Hello Silverhill Customers

Hope the heat or chill is not taking too much out of your gardening and seed-sowing efforts 😀🌼.  We have had a whole lot less rain than we should have had for our winter rainfall season, the flowers in Namaqualand are not great, there has been no follow-up rainfall.  Summer is going to be very hot and very dry, we are trying to save water already.  Hoping the seed collection is going to be ok, but we will have to go a bit earlier I think.

Nina and I have been on a recent trip to Namibia to fetch books (as some of you saw in our social media post).  Trying to get the botanical books into SA from there is a headache of note and we thought a “quick” drive up and down was called for.  Nina had never been in Namibia so it was a frantic rush to renew her passport, so now she has a fresh Namibian stamp 😁.  What an amazing trip to do with a friend – lots of fun and laughs and a glass or two of wine.  Nina even managed a bit of work!

Cheeky glass of wine on the last night

Sunset From Mount d’Urban near Helmeringhausen

Tropic of Capricorn on our way up to Windhoek

Nina working at the campsite in Windhoek

As some of you know I took Silverhill Seeds and Books over from Rod and Rachel Saunders in 2018 after their senseless murders.  Due to the recent conviction of their murderers, I thought I would follow up with a bit of a newsletter to let you all know what happened and, for our new customers, to give a bit of background to the two people who were Silverhill Seeds! So get a cup of coffee, tea or something stronger if that is what you prefer and take a break.

BACKGROUND

Rod and Rachel were friends with my parents before I was born (approx. 1971).  We were family friends and often visited them socially, throughout my childhood and young adult life. I started working for Rod and Rachel/Silverhill Seeds and Books in 1998.  Rod’s first words to me when I walked in the front door of their Kenilworth house were: “Keep your mouth shut and your ears open and you will learn a lot.” 😁 Which I certainly did.

I began in the seed room in 1998, counting and packing orders and now and then cleaning seeds. Then graduated to full office manager in 2015, but had been doing both jobs on and off since the mid-2000’s.

Silverhill Seeds is a specialised South African Indigenous seed company.  Rod and Rachel bought the business from Alan Parsley of Parsley’s Seeds in the early 1990’s.

They started going out into the field to sustainably collect seeds of our indigenous plants.  It ended up being nearly nine months of the year, they travelled, which ended up being a strain on Frances Hanekom, who worked in the office, which she handled really well over the years.  Frances was the most amazing Silverhill companion and taught me all I had to know about the office and how Silverhill worked in the beginning.  She used to work at the library at Kirstenbosch with Rod, who would delight in walking into the Library eating a sandwich and dropping crumbs on the floor and eating his garlic with gusto in front of her in the library.

Their main interest was bulbous plants, but Rod had a soft spot for Aloes and both of them loved the Drakensberg from their MCSA (Mountain Club of South Africa) days, so cold hardy plants also became an annual pilgrimage.  They were passionate about indigenous plants and being out in nature, and were wholeheartedly committed to preserving both for future generations. It was woven into the fibre of their being. They worked with like-minded people from all over the world, and grew some of the unusual plants they found in their back garden, which I had to look after when they were away – from watering to pollinating and pulling a few weeds.

TRAINING SKILLS

Dr Rachel Saunders – (BSc 1975, BSc Hons 1975, PhD 1982) majored in chemistry and botany at Wits, and graduated at 28 yrs old.  She never used the Dr in correspondence, but if there was a particularly difficult customer or official, the DR showed its face!  She worked at Wits in the Microbiology department until they moved to Cape Town, where she started working at UCT in Liver research. This is where she met Andy Hackland of Frontier Lab.  She NEVER used the title Dr, unless she was speaking to a particularly difficult government official or someone of the sorts.

Rod Saunders as a horticulturist worked for the Johannesburg/Pretoria Parks Department at The Wilds.  He then took a job at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens where he served as nursery manager from 1982 until 1994 when he left to help Rachel with Silverhill Seeds.  Andy, Fiona Hackland and their children spent many days walking in the Drakensberg or visiting different places and having camping holidays where Rod got to explore his “Grandad” persona with Hannah and Sarah.

Rod was born in the UK, Rachel was born in South Africa. And both were dual citizens of South Africa and the UK.  They had family in The Netherlands, UK, USA, Australia and Canada, and would visit to spend time with them as well as to give talks to various societies and clubs.  Family, friends and other horticultural compatriots would come and stay or would meet Rod and Rachel in the field for a few days to explore.  We would get to meet them in passing in the office for a last-minute order before they left or a pile of books that was cheaper and safer to take in hand luggage than posting.

