Rhubarb favour

The hosts of De Oude Huize Yard shares the live with you. 

Some time ago I posted about our vegetable garden.  

We have had a wonderful season and the veggies is doing extremely well.  

You can read the post about the veggie garden here

The jar has been filled with Rhubarb, apple and ginger jam.  

Rebecca and Aletta helped to make this batch.  

Thanks to these wonderful friends.  

Lots of blessing from South Africa 

Sandra 

things I love

the past six months were filled with joy and laughter.  

midwinter in July 

the wonder of awakening in September 

the full burst of summer in December 

In July we posted our hand knitted face cloths. 

These little treasures are still favourites.

These are easy to knit.  Cast om 50 stitches.  Knit 100 rows in your favourite pattern. 

Then we posted our hand made quilts.  You can read more here
These treasures keep everyone warm in winter when the temperature drops to below 12oC and the snow covers the landscape.  

I have collect antique pieces of lace to use as decorations on the quilts.  

As Spring started to draw closer the patio was given a make-over.  
A ceder wood server is the showplace of an antique collection.  The old grape press forms the centre.   

An old butter churn, a scale, some shoe moulds, and a grape press.  

We live in the shade of Platberg (Flat mountain) and you were taken on the beauty of what the mountain offers. De Oude Huize offers beautiful views of the mountain. There is to read here 

What you will experience when visiting Platberg.  

Spring is our season that is filled with preparation and love.  Read more about the preparations for Summer in the garden 

Little garden displays 

The peonies stole our hearts.  Watch them blooming here.  

De Oude Huize was filled with the wonderful blooms for weeks on end.  

Love from South Africa 

Sandra 

Hunting trip for a bathroom

DeOudeHuize

We are awaiting our building plans approval from the local Municipality for the addition of an extra guest room.  As there is a law that your cannot just change a house older than 60 years without prior approval, this is taking longer than anticipated.  

We operate as a bed and breakfast establishment and has grown where we need and extra guest room.  

The original house was built in 1860 and we try to keep it as close as possible to the original style but like to keep away from the museum feel.  

De Oude Huize Yard 2014

The hunt started a while ago and we came back with two laboratory basin in perfect condition.  

We were then able to find an old cast iron bath with beautiful eagle claw legs.  

We then came across five old chairs in a sturdy condition but in desperate need of charm 

Our latest find - and old buffet - with sturdy legs 

The hardware needs some help and the original top was replaced with a very thin board 

but the price was excellent 

We also had two pigeon baskets

The mirror is beautiful as it is.  

Now if we put this together this is what we have.  

Next two the basin is two old high voltage fuses.  

Read more about it here

Please let us know what your would have done with all of this.  

I am looking forward to your comments 

Love from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thank you for all the wonderful friends whom are sharing this story!!!

A Stroll Thru Life; A delightsome life; Any Girl Can Do It; Craft Berry Bush; Crafty Allie; 

Create with Joy; China on a shoestring; Confessions of a Plate Addict; Elizabeth & Co; 

Embracing Change: From my front Porch; Fabulously Creative; 

French Country Cottage; Fishtail Cottage; Funky Junk; Have a Daily Cup; 

Ivy and Elephants; Katherines Corner; Knick of Time; Lavender Garden Cottage; 

Life on Lakeshore; My Romantic Home; My Salvaged Treasures; 

Miss Mustardseed; Revisionary Life; Rooted in thyme; Redoux Interiors; The Dedicated House; 

Rose Garden Malevik; Tilly's Nest ; Shabby Art Style Sisters; Savvy Southern style; 

Sweet Bella Roos; The Shabby Nest; The Jenny Evolution; The Brambleberry Cottage; 

Too Much Time; We Call It Junkin; 

Revamping a room

DeOudeHuize

I was dreaming of getting a ruin in France but had to settle for a ruin in Harrismith, Free State, South Africa.  

We could only dream an impossible dream.  

This is a little picture story of what happened as we go along in one of the bedrooms.  

The walls was painted Beige Blond but the old clay bricks was to uneven so we had to give it a second colour.
I liked the name Onion Skin Tan and that was our wash's color.  

The very first 6 months it looked like this.  

Fresh flowers in a silver teapot did help 

We were then able to change the twin beds into a king bed 

The headboard changed the picture 

This had to be replaced 

Furniture with a twist 

Chandelier found on a auction 

Think I can live with this 

The ruin is now a home 

Thanks for visiting may you all have a wonderful week.  

