What We’re Doing in the Garden This Week (And Why July Is One of Our Busiest Months)
If you’ve been following VanZylStead for a while, you’ll know one thing about us… We don’t believe July is a quiet month in the garden. In fact, I honestly think it’s one of the most important months of the year. While many people are waiting...
My Top 5 Tips for Planning Your Spring Garden
It might feel like spring is still a long way off, especially when the mornings are cold and the garden seems quiet. But if there is one thing years of growing food have taught me, it is this: The best spring gardens are planned in winter. Many gardeners wait until...
Cher, Marilyn & the Great Compost Plan – News from the Coop
News From The Coop Welcome back to another Friday edition of News From The Coop, where the chickens continue reminding us that no matter how much planning you do, they are always in charge. The biggest news from the orchard this week is that our two new girls, Cher...
10 Vegetables Every South African Should Grow to Save Money
With the rising cost of groceries, many South Africans are looking for ways to stretch their food budget without sacrificing quality. The good news is that you don’t need a large farm or even a big backyard to start growing your own food. A few well-chosen...
How Do You Really Clean Store-Bought Veggies
We spend so much time worrying about what goes into our food, but how often do we stop and think about what is sitting on the outside of it? Whether you grow your own food, buy from a local market, or fill your trolley at the supermarket, washing vegetables is one of...
When Two New Girls Move Into The Neighbourhood
News From The Coop Welcome back to another Friday edition of News From The Coop, where the chickens continue proving that life would be significantly quieter and more organised without them. This week was a big one in the orchard because we officially welcomed two new...
What To Plant In June
June is not the month to close the garden gate and wait for spring. In fact, June is one of the best months to get your winter veggie garden going properly, especially if you love peas, beetroot, carrots, brassicas, kale and lettuce. The garden may feel slower now....
Winter Mulching: The Do’s and Don’ts That Actually Matter
One of the biggest mistakes I see every winter is gardeners leaving their beds completely bare because they think nothing is growing. The tomatoes are finished, the beans are gone, and suddenly the veggie garden looks like it has gone into hibernation. The problem is...
What Is The Black Stuff Under My Citrus Leaves?
One of the most common messages we get during autumn and winter is: “Tash… what is this black sticky stuff all over my citrus leaves?” And honestly, once you notice it, you suddenly start seeing it EVERYWHERE on citrus trees. That black layer underneath the leaves —...
Why We LOVE Using Ollas In The Garden
There is something incredibly satisfying about finding simple, old-fashioned gardening methods that still work beautifully today — and ollas are exactly that. An olla (pronounced oy-ya) is one of the oldest watering methods in the world, dating back thousands of years. And honestly? Sometimes the oldest methods are still the smartest.
An olla is simply an unglazed terracotta pot buried in the soil and filled with water. The magic happens because the terracotta slowly releases moisture directly into the surrounding soil exactly where plant roots need it most. Instead of watering from above and losing huge amounts of water through evaporation, wind or runoff, the water slowly seeps deep into the soil over time. Plants then naturally pull the moisture they need as the soil dries out.
And honestly… they just work. Sometimes gardening gadgets can feel complicated or expensive, but ollas are beautifully simple. You can make one yourself in less than an hour.
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News From The Coop!!
Welcome to a brand new Friday insert here at VanZylStead — News From The Coop. Because apparently somewhere along our suburban homesteading journey, we became “chicken people.” And honestly? These girls are simultaneously the best decision and the most annoying...
Gardening in Winter Shade — Is It Really Worth It?
We all know the feeling! One minute your garden feels bright and productive in summer… and then winter arrives and suddenly half the garden feels cold, damp and permanently shady. The sun sits lower in the sky, walls cast longer shadows, trees block precious light and...
“Gardening Feels So Complicated…”
Recently someone asked me this question: “I’ve heard that there are specific dates that seeds need to be planted and it all feels quite complicated and overwhelming sometimes. Is it such an exact science? Probably also depends on where you live. Does...
Bacillus thuringiensis: The Gentle Caterpillar Killer Every Veggie Gardener Should Know About
If you grow brassicas, you probably know the heartbreak. One day your cabbages, kale, broccoli, cauliflower or pak choi look perfect. The next day they look like someone attacked them with a tiny hole punch. And usually, the culprit is hiding right there under the...
Companion Planting for Brassicas: How Trap Crops Can Help Save Your Winter Garden
If you’ve ever walked out into your winter garden feeling proud of your beautiful broccoli, cabbage, or kale… only to discover holes everywhere and little green caterpillars having the feast of their lives — welcome to brassica season. Brassicas are some of the most...
What’s Eating My Cabbage?!
The Most Common Cabbage Pests & How to Stop Them You walk into the garden feeling proud of your cabbages… And then suddenly, holes everywhere, slimy trails, curled leaves, tiny green caterpillars hiding deep inside the heads, and aphids having a full family...
5 Incredible Winter Garden Teas (+ Powerful Herb Combinations to Try)
Winter in the garden somehow turns all of us into tea people 😅 One minute you’re outside in two jerseys trying to pull weeds between the rain… and the next minute you’re standing in the kitchen clutching a giant mug of something warm while staring dramatically out the window at your cabbages.
And honestly? Some of the best winter teas can come straight from the garden. A few sprigs of mint, thyme, rosemary, or lemon verbena can completely change a cold winter morning. Not only do these herbs smell incredible, but many have traditionally been used to help soothe sore throats, warm the body, calm upset stomachs, and simply make winter feel a little more cozy.
The best part? Most of them are incredibly easy to grow here in South Africa — even in containers. So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to turn your garden into a little winter tea station… this is it
Here are my top 5 herbs to drink through winter, what they are traditionally used for, and some delicious herb combinations that work beautifully together.
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Bokashi Composting: The Ultimate Kitchen-to-Garden System
Turn every scrap into garden gold—fast, clean, and perfect for winter If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen wondering where all that food waste goes… Bokashi might just change the way you see everything. At VanZylStead, Bokashi is a core part of our closed-loop system....
Container Gardening in May
Small space, big harvests… even in winter
May in the garden is a shift. The air cools, the soil stays wetter for longer, and growth slows down—but if you get your containers right now, winter can be one of the most rewarding seasons to grow. Whether you’re gardening in the rainy Western Cape, the frosty Highveld, or even colder climates elsewhere, containers give you something incredibly valuable this time of year: control. You can move them out of the rain, into the sun, and protect them from cold snaps, creating a small but powerful growing environment right at home.
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Rust in the Garden: What It Is, Why It Shows Up, and What You Should Do
There’s something about winter gardening that feels slower, calmer… and then rust arrives and reminds you that the garden never really rests. One week your garlic is standing tall, your onions are pushing on, and everything feels steady. The next, you notice those...
Since moving into our house seven years ago we had had a problem with the grey coffee snout beetle (its…
n old strawberry bed can be a great place to grow something new, but it's best not to plant another…
Thank you for that most enlightening and interesting read re: Strawberries. What then, can one plant in the old Strawberry…
very informative. Thank you
Pyrol can help with grey coffee snout beetles, especially when they're doing serious damage. The way I look at it:…