Another 'Margo' - from South Africa!

[Millie]

Hey Millie, where in SA is your hubby from? Is the 'FIL' you mentioned your hubby? If he's into orchids, then he should know about the 'vanilla dilemma' I spied on previous forums. I read somewhere (in one of our local gardening journals), that the inport/export of vanilla is somehow tied in with all the orchid gardening clubs - that should be interesting. I meant to enquire when I read it... but never got around to it... and now I don't know which mag I read it in!!!

Hiya, my hubby comes from Queensburgh, Durban. FIL stands for father-in-law, and hes still out there, though now not able to garden due to ill health. I have no idea about orchids, so cant help with the vanilla thing, sorry.

Re gooseberries, you might find these interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana (aka the Cape gooseberry)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gooseberries shows the gooseberries which we get over here. Hope those help!

[Peggy Sue]

You know I was thinking, the Marula berry was in SA when I was there, can you grow these?? I remember Amerula being rather nice

Yes I did get to see outide Jburg, I was lucky enough to drive up to Vic falls and into Zambia which was a real experience.

[Bridgette]

Bridgette, can you please give me the link to that site? My sister might well be interested - she's very much into healthy eating etc.

It's www.margaretroberts.co.za
....but just keep in mind, the site is really not half as informative as I thought it would be - her books are great though (even though for some weird and wonderful reason, not even half of them are mentioned on her website)! Your sister might be interested in one of her courses though. Margaret Roberts' farm is in Magaliesberg - I'm really not too sure, but I think it's close enough to Pretoria. Most of her books are available at Woolworths, as well as weird and wonderful products... herb and flower flavoured gum drops!!!

Let me know if she visits the farm!

[Bridgette]

You know I was thinking, the Marula berry was in SA when I was there, can you grow these?? I remember Amerula being rather nice
Yes I did get to see outide Jburg, I was lucky enough to drive up to Vic falls and into Zambia which was a real experience.

I've only ever seen pictures of marula fruit (they're really big though! ...not really a 'berry'), but apparently they're incredibly bitter! I've never seen anyone growing them... they really come from 'de doorns'. They grow in the Kalahari (dessert area) - there's all sorts of really strange fruits that come from the Kalahari... even melons that grow on the hot dessert sands! Admittedly though, you're absolutely right... Amarula really is truly yummy - my sister who lives in the UK equates it to Baileys, but I don't think so! You should try it with ice-cream... absolute heaven!

As for you driving up to Vic Falls - you lucky ... ! Us locals hardly ever get to see the surrounding tourist lures. I've lived in Cape Town my whole life... 35 years! ...and I still haven't gone up Table Mountain in the Cable Cars!!! I've walked half-way up a few times, rescued a couple of tortoises from the road, seen some Cape Cobra's lying around, gone skinny-dipping in some of the little waterfalls ...but never been at the top! ...so you'll understand me being green with envy at your excursion to Vic Falls!!!! Does Vic Times (a quaint 'English' pub in Fishhoek - on the southern coast) count?

[Bridgette]

Hey Bridgette!

Nice to see someone from SA here! (South Africa not South Aus )

Nev

Hi Ben

So much for SA... my husband just went to two interviews in the past week for jobs in Oz! He applied about a year ago for a post in your navy (he recently resigned from the SA Navy, as a submariner), but they only got back to us about 2 weeks ago - have no idea where we'd stay though if he got that post... and the other interview is for a job in Bunbury!

I think that's in the west, isn't it? Bunbury sounds quite similar to Cape Town in temperatures and sea level, etc - so I'm kind of hoping for that one! Have no idea if I'll be able to make a living there though (...'starving artist' and all!), but if not - I'll just have to be more 'self-sufficientish! Went on the web and checked out all the online grocery shopping sites (typical woman... I know!) and I must admit, there seems to be so much variety! Haven't even heard of half the fresh produce they advertise... or the fish (...don't eat meat, only fish - should be interesting!).

We were planning on moving to the Karoo next year (my inlaws live in this really quaint little town), but have now decided that 'a change is as good as a holiday'! So hold thumbs - I'm quite excited at the prospects ...even though it will be months before we actually sort everything out before we can actually leave , and I'm obviously also quite excited as I've never been anywhere overseas!

By the way - I've read all your articles ...you really are the Self Sufficientish Guru!!! Awesome! It sounds like you have loads of fun with all your research and experiments - the world seriously needs more like you !

[Bridgette]

'Ben' ...Nev!!! Sorry - have no idea why you're 'Ben' to me - you look like a 'Ben Nev'!

I think it's a 'mental' throwback to an old programme that used to be on TV. I don't know what you guys called the main character, but we had it translated into afrikaans and the main character's name was 'Ben'. He lived up in the mountain with a bear... sound familiar? Your pic - with the beard ...and all the cool self sufficientish stuff you get involved with, somehow makes me think of the mountain dude!

[yugogypsy]

Welcome from Canada!

Yes, life without berries-yuk, please don't be too jealous, but here on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada, I am growing strawberries,white currants, tayberries and will be getting a black currant bush in the fall.

I can't eat raspberries without suffering terrible indigestion
so I won't be planting any of those, but an apple tree, a prune plum and a cherry tree are all on the list.

Don't be afraid to experiment in your garden, I grow things now that my parents couldn't, either due to lack of knowledge or lack of a greenhouse.

And theres always some way to grow small things indoors too.

Take Care
Lois