The snake story is very dear to my heart for it began with great fear and ended with love. There was nothing worse for my wife Elke and me than to encounter a snake.  Not knowing any better, we had inherited the common fear and horror of snakes when we spent the first summer at our newly acquired property.

When most people think of alpine plants, visions of the majestic Rockies, Alps, Andes or Himalayas come to mind. But what about alpines that naturally grow at sea level?

The southern hemisphere is home to the greatest level of biodiversity. In fact, 70 per cent of the globe’s species exist in just 12 countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru and Democratic Republic of Congo.

With warm patio weather a thing of the past, Mother Nature perks up our dampened spirits with a vivid quilt of rich colours strewn across treetops during the autumn months. How does she work her magic? Read on to learn some facts on the fantastic foliage transformation that occurs each fall!  

You’ve spent countless hours digging in the garden and warding off pests, all in the hope of salvaging your prize-winning cucumbers. Naturally, when they grow abundantly, you reach for your mason jars and get to work. We’re not the only ones who appreciate good produce and can’t stand to see it go to waste. Although animals can’t freeze, jar or jam their food, they do manage to store it away to save time and energy during the winter months.