I’m happy to announce my safe arrival in the Caribbean Island of Montserrat. We scheduled an early seafood lunch then checked into our villa accommodation with beautiful views of surrounding Olveston. The welcome initiated by our island hosts has been nothing short of overwhelming. Travel certainly brightens the spirit and renews ones faith in the basic decency of humanity. From the verandah, one surveys such an abundance of tropical life. Written descriptions of its emerald vegetation fail to capture an impression of growth proceeding slightly beneath the rate of visible movement. Coconut palms compete with native fig species and yellow blossomed frangipani. A riot of wild peppers intersperse an ocean of blade grass and sweeping pillars...

Well the rugby lads didn’t quite manage the result I was hoping for. The half time score was close enough but we were unlucky with the penalties and probably gave away too much in the lineouts. A victory would have disrupted the world rankings and given me boasting rights against some gardening friends of mine from Natal. Never mind. When things don’t turn out as they should, I usually retreat to a corner of the garden and make myself as busy as possible. I’m not sure whether it’s my state of mind, but everything looked a bit grey and lifeless this week. The weather’s cooled off a touch and leaves are falling faster than I can rake them aside. They’ll make a nice organic mulch to protect next year’s...

The other night I was on the sports network and happened to catch an interview with a few of our fanatical Rugby supporters. It must have been one of those earlybird specials. Watch the lads training around six in the morning followed by a decent supporters breakfast of muesli and yoghurt, with fresh strawberries and passionfruit. I’m seriously considering a trip across for the final but was hoping to join you guys for breakfast beforehand. I’m a great believer in the health giving properties of passionfruit. I almost mistook yours for dark plums but then you cut one open and spooned out those characteristic dark seeds surrounded by their pulp. It might surprise you to learn that I’d never tasted passionfruit until I visited...

Halloween is the time of year when decent size pumpkins and squash are in demand. Not necessarily for their eating qualities but always to carve out the mysterious and haunting faces of Jack O Lanterns and Will O the Wisps. Apparently this year holds no promise of an easy delivery. Most of the Northern hemisphere has experienced unseasonal levels of Summer rain which has contributed to a poor crop. A lot of pumpkin farms were forced to dig out their vines months ago. In terms of what’s currently available, don’t expect to find the beautiful gold and orange specimens. A lot of the imported ones are still green and need to be treated with artificial heaters to ripen in time for the main event. Many Organic Guide readers will prefer...

My husband and I both work long hours in demanding environments. At the end of each day there’s nothing so relaxing as the moments we spend in our garden. The summer months of extended daylight enable us to enjoy the visual beauty of our shrubs, trees, and flowers. As the sun recedes, we find ourselves reluctant to retreat from our oasis of calm. So we frequently extend our stay beneath the moonlight and stars. This is the quietest reverie of subtle shapes and hidden dreams. Our senses are indulged by a myriad of tiny blossoms and their subtle perfumes which float in the breeze. We have friends who appreciate similar moments and have developed their own strategies for evening display. Here are some useful ideas for establishing a night...