Gum leaves - Eucalyptus beauties

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm

Dedicated to all Eucalypt and Bee-lovers.

A recent study by the SA National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) in South Africa has found that gum trees provide nectar and pollen for swarms of commercial bees – and bees in turn pollinate about 50 food crops in the country. This “service” bees provide is worth about R10.3 billion a year.

Gum trees are not only important food for bees, but so are many roadside wildflowers, crops, suburban flowering plants and those that many regard as weeds. A major reason for the decline of honey bees around the world is a lack of good forage plants to provide nectar, which is the carbohydrate in the bees’ diet, and pollen the protein. Bees collect nectar from Blue Gum tree blossoms from spring to late summer.

A lack of good quality and variety of forage plants can lead to unhealthy honey bee colonies that are more vulnerable to pests and diseases.

This in turn can lead to insufficient pollination of our important agricultural crop flowers, leading to a decreased yield or quality of the food crop, Insect pollinators are needed for 35 percent of all food production globally – or one of every three bites you eat.

Although most Blue gums have been declared as an invasive species in South Africa, Beekeepers are highly dependent on eucalyptus and if they are all removed because they are aliens it would mean a serious shortage of food for bees – with a knock-on effect on crop pollination.

Because of this, the Department of Environmental Affairs’ legislation on alien and invasive species, updated in 2014, is “nuanced” for eucalyptus trees, not requiring all of them to come under the axe or chainsaw. Good news for all Eucalypt-lovers, I for one am ecstatic as I think they really are grand!

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Thinking back

Sunday morning doodles, 

thinking back on Gauteng landscapes.

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Silence is beautiful

Winter reminds us that everyone and everything needs some quiet time. 

If you listen carefully, the silence is beautiful.

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Panthera pardus

 

Watercolour pencils on Amadeo 200gsm

Not only is the Leopard powerful, graceful and arguably one of the most beautiful of all the large cats and a master of stealth and survival, it seems she can teach us a thing or two about relaxing!

Here a Leopard (Panthera pardus) relaxes after a successful hunt. Did you know that leopard spots are called rosettes? Leopards are secretive, solitary animals and also the smallest of all the big cats.

The road West

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm with a couple of ink scribbles

Taking the road West from us and going from Rustenburg towards Botswana, the landscape suddenly changes from bushveld to a somewhat dry and arid landscape, especially in winter, when everything turns to lovely yellow and brown hues.

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The Foal That Never Grew

W&N Watercolour om Bockingford 300gsm

I stand before the early dawn
Alone with my thoughts before the morn’
Remembering the night when all was dark
Not even the sound of a lonely dogs bark
When three of us in a stable small
Tried in vain to assist, the night before
A brave little mother who gave her all
To give life to her first born.

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I remember the pleasure that turned to pain
Reflected in the eyes of your loving master
As he tried again and again
Working faster and faster coaxing your heart
Hoping and praying that you won’t depart
He took one last deep breath, blew into your nose
Only to discover your beautiful eyes were closed.

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If horses become angels
And I’m sure they do
You’ll know that you are one of the few
To be touched by loving hands
Who had great plans for you
Race on little foal, across your golden sands
And as your free spirit soars high into the sky
Your master bids you farewell, and a last goodbye.

--Sue Eggersglusz

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Geranium or Pelargonium?

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

Geraniums originated from South Africa, as well as Reunion, Madagascar, Egypt and Morocco and were introduced to European countries such as Italy, Spain and France in the 17th century. 

Actually, the plants that gardeners have grown under the geranium name for several hundred years is not a geranium, but a pelargonium. Both plants, as well as a few others, are all members of the geraniaceae family. 

The problem arose when the plants were first brought from their native home of South Africa into Europe. All the early imports were labeled “geraniums” and continued under that blanket name for many years. When some observant botanists finally started a closer examination of these lovely new plants, they discovered many differences and then decided that the imports were not all the same plant type, but there were differences so were then moved into different named classifications. 

One group of plants was given the original name of geraniums. A second group was classified as pelargoniums, then there were erodiums and sarcocaulons/monsonias. The plant we label “geranium” was put into the pelargonium category, however, it had become a well loved plant of gardeners in Europe under the old “geranium” label so although the botanists told them that the lovely pot or bedding plant they grew in such numbers was a pelargonium, they persisted in using the old name. 

I’m now more confused than ever! 

(Find out more at The Geranium Society)

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