PUBLISHED WORKS

Page 7 Plants in Peril

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Pg18 Crew News Vol 6. March 2010

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A Revision of the South African genus Babiana, Iridaceae: Crocoideae

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IPPS – International Plant Propagator’s Society Vol 46 (https://www.pubhort.org/ipps/46/26.htm)

Bothalia (chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.sanbi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2008_Bothalia38_1.pdf)

A Journal of Botanical Research

Vol. 38,1 May 2008 Romulea tubulosa Pg 80

The Trillium

Newsletter of the Piedmont Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society – Vol. 10, No. 1 Jan-Feb 2000

International Rock Gardener

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August 2018 Pg 48-65  Memory of R&R together with Pictures of plants that have been grown form Silverhill seeds

Saunder’s Field Guide to Gladioli in South Africa

Articles and papers: 

• John Manning, Peter Goldblatt, Rachel Saunders.  MASSONIA BIFOLIA; Published in Curtis’ Botanical, the longest running botanical peer reviewed journal, published by Kew.
• Author: Saunders, Rachel. Title: Bulbs of Southern Africa. Bulbs: The International Bulb Society Quarterly. vol 2, issue 3 (September/December 2000), p. 9-16. (I can’t access this but found it listed on a journal site along with another one about medicinal plants in the same journal)
• Author: Saunders, Rod and Saunders, Rachel. Title: Does fynbos need to burn?  Veld & Flora. v. 86, issue 2 (June 2000), p. 76-78.
• Author: Rod and Rachel Saunders. A wild garden in suburbia. Veld and Flora. 1995.
• Saunders, Rod. 1995. Clematis brachiata x Clematopsis scabiosifolia. Veld & Flora, Volume 81, Issue 2, p. 45.
• Saunders, Rod. Halleria lucida – a successful small tree for South African gardens. Veld and Flora, 1988

Collaborations and talks

They shared their expertise freely with other scientists. There are acknowledgments of their contributions and of their supply of seed of Salvias, Restionaceae, Scilla, Crassulas, Pelargonium among others  in the scientific literature, they were integral to the processes of scientific research.

Rod usually did the talks with gusto and much humour, telling of experiences while driving or punctures, places they visited, people they met and friends they made.  They were part of/created worldwide network of scholars, horticulturalists and plant enthusiasts.  Rachel also talked with loads of knowledge when she did do the talks, but was much better with her words on paper.

• They both gave talks at Winchester, New Zealand, to SA Bulb Group in 2008.
• March-April 1997, lecture to a Bulb Society/Garden Club in the UK
• Talk to the NARGS June 15^th 2000 on “Cape Bulbs South African Gems”

To name a few, maybe if our older customers can remember others I can add them so we can get an even more complete history.

• They found and documented  Romulea discifera near Nieuwoudtville in 1998.
• They never formally named any plants but Ixia saundersiana Goldblatt & J.C.Manning was named for them since they were the first people to collect it

• Clematis brachiata x villosa ‘Silver Beard’ (https://pza.sanbi.org/clematis-brachiata-x-villosa-%E2%80%98silver-beard%E2%80%99)

Family: Ranunculaceae

Common names: Silver Beard Clematis

• Rod found and named “Clivia miniata var citrina ‘Butter Yellow’:  Clivia  miniata  var.  citrina  ‘Butter  Yellow’  (Group 2,  have minute traces of anthocyanin (pinkish-red) pigment streaks or spots in their flowers and fruits).  A single plant arose spontaneously within a planting of Clivia miniata var miniata at  ‘The Wilds’  in  Johannesburg.  It  was  donated to  the Kirstenbosch  bulb  collection  by Rodney  Saunders  in  1988,  who  gave  it its  cultivar  name.

POSITIONS HELD AND ASSOCIATIONS THEY BELONGED TO

Pacific Bulb Society (PBS) https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbsforum/

Rachel participated in the email list providing helpful information, including introducing Topics of the Week and providing photos and information on starting bulbs from seed for the PBS wiki.  Rod did a couple of speaking tours in the United States for the North American Rock Garden Society and added an extra talk for the California Horticultural Society and some talks for other local groups.

IBSA – Indigenous Bulb Association of South Africa https://www.facebook.com/groups/439881806140636/

Many people have recently asked how to get the benefits of being a full member of IBSA. If you are interested please contact ruthprescott@gmail.com or phone Ruth on her cell ,083386941 or landline 021 6714457…South Africa

Rod was Chairman, Rachel was treasurer and Editor of the Bulletin as well as organising the IBSA Symposium for 2 years

Rachel was the Editor of the IBSA Bulletin at least from 1998 to 2015, and probably for much longer than that.  Rachel also contributed occasional photographs and articles to the Bulletin. Rod contributed numerous excellent photographs to the Bulletin, at least for this period. Rod also did book reviews for the Bulletin.

Mountain Club of South Africa (MCSA) https://mcsa.org.za/

Rod and Rachel were both members since the early 1970’s.  Rachel’s elder sister introduced her to the Mountain Club and this is where she came to know Rod, in the wilds of the Magliesberg and Drakensberg. Rod was a rock climber and often used to climb with my mother.  They attended many meets as well as regular July camps organized by the Kwazulu-Natal Branch

IPPS https://ipps.org/

Members from late 1990’s

THE DISAPPEARANCE AND SUBSEQUENT MURDER OF ROD AND RACHEL

Monday Morning the 12th February 2018 started as any ordinary day at Silverhill, the bosses were away in the Drakensberg somewhere – we never knew exactly where.  I was getting messages from Rachel to say the filming world is very different and she would tell me all about it when they got home.  They were filming an episode for Gardeners’ World.  The episode was eventually released in 2020, Episode 7, South African Gladioli https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08c4kws/player.

There was chaos as soon as the doorbell rang and it felt like an episode of NCIS or something of the sort.

