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The bullseye contrast formed by the clustered stamens, stands out against its vibrantly coloured petals, creates a highly visible 'target' for its pollinators in this case, bees. Picture: SUPPLIED

IN THE GARDEN | The brilliant design and enduring charm of Oriental poppies

Sisters Siphosethu and Khwaza Tshisela show off garments from their  recently launched Hanger Appeal women's clothing brand
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Reimagining the little black dress: How two sisters built Hanger Appeal

Mdantsane sisters Khwaza and Siphosethu Tshisela have launched Hanger Appeal, an elevated women's ready-to-wear brand debuting with a modern take on…

GREATEST SHOW IN TOWN: Pantomimes produced by Vincent Primary, since incorporated into Hudson Park, were legendary. SUPPLIED
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A secret sweet ritual of innocence at Vincent Primary in the '70s

Reflecting on the unregulated 1970s, a writer revisits the sweet, awkward rituals of youth at Vincent Primary and why learning gentleness remains…

Yondela Ngqokelela, who founded the EC Women Writers Association.  Picture: SUPPLIED

Heritage on the menu: EC women turn treasured traditional recipes and indigenous knowledge into a lasting record

A collective of nearly 100 women from the Eastern Cape is harnessing the power of storytelling and literature to safeguard indigenous culinary…

From ‘insider’ to people saver

Dr Shiksha Gallow and husband Wayne of Gonubie celebrate her third and toughest doctorate.

EC’s medical cannabis prostate cancer research knocks on global doors

Pioneering South African researcher Dr Shiksha Gallow's study reveals that combining medicinal cannabis with chemotherapy led to a 63% rate of…

'Agency' author Ashley Brownlee with life partner Andre Hagan and their ridgeback Buggy on the stoep of their Klein Karoo guesthouse Wolverfontein Karoo Cottages. PICTURE: Coco Van Oppens

‘Agency’ a story of reinvention, healing and humour

Ashley Brownlee's memoir Agency explores his journey of identity, healing, and humour as an adopted child navigating illness, loss, and belonging in…

Bromeliads add a festive tropical feeling to the garden.
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Wild about bromeliads

Lyn Wegner developed a passion for gardening and bromeliads from her childhood, eventually turning it into a global pursuit and business with her…

EP Elephants lock Calvin Bosch is tackled by Border's Ahluma Mbinqo during a SA Rugby U21 Shield clash at Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Saturday Picture Alan Eason

Oliver toasts Baby Elephants character after comeback win over Border

Eastern Province U21 coach Shaun Oliver commended his players for showing grit in their 41-12 victory over their Border counterparts at Mdantsane’s…

Spekboom seedlings at the Kalkfontein nursery. The hope is that the first batch of plants will be ready to planted in the field early next year
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Spekboom: SA’s humble green wonder

Spekboom, a succulent indigenous to South Africa’s Eastern Cape, has moved from being a backyard snack to a celebrated eco-friendly plant known for…

De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins with Wine 2 Door club organisers Michelle Brown, left, and Olga Hafner, at the recent tasting at Kiplings at the Boardwalk Hotel

A VINE TIME | Industry legend delivers not only award-winning wines, but knowledge and mirth

An evening in the company of De Grendel cellar master Charles Hopkins is always a treat, and not just for the experience of tasting his…

FLAVOURS OF FESTIVAL: Bronwen Makovini, bar manager at the Gin Boutique at the Hello Sardine Festival in Chintsa East, says seven styles of South African gin 'are going very well! We have had foreign tourists, a lot of Capetonians and locals. Plenty of feet!' Picture: MIKE LOEWE
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To all those dreadful ‘tjoms’, we are still here, bud!

WELLBEING: Executive creative directors of Decorex Africa Garreth van Niekerk and Alan Hayward say minimalism is being replaced by softness and comfort. Pictures: BARBARA HOLLANDS
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Home is where the soft life begins

Design leaders at Decorex 2026 say the era of hard-edged minimalism is fading as handcrafted décor, warm palettes and spaces designed to prioritise…

The writer had hoped to enjoy a deluxe queen-size self-blow-up mattress on the trip.  Picture:
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Buckets, blow-up beds and bush toilets: Surviving my first Kruger camping adventure

Armed with a torch, a bucket and anxiety, an adventurer embraces life under the stars

Makhanda-born artist and tattoo researcher Nicole Anne Bouwer.
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Makhanda artist turns tattoos into healing rituals

A Makhanda-born artist and tattoo researcher also paints interiors, preserving the details that homeowners treasure most.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: The writer would listen to Springbok Radio quiz shows in the early 1970s on these old brown radios. Picture: BARBARA HOLLANDS
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SA’s love affair with quiz shows lives on

There was no need to consult the Springbok Radio quiz show schedules — they were imprinted in my schoolgirl brain so that every evening could be an…

There is often pressure to make Mother’s Day perfect - the ideal gift, the ideal outing. But perfection is not the goal, connection is. A thoughtfully chosen action that genuinely supports a mother’s well-being is far more meaningful than an elaborate but fleeting gesture.
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Why moms need real support, not just Mother’s Day gestures

Mother’s Day arrives each year wrapped in flowers, breakfasts in bed, handmade cards and heartfelt messages of love, but the day could also be the…

GRIME AND GLORY: The Buffalo river port of KuGompo retains a limimnal, other-worldly aura.
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DELORIS KOAN | Grit versus grit out here on the pier of our lives

The waters are dark and green, full of mystery and danger. It’s scary to think of how I have swum around this orb poking into the ocean with someone…

Motorcycling brought Alrose Vice closer to the sunrise, the bush, sea and mountains. This is Hetty, the writer's 1200  BMW GSA at Orient Beach. Picture: DELORIS KOAN
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DELORIS KOAN | Fifty years of ‘independence, freedom and adrenalin’

Dahlias are TerBlanche's favcourite flower - as she says 'they bloom like mad, and every single flower is so perfectly shaped'.
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‘Blommemeisie’ planting dahlias and dreams

There’s just something about fresh cut flowers on your kitchen counter that can turn a dull day into a sparkly one.