Hi All
Cameron and Rhoda McMaster here (Stutterheim, E.
Cape), and glad to be able to join in, although we are great lurkers too!
Cameron has had a great interest in the SA veld all his life, and as a result
is very familiar with whatever occurs in the Eastern
Cape, especially bulbs & orchids, cycads, aloes, trees, birds and
butterflies, with bulbs being the main interest these days. I have had
a strong desire to grow bulbs ever since my parents gave me some Sprekelia,
Cyclamen and Hyacinths to grow at the age of 12. When I lived in
Cape Town I was involved with a small commercial nursery,
Rust-en-Vrede, for about ten years up to the mid-eighties, growing winter
rainfall species. Cameron and I concentrate on SA bulbs now, mainly from
the summer rainfall region. Next April we'll be moving from
Stutterheim to a half-acre property in the village of Napier
(Western Cape, south of Caledon near Bredasdorp), so that will mean a shift
to the winter rainfall species. Our nursery moves with us, seriously
condensed! Luckily there are many smallholdings around us, so we will have
to hire a patch from a neighbour. What an upheaval - I've been
reading about Dash's move (on the AB group) and haven't been
comforted. But I'm looking forward to growing the W. Cape bulbs
again, and to expanding my clivia collection.
Rhoda McMaster