As you can imagine this caused a huge upheaval in the business as well as emotionally. For a period of time it was uncertain as to what had happened and how to continue. Extra staff were needed as I had to fly to Durban to assist with identifying the vehicle when it was found. There were anxious days until we knew their bodies had been found and we could start to begin dealing with the situation within the business which took a great deal of learning and organising whilst still keeping running . 

I have attached all the relevant news articles and if you would like to read more, please do so.  They are in order of publication.  I did find this particular reporter was very sensitive to the subject and there wasn’t much dramatisation.

1. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2023/11/09/durban-high-court-hears-of-umdloti-isis-gangs-murder-and-spending-spree/
2. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/06/09/isis-linked-trio-found-guilty-of-the-murder-of-british-botanists-rodney-and-rachel-saunders/
3. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/06/24/defence-witness-says-saunders-killers-were-tortured-by-years-in-solitary-confinement/
4. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/07/02/rodney-and-rachel-saunders-murder-family-and-friend-describe-lasting-grief-at-sentencing-hearing/
5. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/07/09/exclusive-the-untold-story-of-the-three-people-convicted-of-murdering-rodney-and-rachel-saunders/
6. https://www.citizen.co.za/north-coast-courier/news-headlines/local-crime-news/2026/07/02/double-life-sentences-for-killers-of-british-botanists-rodney-and-rachel-saunders/

Rod and Rachel were warm, generous people who touched the lives of many. To lose them in such a violent and tragic way has been devastating, and the impact continues to be felt by all who knew and loved them. They were always ready to share their extensive knowledge and a humorous experience or two while out in the field. Both were exceptionally good writers and kept you hooked, whether they were documenting an experience, writing a book review or simply sharing their knowledge at a talk.  Needless to say their expertise and experiences have and will continue to be sorely missed among the botanical and horticultural community.   They were passionate about preserving and being able to cultivate indigenous plants.  There is a hole that will never be filled for Rachel’s and Rod’s family and friends.

They were also avid ceramicists with their own large kiln at home. And Rod was a spectacular cook with a passion for garlic!

They were generous to a fault and gave freely when they could.  They supported many charities over the years:

• League of Friends of the blind
• Guide Dog Association
• Cart Horse Association
• NSRI
• Rally to Read – This was their ultimate passion to be able to teach children to read and appreciate reading and books

THOUGHTS FROM FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS

Ernie De Marie of  the New York Botanical Garden

I stayed at their place twice, in 1991 and in 1993 when I was collecting plants for the New York Botanical Garden.  Needless to say they were wonderful hosts and we went on some local seed collecting trips, and visited some cool spots, including a mountain stream we drank water from which I would have never done but they said it was fine and of course I trusted their judgement.

As for my own thoughts, it certainly has taken a very long time for justice to happen and I hope the punishments are as severe as South African law allows for those who took them away from us.  My garden is full of plants grown from their seeds so every time I look in my garden during the growing season here in New York, there are plants that carry their memory for me.   Like many others who knew them personally I  still struggle to understand why anyone would wish to harm them, they were gentle and kind people who represented the very best of South Africa.  And they were floral ambassadors for South Africa, promoting its flora and sharing it with the rest of the world which no doubt encouraged some people to visit SA who might not have thought to do so before, thus contributing to its economy and giving South Africa much needed positive press while they were still with us.  Their murder made international headlines and as such damaged the nation’s reputation.  So not only are we who knew them personally left with their loss but so too has South Africa lost something that is irreplaceable.

James Hitchmough – Sheffield Botanical Garden

Rod and Rachel were giants within South African and international horticulture who possessed the most extraordinary knowledge of the native flora and the distribution of these  species in the wild.  Their seed collecting was undertaken with deep appreciation for conservation ecology, they were promoters of both ex and in-situ biodiversity, and maintained strong, positive relationships with the SA botanical and ecological community ‘’. They were kind and gentle people who were much loved by everyone who worked with them; and fantastic ambassadors for the post apartheid South Africa and its flora.  They maintained a large international network of collaborators  and their murder sent a shock wave through world Horticulture.

Leight Voigt – Author

Rod and Rachel Saunders were two of the most respected botanists in Southern Africa’s botanical history. It was a tragedy of immense proportions when they were murdered. A senseless, greedy, barbaric act, and no punishment will ever be enough to compensate for their loss.  Furthermore, it is disgraceful that conclusion has only been reached after an interminable 8 years.  Leigh Voigt, Schagen, Mpumalanga.

Andy and Fiona Hackland

Rod and Rachel were our closest friends, family in all but biology.  They filled our world with love, laughter, and botany. Typically generous, they helped Andy raise his share of the partnership in Frontier Lab by remortgaging their house and loaning him the money. They gave their time and energies to the botanical world, cultivating a huge network of scientists, naturalists and plant enthusiasts and seeding a love of South African indigenous flora around the world. They gave funds to good causes, stocking school libraries with books, donating to the NSRI and other organisations. Their deaths were appalling, their loss immeasurable. Even after eight years, we feel their absence every day. The world lost experts and scientific companions. We lost our family, our friends, our partners and kindred spirits. Our children lost elders and role models. Our communities lost anchors. The loss reverberates. Their deaths continue to horrify. Our grief endures.

