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Lotus Permaculture Homestead

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Lotus Permaculture Homestead

Lotus Permaculture Homestead Sharing new OFFGRID beginnings working mostly with what we have available, would love to inspire too!

04/02/2025

It's Tomato season & we're harvesting daily. I made some "sundried" Tomatoes in the gas oven for the first time, 5hrs later it was ready & delicious. I finally found the mesh we need to make an air dryer, that's next 🍅

Pics of some blessings I received from 2 friends this weekend. I'm not a fan of indoor plants usually Anke Pearson has inspired me with how she greens her indoor space, see the variety in the pics. Loved the gifts in the Pudo parcel from Sally MacLachlan, including my first Kefir starter with her just a call away for guidance.

30/01/2025

Planting Vetiver along the new Swale, it's good for soil erosion & helps with mole/vole control the scent is in the roots 🐞🐝🐛

29/01/2025

I mulched the front garden before the heatwave started a few days ago. I also finally transplanted 5 Roselle seedlings into the hugelkultur bed with companions we planted all from seed, I was hoping for lots more.

Loving the growth in the new 15m Swale, it's only 1mth old & already makes a huge difference. Pics taken today, there's a list of what's growing.

26/01/2025

Gladiolus, family & food: I planted 50 mixed colour bulbs for the first time 3mths ago, a friend suggested we share a pack. They are no fuss to grow & I will always have "Glads" from now on. Gladioli represent strength of character, faithfulness, moral integrity & remembrance.

My little family went back to Delhi, it was so lovely having them here. I cooked & baked alot, love making stuff they enjoy we have some Nani specials. Guy(15yo)had the opportunity to join Chosa's soccer team for a friendly match, both football crazy & I enjoyed watching them play. Max (13yo) & Ben(5yo) gave Roy lots of pampering & love.

It's been hot with very little rain. We are enjoying our daily harvests & the oven has been a blessing. I'm happy to share any of the recipes, leave a comment with the pic.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!

We did some clearing outside along the fenceline, it's our high fire season in Summer when we have the lowest rainfall. There's a stream that overflows along the railway line in Winter & dry this time. We just want to be more prepared, 11mths ago we had a wild fire & it was frightening.

I made some delicious smoked chicken fillets from Noorsveld Chickens today for the first time, I bought the smoker during lockdown on Marketplace. I've been wanting to try this for years as it's not easily available & not always free range when it is.

Some more pics taken today of what's growing. It's been exactly 5yrs since we started with fencing on this abandoned section of a farm that was sold to my family. We've come a long way.

30/12/2024

Picked some berries for brunch, with Sweet Potato bread toast & Plum jam both homemade. The new gas oven is amazing there is no need to buy bread again, artisanal bread costs so does the jams.

I'm trying my luck with Mango seeds, the 2 trees I bought from Tulbagh Nursery didn't make it through Winter a few years ago.

Start where you are with what you have available!

29/12/2024

We love fermented foods. I harvested the last Cabbage(1kg) plus a few Beetroot today, the Garlic & Coriander seeds a few weeks ago. All the ingredients for this Beet & Cabbage Sauerkraut comes from the garden except Himalayan salt.

Posting the recipe with the pic, it will be ready in 7days.

28/12/2024

It's stone fruit season, the Peaches & Plums grow in this region. I bought a 10kg mixed box for R80(4USD). I baked a Peach Cobbler & Sweet potato bread at sunset, testing the gas oven. Max my 2nd grandson turned 13yo yesterday, making something he loves was a good motivation.

This morning I made some Plum jam, it's tart & delicious.

26/12/2024

Early morning tunes from the birds & bees...🐦🐝 ☮️

24/12/2024

Hand dipped Beeswax candles: Making these is a labour of love, it takes time & patience but so worth it.

Cooking 2 x whole ducks in a gas oven for the first time. I bought the stove 2nd hand on Marketplace when lockdown started & very impressed with the oven. I cannot believe that I've waited so long to use it, next is homemade bread.

Life is good at Lotus Homestead, happy holidays! ☮️

22/12/2024

Elderberries & the Greenhouse extension, an extra 3 x 2m makes a big difference.

