leandri with her twin brothers Conrad on the left and Willem

And of course the visit could not be complete without taking a snapshot of mom-in-law’s tortoises. I only managed to capture one of them which is being called Skiliena (meaning small peal … she loves all the leftover peals of vegetables and fruit from the household kitchen). Here she is munching away at cabbage leafs.

Its Tuesday today and the air conditioning contractors are busy installing air conditioning split units in the study and the main bedroom … so dust is ruling our household since we moved in. Hopefully this is the last mess. Holes of more than 10cm in diameter are drilled right through a double brick wall to the outside of the house to link up the processing units outside to the split units inside the house. - Dust Irritated signing off

PREPARATION FOR A UNIQUE INDIGENOUS GARDEN DESIGN

- Wednesday, 12 March 2008 UPDATE NO.9

– FIRST MINI REVEAL

We are in the middle of the fifth week of our landscaping project and here and there some sections of the garden has come alive. Hope you enjoy the photos below.

Pavement Section

The railway sleeper pathway will be landscaped right at the end to ensure that no soil will cause a mess on all the pebble/gravel filling and planting that needs to be done on either side of the pathways as well as in between the sleepers ... once this has been done the whole design will come together as a whole ... cannot wait ...

Meditation Bench

Orange Free State Sandstone Bird Splash Pool/Jacuzzi

Side Section of the house starting to fill out nicely

- Excitement surfacing signing off

PREPARATION FOR A UNIQUE INDIGENOUS GARDEN DESIGN

- Sunday, 9 March 2008 UPDATE NO.8 – A Woody Crisis going Potty

This week has been earmarked by the trellis sub-contractor being chased off the site during the early part of the week. An eerie air of disappointed was hanging over everyone involved with this complex project.

Monday We phoned Leanne late Monday evening requesting her to have the already installed trellis work removed, claim her deposit back and have the walls repainted. We were just getting totally fed up with the poor quality of workmanship by this sub-contractor.

Tuesday After sleeping on it, and realizing what a crucial element the trellis work is to the overall design, we asked Leanne the next morning to obtain a few more quotes from skilled carpenters who were prepared to do the trellis work complying with our high standards. Leanne got hold of a carpenter who gets sub-contracted by Van Ach Doors (the same people installing our new front door). He was thoroughly briefed and spent about one and half hours measuring all 26 sections of the boundary wall to be covered with trellis work … this was Wednesday. We were supposed to receive his quote by the Thursday afternoon … well Friday afternoon arrived and no quote in sight. Leanne arranged a meeting with him for Saturday morning at the sacked sub-contractor’s site in order for him to see the raw product. He did not pitch for the appointment … so the moral of the story is that we are back at square one. The sacked sub-contractor apparently refuses to reimburse Leanne the deposit and is sending a representative from their head office in Durban to come and inspect their Gauteng branch’s installation this coming Monday. Hopefully Leanne will once and for all sort this issue out this week.

Wednesday The stunning terra cotta pots arrived from Pret-a-Pot in Plettenberg Bay. I was quite impressed with how well these pots have been packaged by means of polystyrene, plastic and wood crates. They all arrived in tact … Pickfords, hope you take note of how goods should be packed.

It just comes to show that Bigfoot can tread lightly ... all the pots arrived in tip top condition

Yours truly and Leanne busy with 'potty training'

Thursday The sandstone table and benches arrived from the Free State … but true to South African service … nothing is ever quite kosher. One thick bench seat and one thin bench seat arrived, so we had to send the thin bench seat back … being promised that the correct seat will arrive on Monday … probably ‘Monday’ in three weeks time. Stone is definitely a seriously heavy commodity … it took nine men more than an hour to get the table and benches from the truck to its position in the garden. There are definitely nine backs out there that will never be the same.

The Orange Free State sandstone table top being transported by nine men's brute strength

Table and bench area still needs be fine tuned i.e. bench seats, gravel filling and planting

Leanne’s crew had no time for recovery after the sandstone table/bench episode … soon after which ‘The World of Rock’ arrived with +12 more massive rocks. It took another hour and half to off-load these rocks by way of wheel barrows, koefoets and pure brute strength. It is a miracle that there were no broken backs, toes or fingers. I just love all the Delmas rocks which are giving the landscape a true African mountain feel.

The big aloes on the left are Marlothi's (this is just the basic structural outlay - lots of planting and trellis work still to be executed)

Amongst all the above dramas some planting also took place, but there are still a ginormous amount of plants to be planted as we head into the fifth week of continuous landscaping. It is a painstakingly slow process. Just as I thought we are done with the builders and their cement … they are apparently on site once again this Monday to finalise the cobble edging around the swing bench area and to create level pedestals for two of the 5 big pots which are to be placed either side of the garage door. Some plants are definitely not going to survive the builders’ rough and tumble approach.

Aloe Vera's - used in Baby Soft Toilet paper currently advertised

I must take my hat of for Leanne with her ever friendly and patient nature, not only with her crew but also with her ‘client’ … - High Expectations Signing off

PREPARATION FOR A UNIQUE INDIGENOUS GARDEN DESIGN - Sunday, 2 March 2008 UPDATE NO.7 – A Woody Snag

The week started off on a slow note with Leanne and her family taking a weekend break in Plettenberg Bay and only returning Monday afternoon. As soon as they stepped off the plane, Leanne and her husband headed for the wooden trellis sub-contractor keeping him on his toes after fighting for his commitment to this project, the previous Friday. From Wednesday to Friday this past week, only the pavement walls and part of the walls at the front door were cladded with wooden trellises. This is not even 3% of this sub-contractor’s installation done.

Now don't get strange ideas about this cactus ...

These plants have got a Mexican feel to them

Leanne was starting to stress out seriously by Friday, as a huge number of plants have already been delivered (see pictures) to site and her hands are tied by the lack of commitment from the trellis sub-contractor. Only certain sections of the garden closest to the house, the pavement and section outside the dining room window however can be landscaped at this point in time. A huge number of terra cotta pots have also been delivered to site. Leanne did not only put her feet up in Plettenberg Bay, she discovered a resident potter who creates beautiful handmade pots i.e. http://www.pret-a-pot.com/. Leanne did not let any grass grow under her feet and ordered a number of extra large terra cotta pots with classic round shapes (yours truly’s brief), which she did not manage to get hold of here in Gauteng.

Rock roses

My favourite design element, the massive rock bench … all the way from Delmas … has finally found its resting spot and has been incorporated with the garden path. Numerous cups of early morning tea have already been enjoyed on top of this rock bench.

A local resident has already made its initial inspection of the land-shaping taking place.

Some planting will definitely take place this coming week and by the end of the week the pavement and dining room window sections should be basking in the glory of their own unique landscaping.

Tree Aloes (above) / Cabbage Trees (below)

Peglerae Aloes (on right)

Another exciting event is also scheduled to take place tomorrow (Monday). Our new Van Ach custom designed front door is scheduled to be installed, replacing our current front door which makes funny creaking noises due to the numerous huge cracks in it. We have already filled the cracks with wood filler, but the creaking still continues. The door handle has also fallen off quite a few times and is hanging on for life by way of loose screws. The only beings very happy about our current front door is the insect life which cannot believe their luck i.e. the huge gap underneath the door facilitates free access (no knocking required) to any insect or creepy crawly in search of greener pastures. But, as most of our South Africans have come accustomed to, don’t hold your breath that the front door installation will actually take place as scheduled. - Planting deprived signing off