Mary-Sue Ittner and Bob Rautmuller

They often provided hospitality for visitors from around the world, introducing them to the beautiful flora of South Africa, but also making it clear that plants admired were not to be removed. Rachel often communicated with customers, answering all their questions even though it had to have taken a lot of time. Their deaths left a huge hole for people all around the world.

I continue to think about them often. I send out flower messages to a group of friends 5 days a week and spent a number of weeks sharing places we went with them, stories about them, and photos of things we saw.

Proteaflora Nursery Australia

Proteaflora is globally the largest producer of premium flowering potted Proteaceae plants . We have international partnerships with other growers who we have trained in protea growing. Silverhill has provided us with virtually all the seed that we have used over our history. Rod and Rachel’s expertise was specific and detailed and highly valued and in our view irreplaceable.  Some varieties we produce have originated from seed selections they have collected.

In so many ways this whole experience has affected Silverhill Seeds as a business. We  had to expand and stretch in many directions going from the office to the field.

This has meant learning where to find the plants and seeds and find new sources. Our inventory also reduced considerably. Employing extra staff to fill the office position in place of me and trying to glean information re the seed localities from Rachels diaries.

This did not produce a lot as most of her information was held in her head and not on paper. “The big tree near the bend in the road” is not as helpful as you would think when the location was not clear.

It has been a challenging eight years ( it did not help that COVID also played a role) but we trust that we have managed to successfully recover and continued to provide seeds and help as I have gained my confidence with courage and the help of so many of you in this amazing  horticultural group.

Thank you for reading this long newsletter, this has all been a long time coming and I am very glad that there is a small amount of closure for us and a certain amount of justice was served.  We will always miss them and I often think of both of them in the field or just in the office, ranting that they couldn’t teach me more. I was only just starting to learn from them and appreciate what they were teaching me.

Have an absolutely fantastic Spring and Autumn and hope that your gardens keep growing and flowering.

All of us here at Silverhill

Ondine, Nina, Pat, Dorothy, Regina, Etina and Lucy

Dear South African Plant Lovers and Enthusiasts

Sitting here in front of my computer with some Old Brown Sherry trying to compose this newsletter (After work hours of course !).  You would think it would be easy after a years break, sadly writing is not my strength, but here goes.

We are in the middle of Winter at the moment and it has been chilly and wet.  For some reason Silverhill has always operated from very cold offices – I think it is just a trend, it is certainly good for the seeds, but not so much the humans who have to work with the seeds.   I  don’t keep record of the rain so I don’t know if we are above average or not, but all farmers and plant enthusiasts are happy for any sort of rain and it saves the Utility/Water bill at the end of the month if you are having to water your garden or collection of pots.

Taken from the Noordhoek sportsfield. (Photo: Dory Tyndale-Biscoe)

The Cape Peninsula had the most dreadful fires in April.  It damaged a large amount of fynbos at Silvermine, due to this Silvermine has been closed for path rehabilitation.  We are hoping it will open on the 1st of July and it will certainly be worth a walk to see what is coming up after these rains.  It will probably be too early as we have not had many warm days to trigger germination, but always great to have an excuse to get some fresh air.

Recently there has been a lot of news regarding the poaching of Clivia mirabilis.

Image – Andre Swart

I was quite staggered as these plants are not in the most accessible place to dig out.  They grow in the area of Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape.  Erica, Louise Nurrish and her 2 sons and I walked the Oorlogskloof Trail in 2023 and we saw a few plants. We now hear that most of them have been removed, which is very sad to hear, as they do not survive well out of their natural habitat.

On the subject of the Oorlogskloof Hiking Trail…..  What an amazing 5 day 4 night trail.  There is very little information regarding the trail, but what there is in the form of Blogs is VERY accurate.  I must admit I did underestimate the trail.  After walking/hiking since I was a small child, I asked myself “how hard could this actually be”, I am fit and experienced, “it can’t be that bad!”  Believe the blogs, the trail is not for the faint hearted.  It was taxing, but the scenery was incredible.

You were taken to points that would give you the best view of the kloof or down the mountain towards Vanrhynsdorp.  The huts were great, the trail did need some maintenance as well as better signage (footprints on rocks etc), but it was all part of the excitement.  The Oorlogskloof river was in full flow, bridges had been washed away, so crossing the river on the 3rd day was a bit exciting with a full pack especially when your legs/knees are not as “springy” as they used to be.  Wonderful time was had by all of us.

Our Namibia adventure this year was phenomenal.  The amount of rain that they received was incredible in some areas.  We saw rivers flowing which I have never seen flow before, the veld was green and the waving grasses were something to behold.

There was actually grass in the Messem Crater, I have never seen the base of the crater undulating in the wind with the short tough grass.  We spent 2 nights in the crater, just exploring, I have never done this before as we always seemed to be in a rush.  I think the biggest excitement for me was that we took the correct road into the crater this year!  There are so many tracks and they are not well marked and “Garmin” is often confused in there!

I had the most wonderful friend/explorer/companion this year, Morne Faulhammer.  His “day job” is owner and manager at Super Plants Nursery in Tokai.  We are both crazy about plants and we spent a lot of time with our “bums” in the air looking at everything from rocks, insects and of course plants.