We planted Elderberries as a windbreak along this swale 3yrs ago & started making Elderflower cordial this season, the birds get to the berries first. They are fast growing & low maintenance, offering shade to young fruit trees/plants.

Made a mix of Bay leaves & Cloves, it actually works for flies they say for mosquitoes too. Our Peaches are stung, we need to improve our pest control ASAP as we are busy planting lots more.

21/12/2024

Early morning Berry harvest before the tiny worms start feasting, will make a Neem spray later. Home made Chai & a Koesista that's usually enjoyed on Sunday mornings in some communities. I ordered an ice cream container full to meet my 3 grandsons who arrived from Delhi yesterday.

The flowers are Yarrow, Butterfly bush(Gaura) & Carrot flowers.

16/12/2024

I used 7 key ingredients from the garden to make Chicken Pilau for lunch today. Potatoes, onions, garlic, tumeric, mint, dhanya & curry leaves. Chosa said it looked like a Xmas meal. It's been interesting introducing new food/cuisines to him & others who come to assist, our cultures & diets are so different. Workers often don't have food to take to work, fortunately Chosa enjoys cooking too so food will always be offered.

The chicken is from Noorsveld Chickens I bought at the local Spar & very impressed, it was fresh not frozen. I only buy free range/pasture raised so happy we have another option.

14/12/2024

Seeds & homesteading products: I started collecting seeds after my PDC( Permaculture Design Certificate)11yrs ago & finally admit that I'm a seed hoarder. I planted more than 100 different seed varieties the last few days, most for the first time. African Marmalade sent me some seeds a few years ago, I've included a pic & waiting patiently to grow Calabash. We are growing Mullein from Mariam Edwards & Echinacae both in a swop recently, I failed to germinate these seeds a few times.

I enjoy making what we need & love working with pure Beeswax, I make a variety of candles. We have no light fittings living offgrid, this motivated me. I'm excited to be making Beeswax wraps next, I finally found the 3rd ingredient not easily available. I only sell at the monthly market & a nearby farmstall, this is enough for a side hustle I never really planned.

I love supporting home industries, my friend Jo-Dee Veldsman makes the most delicious chilli pickles I've been enjoying for years. She also started fabric painting & I was gifted a bag with our logo. Merle Voges Adams made a jersey for my 5yr old grandson Ben, they are both passionate about what they do.

08/12/2024

Chosa harvested these Potatoes while I was at the market yesterday, our first for the season & a lovely surprise to arrive home to. This week we also harvested Garlic & the Tumeric is from a few months ago. We only planted seeded Potatoes once in January along the last swale, this is our 2nd season harvesting & there is lots more.

We're getting there slowly slowly...

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Lotus Homestead
Grabouw
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Videos

Planting Vetiver along the new Swale, it's good for soil erosion & helps with mole/vole control the scent is in the roots 🐞🐝🐛

Early morning tunes from the birds & bees...🐦🐝 ☮️ #nofilter #workingwithnature #earthcare

It's Heritage Day in SA, enjoy the braai! 🇿🇦 ☮ #publicholiday #BraaiDay #bbq #rainbownation

Greenhouse Upgrade...

It's nearly 3yrs since we installed our first Greenhouse attached to the house, we used 2nd hand cottage pane windows. We've made some changes to include more opening windows on the top & to accommodate a wood burning stove. This is the full video made by Chosa Aka Chombe Wixy he also assisted Reagan the builder, the guys did a good job😍 #diy #greenhouse #offgridliving #homenursery

The only tools I usually need when planting, I love filling in gaps...

We are happy to harvest cleaner rain water...We found both the liquid & pressure cleaner at Builders, will post a pic in the comments. #catchingtherain #rainwaterharvesting

There was a wild fire in Grabouw yesterday, the farming community came out to help🙏 Here Chosa is carrying Roy in the evacuation assisted by Grabouw Animal Welfare Society I collected him this morning after all was clear. I'll post some pics in a post soon. We are all fine🙏

The swale is now complete 36m in total & has connected seamlessly. Chosa did a good job of filming it too. Now to plant cover crops & fruit trees. #earthcare #peoplecare #foodforest