Love from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thank you for all the wonderful friends whom are sharing this story!!!

at 

A delightsome life; Any Girl Can Do It; Craft Berry Bush; Crafty Allie; Create with Joy; 
China on a shoestring; 
Confessions of a Plate Addict; Elizabeth & Co; Embracing Change: 
From my front Porch; Fabulously Creative;

French Country Cottage; Fishtail Cottage; Funky Junk; Have a Daily Cup; 
Ivy and Elephants; Katherines Corner; Knick of Time;  Lavender Garden Cottage; 
Life on Lakeshore; My Romantic Home;  My Salvaged Treasures; 
Miss Mustardseed; Revisionary Life; 
Rooted in thyme; Redoux Interiors; The Dedicated House; Rose Garden Malevik; 
Tilly's Nest ; Shabby Art Style Sisters; Savvy Southern style; Sweet Bella Roos; 
The Shabby Nest;  The Jenny Evolution; The Brambleberry Cottage; Too Much Time; 
We Call It Junkin;   

De Oude Huize Yard at the foot of Platberg

DeOudeHuize

De Oude Huize Yard offers a wonderful view of Platberg!

Platberg and the gardens of De Oude Huize Yard

Platberg is the Free State’s own “Table Mountain”, that overlooks the town of Harrismith. 
Literally meaning the flat-mountain, the 2 377-metre high inselberg is an eastern Free State 
landmark and forms an imposing backdrop to the town.

The biodiversity of the Mountain 

The Platberg, an extension of the eastern foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, has remarkable biodiversity. Its western slopes and the summit of the mountain are a nature reserve 

with a number of endemic/near-endemic alpine plants that are unique to the region.

There is everything and more

From a distance, it appears to have a distinct flat top. 

However, once on the summit the plateau is found to be undulating, with rolling grass-covered slopes. 

The vegetation of the plateau is dominated by grassland, with a few rocky ridges, sheet rock 

and rubble patches, as well as numerous seasonal wetlands and a permanent 

open playa (pan) on its far western side.

Sunsets are remarkable, the town of Harrismith nestles at the foot of the mountain and early morning mist enfold the town and mountain

A historical site during the Anglo Boer War

Woody patches as well as the indigenous grow along the base of the cliffs. 

The shrubland vegetation is concentrated on the cool side of Platberg, 

on sandstone, in gullies, slopes, mobile boulder beds, and on rocky ridges. 

Platberg also has elements of Fynbos

Some of the beautiful plants on the mountain

We have a wonderful connection with the mountain

Thanks for visiting may you all have a wonderful week. 

Love from South Africa 

Sandra & Hennie

Getting ready for Summer

DeOudeHuize

At the beginning of September - the spring - in South Africa we are getting ready for summer.

This year our garden was in need of topsoil to level the humps and bumps.

My husband - Hennie - did an incredible job.

One of these days the gardens at De Oude Huize will be stunning,  again.

All in a days work 

Our garden is approximately 2000m2

There is a lot of promise everywhere.  

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The piles of topsoil and sand are spread over the grass and levelled.  

Time for coffee and biscuits under the Campanile 

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness;
it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust

Looking good 

The blossoms is showing everywhere. 

---------------------

Soon it will be back to normal.
Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.  

Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?

Thanks for visiting may you all have a wonderful week.  

Love from South Africa 

Sandra 

Thank you for all the wonderful friends whom are sharing this story!!!

at 

A delightsome life; Craft Berry Bush; Crafty Allie; Create with Joy;
 Confessions of a Plate Addict; China on a shoestring; 
Elizabeth & Co; Embracing Change: From my front Porch; Fabulously Creative;

French Country Cottage; Fishtail Cottage; Funky Junk; Have a Daily Cup; 
Ivy and Elephants; Katherines Corner; Knick of Time;  Lavender Garden Cottage; 
Life on Lakeshore; My Romantic Home;  Miss Mustardseed; Revisionary Life; Rooted in thyme; 
Redoux Interiors; The Dedicated House; Rose Garden Malevik; Tilly's Nest ; 
Shabby Art Style Sisters; Savvy Southern style; Sweet Bella Roos; The Shabby Nest;  
The Jenny Evolution; The Brambleberry Cottage; Too Much Time; We Call It Junkin;   

Stoep . . . patio . . . terrazza . . . korto . . .

DeOudeHuize

We are born at a given moment,
in a given place and,
like vintage years of wine,
we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. 

As it is the time for Spring to pay us a visit in South Africa it was time to do something to the stoep server.  

A little Vignette

The question is what is a vignette?  

1.   A small illustration placed at the beginning or end of a book or chapter

2.   A short graceful literary essay or sketch
3.  A photograph, drawing, etc, with edges that are shaded off

But so we still call it a Vignette and the most important thing is to enjoy your life. 

To be happy 

Its all that matters.  

I love history... everything is inspired by history, so that's why I love vintage and antiques.

Thanks for visiting may you all have a wonderful week.  

Love from South Africa 

Sandra