On the way home we were going home via Rosh Pinah and Oranjemund then over the Orange River to Alexander Bay and then home.  The Orange River was overflowing its banks and the road for 700m was closed as the river had burst its banks.  A bit of “sweet talking” by Morne and we were allowed through the short piece.  It certainly saved us many kilometers if we had to go back to Keetmanshoop and down the B1 back to Cape Town.  The river in full flood was incredible to see.

All of us know Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, we have either visited or just heard about it through the media, or plant conserving platforms.  It has been known as one of the best Botanical Gardens in the world, because 0f the diversity of Fynbos plants it has had within its “walls”.  I got sent the following interview by a previous employee of Kirstenbosch and thought I would share it with you.  This makes us very sad to hear.

We often go into the gardens to walk around and learn, I have worked with seeds for so long, but I often don’t know what the plants look like and it is a great place to go and learn.  I have found in the last 8-10 years that the gardens are becoming a glorified park and less of a Botanical garden, the beds are not weeded, plants and labels are not replaced.  Don’t get me wrong it is a stunning park and the setting is just  incredible under the mountain, but it would really be wonderful if there was more “Botanical” to Kirstenbosch.

Nina and I have been going on lots of day trips looking for plants and seed, from spending the night on Table Mountain, having to wade rivers and carry the two Dachshunds (Sam and Pippa) over flooded streams, to driving different dirt roads over hills and down valleys.  It is wonderful to have such great company when driving, often longer distances.  My estimation of distance is not great when walking on the mountains, but I know the direction and we just walk.  What an amazing job we have.

2025 Price increase:

After lots of thought we have had to increase our prices for seed.  We have used the published inflation rate for £/$ and ZAR to make the increase affordable for each currency.  With constant rise of petrol and the cost of living we have to keep up. We are still however one of the most affordable seed companies for South African seeds.

Staff News:

Pat soldiers on and if we ever have updates on the website, she is the one who deals with the succulents – just how it rolls now, it is an in-house joke.  Her Grandson, James, keeps both her and Kenneth on their toes especially when Ben and Max (The other grandkids) come over.

Nina’s boys are getting big and Nina is getting more exhausted as they get older.  Max, the youngest, is into everything all the time, climbing, jumping etc.  Ben is due to go to Pre-school next year – how time flies.

Erica got into Onderstepoort (Pretoria University) to study Veterinary Nursing.  She is loving it and doing very well.  She has also asked to adopt a cat or 5 and the answer has been no until she can pay to look after them.  I am a bit worried…  how many cats is she going to end up with when she has her own house?

Dorothy’s daughter is getting married in August, so there is much excitement, Regina, Lucy and Etinah are doing well, still sorting, cleaning and picking seeds.

Kirstin is still the most incredible bookkeeper and is still keeping me on my toes.  Islay is going to a new school at the beginning of the new school year in August.  They are still in Dubai, not enjoying summer, but happy.

My Parents have moved in with me, so we have a full house.  They are really enjoying the extra company.  Mum helps plant seeds from her wheelchair and Dad chats up the ladies in the office.

Our animal compliment has increased by 1.  Coco who was originally Kirstin’s dog has come to live with us, so 2 Cocker Spaniels and 2 Dachshunds, and 4 cats.

Bloubergstrand Beach 2024

Nina, Pat, Kenneth, Regina, Dorothy, Lucy, Etinah, Ondine

May 2024

Dear South African Plant Enthusiasts

It has been a very long while since the last Newsletter, so I will try and make this one a good one.

2023 Rainy season we had very good rains and the Spring display in Namaqualand was spectacular.  I “dragged” my friend and fellow Horticulturist Hilda, along on a 2 week jaunt into Namaqualand.  She had not been there for many years and the 2 of us never really got very far every day, because there was always something to stop and look at.  I drove roads which I have never driven before.  Hilda is more nervous of unknown roads and there was always the question – where does the road go to, how long is the road, do you know where you are going?  To all these questions I just shrugged my shoulders and said we are going North or East etc and if the flowers thin out we can turn around.  By the end of 2 weeks, she took over the planning for each day and knew exactly where we were going and at what time we should turn around to be back in time to cook dinner.  We had great fun; we both learnt a lot and I now know some really great roads to go along.

Towards the end of September, we had a rather big storm here in the Western Cape, lots of damage to roads and infrastructure.  The rain and wind were incredible, I do feel sorry for the insurance companies, there were many millions of Rand having to be paid out for damaged cars, flooded houses and trees flattening houses.

My parents were quite badly affected, in Stanford, so I spent a good few weeks mopping up and trying to save plants and the garden.  We did find that some of the indigenous plants did not like the silt that was left behind when the river subsided, sometimes it was 1cm thick.

In October 2023 we were supposed to take part in Rally to Read, but due to the rain and the N2 being washed away at Bot River they had to postpone to February 2024.  Erica and I went on the Rally in February and visited 3 schools and donated books, teaching aids and even some soccer and netball balls for the different schools.  Rod and Rachel Saunders donated to Rally to Read from 2008 and we have continued with the tradition as our children in the rural areas do get forgotten a bit.

A bit about Read Educational Trust

Rally to Read originated in Kwazulu-Natal and supports children in rural and remote schools as well as teachers.  The Rally to Read conducts regular school visits throughout the year to follow up with the teachers and provide support in implementing the school curriculum.

