A cycle has been completed once again - Autumn has peaked, it's May, and another Winter is looming on our doorsteps. Winter 2006, as the picture above shows, was quite severe for us in South Africa, as snow is something we rarely experience and therefore always creates great excitement as well as hardship. Especially in the farming community, as livestock is always at risk because of the vast sizes of our farms and the large numbers of livestock we farm with - no barns really big enough to house all of them. No protection against the freezing temperatures and also a great problem with feed supplies.
Every Winter brings its own beauty as the veld blossoms with Cosmos flowers in March and our gardens make way for the Winter annuals like Viola, Pansies, Lobelia, Primulas and various others and, of course, the Red Hot Pokers (Kniphofia) springing into action, supplying plenty of nectar the Sunbirds and other nectar feeders.
Another Winter special is the lovely temperatures we can enjoy at the Coast - no blistering heat or searing sun and a lovely ocean to boot!
On farms and smallholdings though, Winter does also bring a special set of circumstances - exposed pipes from boreholes and water tanks often freeze up and then water is a problem until the sun has defrosted things sufficiently for water to flow freely again. Staff handling livestock outside have to be warmly clothed, wrapped in scarves and gloves and often having their 'konka' (a fire made in a drum) placed close-by to supply some warmth.
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Luckily our Winters are short-lived, with our Autumn months being warm, calm and serene. In March, the most beautiful colours start emerging as trees put on their Autumn outfits, getting ready for their long-earned rest. April brings all the dropping leaves, ensuing in a great garden clean-up as leaves are gathered for the compost heap ready for use in Spring.
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Here in Gauteng we are also lucky in that we don't really have to take special precautions for our chickens, like heating the coop. A closed door is enough protection against the elements. I do, however, make sure that nesting boxes are warm and clean and that the concrete floor is covered in a nice thick layer of grass.
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Here in Gauteng we are also lucky in that we don't really have to take special precautions for our chickens, like heating the coop. A closed door is enough protection against the elements. I do, however, make sure that nesting boxes are warm and clean and that the concrete floor is covered in a nice thick layer of grass.
May is one of the most beautiful months, warm enough outside to sit at the garden table and enjoy the birds frolicking around. The bird baths are still in full use and the lesser foliage on the trees allows the birds to sit and bask in the sun, drying out before the flit off on the next adventure. In June winter starts seriously setting in and by August/September we're ready for Spring again!
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