Other (small) farm improvements...

On those stifling days on the farm, when it is just too hot to work outside, I have to keep busy - well, after the snooze LOL


I don't have my pewter hobby bits and pieces at the farm yet, so I had to find something else to do.  This is one of the things that (albeit briefly) kept me busy.


I had a craving for some sprouts, but my sprouting tower was at the town house.  No matter - I grabbed the closest jar, filled it with dry seeds, damped them down, and using a plastic band, tied some recycled netting to the top.  It worked a treat :)

RMan decided that the outdoor furniture needed some maintenance so he pulled out the raw linseed oil.  It is applied neat to the wood with a soft brush and then allowed to become absorbed / dry for a week or so before using the furniture.  Ideally this should be done just prior to winter, but with the fierce sun and wind on the farm RMan decided the time had come.

Obviously, RMan has more patience than I do - getting to all those little nooks and crannies would drive me to distraction.

Raw linseed oil - the most eco-friendly method
of preserving wooden outdoor furniture

So, in the cooler part of the afternoon, whilst RMan was busy with that, I turned my attention to the front of the house.  In order for it not to remind me so vehemently that it is a construction site in progress (and will remain so until the world financial situation settles down or we finally sell our town house), I decided to start planting up the front.  Naturally, we will not be there to water whatever I planted, and I was hesitant to run irrigation to water non-productive plants - water is, in my book, far too precious a commodity for that.

I also had to ensure that whatever I planted could not be a hiding place for any wandering snake - I don't want to encourage them to take up residence so close to the house.  I want to view whatever wildlife there is from a distance, thank you.  So none of the plants that went into the ground should form a shady snake spot - hopefully.  If they do, well, they'll get ripped out, and I'll have to find another suitable spot for them.


We are planning on making the entrance stairs much wider, so I have left space for that...

Rose bushes waiting to be planted in front
of the grape vines made a brief statement

I laid some weedguard down where I want a path to be.  That got covered with the contents of our sandbags from the old "shower room" next to the caravan.  Definition was given to the path by using a few rocks that had to be relocated / collected when RMan was mowing.  And, violà, I have an entrance pathway :)


I have planted some Spekboom ("Portulacaria Afra" or Elephant Food) which is well-known for absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.  Also, some yellow aloes got a spot.  And some Cotyledon sp, Echeveria and Crassula.  But, for the other couple of indigenous plants that found a home in these two beds...  I have no idea what they are called. I just know they are water-wise.  And if they make for a prettier entrance, then they've done their job :)

Done and planted - I reckon it looks great.
Now it just needs to grow a little...

It will take a couple of years for the plants to add some substantial greenery, but at least that start has been made :)


And, finally, RMan constructed a very important piece of garden equipment for me.  Gone are the days of walking distances around the plot to find suitably large bushes on which I can hang wet clothing.  I now have a washing line :)

My homemade washing line

Such a simple thing.  And so necessary.  Wind and sun-dried laundry are now a definite on the farm.   Okay, so tell me RMan, when are we bringing the washing machine to the plot because I can't seem to find a scrubbing board from days of yore...?