Another pillar of the RTR programme is Technology literacy integration which helps evolve the educational landscape by using both cognitive and technical abilities to evaluate information within the classroom. These resources include laptops, coding kits, screen projectors, USBs, and e-books. Digital storytelling workshops are also organized to equip teachers in innovative ways. This component prepares both the learner and educator for the future where digital literacy is increasingly vital. Through this dual focus, Rally to Read bridges both the literacy and digital divides in disadvantaged communities.

The first Western Cape Rally was in 1999. We worked in 18 schools in the Cederberg area, all the way down to the coast.

On the Rally Day, we get the most amazing welcome and the children either read -aloud or do a play, which the long-suffering teachers coordinate brilliantly. Resources and learning aids are handed over to the school and thereafter the project rolls out for a 3-year period.

There are currently 11 Rallies, one in Western-Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, two in Gauteng, three in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape.

Rally to Read relies solely on donations from corporate and individual donors. With the recent commercial budget cuts, things have been a bit tighter. However, the schools continue to be provided with great books and much needed support.

Instagram: @rallytoread

https://www.instagram.com/rallytoread/

Summer this past year did not seem as hot as the previous year which we were all thankful for.  There were some large fires at the end of January, that burnt many acres/hectares of Fynbos.  Some of the areas needed fire, but others it is a bit soon for some of the plants that were still young to set seed.

Our small cabin in Bainskloof was very lucky again and thanks to the helicopters water bombing the area we came off unscathed.  It was lucky enough to escape the 2012 fire too.

Erica and I went on 2 trips earlier this year, one to Lesotho and Sani Pass in January and did a bit of an explore with Elsa Pooley, it was a wonderful 2 weeks and saw a good few plants, that I have never seen before.  It is always great to learn new things.

Our next was Namibia, she has never been there and was taken with the huge open spaces, but especially the warmth.  It is getting cooler in Cape Town, so Namibia was a treat.  She was the main driver and did very well on 4×4 tracks.  I can say it now, we did not even get a puncture, which is always a very good thing.  There has been very little rain in the central area, and it is very dry, and plants have either finished flowering early or did not even flower.  The roads seem to have deteriorated a fair amount and yet some have been graded and looked after very well.

A little bit of business:

Postage has been a great problem since the SA Post Office have been having financial difficulties.  We are not using them at all as we cannot guarantee that parcels will be delivered to you timeously.  We are now using Royal Mail and Couriers, both are working very well, but are not as cheap as the SA Post Office.  Please “pop” us an email if you need some thoughts on the best way to get your parcel to you, we will do all we can to find the cheapest and most efficient option.

Import conditions/Phytosanitary Certificates – We don’t always know when the “goal posts” change from country to country, so you as the customer do need to help us in this regard by doing a quick bit of research and letting us know what you require, if anything.  We are very happy to get documents, but we just need to know which ones you need and if we can get them for you.

Our staff compliment is just about the same.  Dorothy, Regina and Etinah all went home for a well-deserved holiday and to connect with their families.  Dorothy and Regina both welcomed grandchildren and their smiles got even bigger.

Lucy has joined us during the busy periods to help clean seed and is doing a sterling job.  Kirstin and her family are doing well in Dubai and she is still our bookkeeper and having to deal with a sister (me) who really does not want to understand accounting and is very happy for her to deal with it.

Pat had a heart attack last year and we all held our breath, but with some great nursing care she is back with us and being the calm influence she always is.

Max supervising the washing

Nina has welcomed a new addition to her family, Max brings great joy and a bit of frustration to their household, 6 months and he is already standing so the house has to be baby-proofed.

Kenneth (Pat’s husband) an honorary member of the staff is still doing most of our errands, fetch this, do that, which is great.  As well as helping us make a lot of our pictures smaller so we can add a few more and it doesn’t slow the website down too much.

It is hopefully Erica’s last year with us, we are holding thumbs she can get into Onderstepoort to study Veterinary Nursing; this will be a step to Veterinary Sciences and she has worked really hard to get there.  She is still for the moment packing orders and doing bits and pieces of admin.

The number of animals has changed by 1, we added another cat, my total weakness.  They are all happy and still join us in the office.  The dogs are very frustrating as soon as I move out of the office, they follow me, and it is continually opening and closing doors to let them in our out.  They do also greet our walk-in customers with intense delight, which is a bit embarrassing at times as some customers are not used to dogs.  We do also have to deal with cats in boxes and on paper files.

We are always happy to see pictures of plants you have grown from our seeds.

Until our next Newsletter, happy Growing

From all of us here at Silverhill

Back: Nina, Dorothy, Pat, Lucy, Erica, Kenneth Front: Regina, Ondine

Newsletter August 2021

A big HELLO to our longstanding and new customers!

June/July has seen some upheaval and new beginnings.

With the “New Normal” in full swing we decided it would make sense for us to move home and business – with the thought of moving Silverhill into our home.

After one visit to the property, which had been on the market for 5 months, it just “felt right”. We signed the papers in March and moved in June.  After a month to settle our 5 cats, 3 dogs, 7 Koi and 4 humans, we moved the business on the 1st of July.

With much shuffling of shelves and changing of minds – Kirstin decided we should move a bookshelf after it was packed and sorted – we got ourselves settled and it is a lovely space! In the evening, while I am on the computer and for as long as I am at my desk, I have the cats on my lap and the dogs next to me keeping me company.

