Imagine living in your holiday destination! It feels like we do - and it humbles me. There are often cyclists, motorbikes and safari vehicles that pass through our valley. We wave pleasantly but are grateful when their dust dies down. Whenever I walk outside I am awed by the spectacular scenery that is our home. We never take it for granted. The mountains are beautiful and I can't tire of gazing at them. When I zoom my focus I am equally awed by the plant and animal life. It is breathtaking. Now, during our chilly winter months, the mountainsides are a picture of vibrant orange and yellow.
Humans aren't the only creatures enjoying the flowering aloes. The flowers buzz with the busy little worker bees. If we are very quiet and very still then we can catch the shy Malachite Sunbird darting from petal to petal.
Sadly the flowers don't last very long. However the various species bloom at different times during winter. There are a lot of aloes indigenous to South Africa, as well as our area. During the freezing months when we sit quietly baking in the warm winter sun we are privileged to watch the shimmering green Malachite sunbird savouring the aloe nectar.
Aloe is one of the most incredible medicinal plants on earth, as far as I am concerned. Aloe Ferox - also called the Cape Bitter Aloe - is indigenous to our area. It is very high in various minerals and vitamins. Compared to other aloes Aloe Ferox is far higher in amino acids and polysaccharides making it an aloe on steroids! The plant is incredibly hardy and resilient and grows up to 3 metres tall. The leaves are made up of skin, gel and sap. The skin is a beautiful green with light flecks and thorns. The gel is the soft transparent flesh which is incredible (and almost tasteless) in smoothies and juices. It pulls moisture into the gut as well as keeping skin hydrated. The yellow sap is where the bitterness is contained. It is an incredible laxative. Aloe is loved by health people as well as commercial cosmetic companies because of its incredible healing power.
It intrigues me that these little bees and birds instinctively feast on the aloes. My goats also love the bitter aloe. They gobble it up like we would chocolate! It is always worth stopping to learn from beautiful Nature.
