Cactus - Cereus jamacaru (Een-nag-blom)

Ink sketch and watercolour wash on Bockingford 300gsm – 8″ × 12″ 

Cereus jamacaru (Queen of the Night, Een-nag-blom)
Classification: Cactaceae
Incorrectly referred to as Cereus peruvianus in South Africa.

The Peruvian Apple Cactus, Cereus repandus, is a large, erect, thorny columnar cactus found in South America as well as the nearby ABC Islands of the Dutch Caribbean. It is also known as Giant Club Cactus, Hedge Cactus, cadushi and kayush. With an often tree-like appearance, the Peruvian Apple Cactus’ cylindrical grey-green to blue stems can reach 10 meters (33 ft) in height and 10-20 cm in diameter. The nocturnal flowers remain open for only one night. Unfortunately this plant has been declared an unwanted “invader” in South Africa due to it’s fast-spreading habit.
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Die Kaktus Cereus peruvianus (of Een-nag blom) is ’n boomagtige kaktus, partymaal tot 10m hoog, wat vir net een nag van die jaar asemrowende wit blomme voort bring. Ongelukkig is hierdie kaktus as ’n ongewensde indringerplant verklaar in Suid Afrika as gevolg van hul gewoonte om uiters vinnig te versprei. Daar is groot verwarring oor die eintlike naam van hierdie kaktus, aangesien Cereus vir heelwat kaktussoorte gebruik word. Die spesienaam, peruvianus, dui aan dat dit endemies is aan Peru, maar dit is ’n botaniese fout. Hierdie plant is eintlik endemies aan Brasilië, Uruguay en Argentinië.

Hierdie een groei langs Solly se kaia op ons plot (Tarlton, Gauteng, Suid Afrika) en hy was verskriklik ontsteld toe ek voorstel ons moet dit verwyder. Nou is hy die dood voor die oë gesweer as ek sou sien dat dit enigsins versprei!

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Hartebeespoort Dam in NorthWest

 

Winsor & Newton watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm 

A view of Hartebeespoort Dam (NorthWest Province, South Africa) with the Magaliesberg Mountains in the back-ground.

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Crocodile River

Black Pilot FineLiner ink sketch and W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm

A bank of rocks overlooking the Crocodile River on it's way to Hartebeespoort Dam in the North West Province of South Africa. This area is a favourite spot for river rafting enthusiasts.

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You got this

 

"Surround yourself with supportive people"

No matter what you're going through, you don't have to do it alone. You might think you have to, heck, you might even prefer to, but if you want to come out fairly unscathed on this other side, leaning on somebody or asking for help feels so good that recovery will happen sooner than you hoped.

Ink sketch and watercolour in Moleskine 200gsm sketchbook.

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Erasing the hurt

It’s a slow process …

Ink and watercolour in Moleskine 200gsm sketchbook

Scribbling my thoughts, 

scribbling my memories, 

scribbling my hurts …

It’s been a long absence, life happens. Trying to pick up the pieces and make sense of it all.

A gate in the Karoo

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

 

Many visitors to Karoo National Park in South Africa access the Park by car as this allows them the freedom to explore the park at their own leisure. Instead of heading to your destination on the main tar roads, try something different – like a drive along the gravel. But be warned – I hear there are many gates to open en route! I’ve never been to the Karoo and if I had a bucket list, a visit there would be on it!

The Park is a convenient stopover on the N1 route between Cape Town and the interior of the country. Cape Town is situated about 500km south of the Park. Johannesburg is situated about 1 000km north of the Park.

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Waiting for the Dandelions

Ink sketch and colour wash on Bockingford 300gsm

Can’t wait to see the Dandelions again…

We've had our first summer rains, and lots of it, and summer is in full swing. Now I'm just waiting for the Dandelions to appear again... So far I’ve only got 3 in my garden and it’s a delight to see the butterflies around them.

Thought : Maybe I can make a corner for just Dandelions? Smiling!

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Herbs - inside or out?

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm watercolour paper 12″ × 8″


Herbs on a shelf on my patio

 

Herbs can be grown indoors and out so the choice of where to plant them is a personal choice. Many people prefer to grow their herbs in their kitchen where they can be easily accessed during cooking. I’m not much of a cook, but there’s nothing more inspirational than seeing some Sage or Parsley on your kitchen windowsill, it often sparks an idea of what to cook for me.

You can buy herbs as seedlings at any nursery or garden centre, or you can choose to start your plants from seeds.

If you are starting from seeds, just about any small container will do. If I’m going to be panting the herbs outside at a later stage, I normally start them off in egg shells filled with a bit of potting soil, put in my seeds and when they’re big enough, plant them outside shell and all.

I have quite a collection of various sizes of Terracotta pots, and the small ones are ideal for sowing some seeds for a kitchen window sill. This way you always have fresh herbs at hand and it also makes a nice display.

Some of my favourites are Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Basil, Chives, Garlic and Mint.

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Mother-in-law's tongue

 

W&N watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm

A pot of Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii).

Indigenous to South Africa, it is also known as the Snake Plant. It is a truly remarkable and striking easy care house plant native to tropical West Africa from Nigeria east to the Congo. I remember my dad having one on a windowsill in our house, where it stood for absolutely years without any seemingly extra care. The modern trend in the average home is to keep the plant separate from others and have it standing bold and alone. 

One of my Snake plants is flowering at the moment and it's unbelievable how many insects the sweet nectar attracts.  

Sansevieria are summer growers. As with all succulents, Sansevierias require a well-drained mix and moderate watering. Water frequently during the warmer months and keep fairly dry through winter. But here at the coast there's no guarantee that it will be dry during winter! To maintain their best shape and colouration they are best grown in dappled sunlight. Grows up to 3 or 4 feet tall.

Propagation is by division or leaf cuttings. Sansevieria is easy to divide because it has shallow roots. Simply turn the pot on its side and pull out the entire plant. Use a sharp knife to cut through the thick roots and pot each clump separately. To propagate Sansevieria by leaf cuttings, cut leaf into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces and place them right side up (the way they were growing) in moist perlite or cactus potting mix.

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Creative thought for today