Silverhill is having to fit into a smaller office but we’re getting used to working closer together. We were very spoilt in our “mini-factory” with lots of space.   All in one office space, we have a partitioned and airconditioned cold-room for our precious seeds (with a most wonderful door that an incredibly talented Pat painted for us (see image below), seed packers, seed cleaners and admin ladies in the rest of the space.

The books…have been a little bit of a headache.  I can see Francis, who worked at Silverhill for many years and a qualified librarian, rolling her eyes VERY badly (she used to sing the alphabet song to me regularly, as my alphabet was not always “on point”). We’ve arranged them now by title and have a printed booklist by author, so that the website catalogue and their position on the shelves are in sync. If you are in the area, please do pop in and have a look.

Postage

To all our customers…. THANK YOU for your understanding and patience!

In some cases, it has taken 3 months of calls to couriers, check-ins with post office employees and countless emails to customs and department officials to follow up on and track orders to ensure that they get to you – patiently waiting for your seeds and your fingers, itching to plant!

Website

While it is still an ever-evolving work in progress, we are enormously proud of our website! We will soon start getting down to adding some germinating hints as well as more pictures.  Thank you again for being so patient and in most cases, giving us valuable feedback so that we can improve it.

Silverhill Seeds is a family business with you, our customers, pivotal members of our family! To that end, we have strived to maintain a “friendly feel/tone” both at our physical office and on the website. We urge you to feel free to pop in or drop us an email anytime you need seed related support – or even just to chat or send us pictures of how your seeds are doing. We will always do our best to help you!  Julia has grown many of the Fynbos species for restoration projects all over the City of Cape Town and has some amazing hints up her sleeve.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Rod and Rachel’s Field Guide to the Galdioli of South Africa is at the printer and will be available at the end of August! Go onto our website and pre-order your copy.

Fiona Ross, who wrote the book using Rod and Rachel’s notes and many photographs, did the most incredible job.  It really is a fantastic publication! How she chose a few pictures from the many they took; I still cannot comprehend.  The price will be in the region of R420/USD29/£21 for the book (excluding P&P or VAT for South Africans).

The website has been updated: Find out more about the Saunders Field Guide to Gladiolus here: https://www.saundersgladiolusguide.com/

A coveted record of the life’s work of a couple who contributed to botany and horticulture in South Africa; it will be treasured by anyone with an interest in these magnificent flowers.

Saunders’ Field Guide to Gladioli of South Africa is the first of its kind to offer a complete photographic record of the 166 species that occur in the region. Posthumously completed, this book is the culmination of the Saunders’ long search to find and photograph every known species of Gladiolus in South Africa.

Staff Matters

Our Staff compliment has not changed since the last Newsletter.

Kirstin has finished 8 months of building. What a huge relief!  Pat has just had a hip replacement (COVID allowing).  Jenny is still frantically gardening and planting.  Julia is juggling her children’s schooling, which is on today and not tomorrow, 2 weeks holiday…no 3 weeks holiday – due to COVID.  Dorothy and Regina are still our super seed sorters and cleaners!  Thomas had to use his flight to Germany, so has gone to visit family and friends. After a 2-week quarantine period he is eventually out and about.

Data Protection

From 1 July 2021, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) came into effect in South Africa. The law is designed to protect how your data is used, stored, and processed. With the launch of our new website, Silverhill is striving to become more current, innovative, and connected but we take your privacy and personal information very seriously.

To this end and in compliance with the requirements of the above Act, if you would like to keep receiving our emails and newsletters via Mailchimp, then you do not need to take any action at all. If you would like to stop receiving our newsletters, emails etc. via Mailchimp, please unsubscribe at the bottom of the Mailchimp email.  We will keep you posted as to the development of our new Privacy Policy.

SOWING SEASON IS UPON US

It will soon be SPRING in the southern hemisphere and AUTUMN in the northern hemisphere – a short window (3 months) but both PEAK sowing seasons on the horticultural calendar. Why? Spring and Autumn offer unique growing conditions.  Some seeds need a stark temperature change over a 24-hour period (between 10 – 15°C), along with the following dry/hot and cold/wet to germinate and establish.

July 2019

By: Anthony Hitchcock

Rod and Anthony Hitchcock confer on this minature form of Protea repens

Dear Silverhill customers

February 2018 saw a great tragedy with the loss of Rod and Rachel Saunders to senseless murder. Their contribution and legacy to South African horticulture and botany is immeasurable. At the time of their deaths Rachel was on the cusp of completing her book on the Gladioli of South Africa. In documenting the genus for this monumental work they showed great dedication and determination to research, locate and record all the Gladioli on the subcontinent. Many a time they returned to localities again and again to try to find that elusive species. Far and wide, up to the top of the Drakensberg and other remote places in search of Gladioli species in flower. Rachel told me in early 2018 that she need only find and photograph one more species to have recorded them all. This was the culmination of a great adventure they undertook from the mid 1990s to collect as many South African plant species for their business and to introduce these to horticulturists, special collectors and researchers all around the world. Such was their success that they became legends in their time feted by the botanical and horticultural world. Their deaths therefore sent shockwaves around the world where they had many customers and friends. Questions were asked and assumptions were made that this would be the end of Silverhill Seeds.

