Number 21: December 2006 / January 2007
Full-size PDF of cover (336Kb)

garden of delight
Our approach to gardening has at times confounded our gardener, Piet Samson. He muttered in disbelief when Annalize stopped him while he was raking fallen poplar leaves together and told him to scatter them again. The other day there was more muttering and a giggle when he was given wild grass seed to sow. “People normally tell me to take these weeds out; here I have to plant them,” he commented.

The wild grasses are for the butterflies, as are many other flowers and shrubs in our garden. Trees (we have planted more than fifty) and shrubs have been selected for the birds, either because they bear berries or because they will offer good nesting sites when they have grown.

Most of what we’ve planted is indigenous, with the goal of creating a natural environment for insects, birds and other creatures. The results have been amazing. When author Jill Reid sent us an article on butterflies, we found that we had already photographed all the species she mentioned, right at home!

The garden is not the kind that will win a prize at the garden club, but it is alive and even Piet takes great pride when somebody tells him how beautiful it is.

karoostyle
The little flat-roofed houses that dot the Karoo landscape and once stood shoulder to shoulder in villages, have been defined as Karoostyle architecture. Helena Marincowitz of Prince Albert recently published a booklet on this style, her latest project in thirty years of research into the heritage of the area – page 38

new office
Village Life has grown, and so has the need for a full-time office. Ronél Vosloo has stepped into the breach and will now handle subscriptions, marketing and advertising sales from her office in Swellendam. She has known the magazine virtually from the start and is all set to help it grow even further. She will be glad to help you with any queries.
Tel 028 514 330, Fax 028 514 2540

contents
4 Wild horses in contrast
Prof F J van der Merwe looks at the feral horses in the Bot River Vlei and those in the Namib Desert, two totally different environments

8 Early churches at George
Two historic churches are hidden away in George and Pacaltsdorp

10 Orchids are blooming
Orchids aren't just for flower shows. Helene & Godfrey Coetzee marvel at the wealth of orchids on their farm

14 Hans Fransen, tireless historian
Meet the man behind the well-known books on the old buildings of the Cape. He admits to a "somewhat compulsive interest" in preserving our built heritage

17 Special book offer for our readers:
Order Hans Fransen’s new book at a fantastic launch price.
Download offer as PDF

18 Butterflies, messengers of the gods
Jill Reid, author of Butterflies in your garden, introduces a few favourites

20 Shipwrecks & fishermen at Paternoster
Peter Hollard traces the changes in this village on the West Coast

24 Limited edition: Village Life 2006
Readers have often asked for it, so this year’s issues have been bound in a book and is available in a limited, numbered edition. View PDF of offer. Download order form

25 An oasis in the desert: Elim
We retrace Molly D’Arcy Thompson’s journey to this picturesque mission founded by the Moravian Church on the farm Vogelstruyskraal in 1842. The village still belongs to the Moravians and has a working water mill

32 Hermanus Steyn, the reluctant “president” of Swellendam
Annalize Mouton continues her history of Jan Harmensgat (now Jan Harmsgat) and the farms and families along the foot of the Langeberg between Swellendam and Ashton. It could be argued that Steyn wasn't the first President in South Africa after all

38 Karoostyle
Helena Marincowitz, who has researched and documented the history of Prince Albert for thirty years, recently published a booklet that describes the building style peculiar to the Karoo

44 Crystals: order in the world
Crystals in their various forms have engendered love, and wars. Duncan Miller looks at the often hidden, often beautiful structures that define solids

48 A bird in a very tall tree
The saga of how Nico Myburgh took the very first photographs of the Palmnut Vulture from a hide on top of a 25 metre pole

52 Country Table
Meat has become expensive, but Annalize Mouton prepares a tasty recipe for a stuffed leg of lamb for the festivities

54 Fresh snack from the sea
Louie Lemmer continues her series on edible seaweeds: Ogo may be eaten fresh and is delicious when added to your salads

56 Table tales
Mr Red Bishop takes his kids out to their first lunch at the feeder. A revealing photograph by Annalize Mouton: view PDF