We are happy to announce that Silverhill Seeds endures with Ondine Schrick having inherited the business. Ondine is a life long friend of Rod and Rachel and has been working at Silverhill since 1995. She has the years of experience and a dedicated team to keep the business going.

I have also joined the team to help fill the void left with the loss of Rod’s horticultural knowledge. I have been growing plants all my life and worked at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens for 34 years. In that time I established the commercial production nursery that led to increasing the availability of indigenous South African plants to the nursery industry from a handful to well over 1000 species. This, along with the opening of the retail sales outlet run in collaboration with the Kirstenbosch Branch of the Botanical Society led to changing the face of horticulture in South Africa. I became Kirstenbosch Nursery Manager in 2002 and was responsible for managing the collections and conservation programme until I took early retirement in March 2018.

It was at Kirstenbosch that I met Rod who was Nursery Manager from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. We forged a close friendship with our love of mountaineering, botany and horticulture. Rod and Rachel, my wife Wendy and I shared and enjoyed many wonderful mountain trips over the years. Every trip was dominated by plants and botanizing. We found, identified, photographed, collected and grew many unusual species from high mountains and remote places. Rod and my penchant for making up plant names was tempered by our other great mountain companion and botanist, Prof. Peter Linder, who ensured that we were kept under some control. However, we managed to contribute to Peter’s botanical skills with much needed red wine produced when camping high in the mountains.

Rod with Peter Linder and Anthony Hitchcock on Nuweberg, south Cedarberg 2016

In late 2017 Rod and Rachel encouraged me to leave the increasingly stressful and politically charged Kirstenbosch work environment and come and work with them. I finally handed my notice to retire on the 16^th February 2018 and immediately sent a whatsapp message to Rachel. Sadly, it was too late for her to receive it!

The next few months were traumatic for all close to Rod and Rachel, but we felt the need to keep their legacy going as we were sure they would have wanted us to. I do not think we will be able to emulate their tremendous achievements in harvesting as many plant species that they collected on their numerous trips, but we will do our best to provide the best service we can. Ondine has asked me to highlight some species that I think worth trying out. Please see selection below.

Selected species recommended to growers:

Lobelia valida ‘limestone lobelia’

Lobelia valida is a superb, fast growing herbaceous perennial up to 40cm high producing a breath-taking profusion of exquisite blue flowers during summer. The plants branch from the base producing attractive, densely crowded leaves with toothed margins. They thrive in alkaline or acidic, well-drained, organically rich soils and is particularly breath-taking when massed in groups. This rare South African plant is a superb perennial and easily grown from seed.

Metalasia aurea ‘Golden Metalasia’

Metalasia aurea is a densely branched South African shrub from the eastern Fynbos region. Metalasia muricata is close relative commonly used by landscapers in South Africa, but whereas it has white flowers, Metalasia aurea has exquisite golden-yellow flowers and a more compact growth habit ranging from 0.8 – 1.2m in height. In every way this species is superior to other Metalasias and new to horticulture. It is very easy to grow and maintain and flowers from autumn to early winter in South Africa (April – June). Its bright yellow flower heads illuminate the winter landscape where it is particularly effective in dense plantings. Seed is easy to germinate, which may be enhanced by smoke treatment. Soils, well drained neutral to acidic.

Podalyria buxifolia ‘box-leaf bush-sweetpea’

Podalyria buxifolia is another unheralded gem from the southern Cape region. It is new to horticulture, but we believe it has good potential and is an excellent plant for the gardener wanting to attract bees and butterflies to the garden. It has attractive, dark-green, glossy leaves and the most exquisite magenta, pea-like, scented flowers in summer. It is a spreading, well-branched, re-sprouting shrub growing to 1m high with a 2m spread. The leaves are simple, dark, glossy-green on top and have silky white hairs on the lower surfaces that produce a silvery sheen. It is easy to grow from seed which must be sown in the warm months. Soils should be well drained, and neutral to acidic. Treatment with hot water and a pre-emergence fungicide enhances germination. Flowering time is from August to April. Zone 8.

Sparmannia africana ‘Cape stock rose, wild stock rose, African hemp, Cape hollyhock’

Sparmannia africana is an attractive, much branched, bushy, soft-wooded evergreen shrub with a round growth habit usually 4 m tall but may grow up to 8m. The branches are soft, leaves are large, heart-shaped with toothed margins. The flowers are white with a mass of yellow and red-purple stamens in the centre. Much of the attraction of this flower is in the puff of brightly bicoloured stamens. The sterile outer stamens are yellow with purple tips while the inner ones, stained reddish-purple with purple tips, are fertile. Flowering occurs from mid-winter into early summer (June to November). Sparmannia africana is an easy-to-grow large shrub for shade or full sun. Zone 10.

Phylica pubescens ‘featherhead’

An exquisitely attractive fynbos shrub densely covered with luminous, hairy leaves where each hair seems to gather the sunlight and make it glow. Early morning or late afternoon sun shining behind the featherhead bush makes all other plants dull by comparison. The branches of this erect, 1.2-2 m tall bush are clothed with narrow, hair-covered leaves, which become crowded at the branch tips. Each branch ends in a lovely, compressed flowerhead, comprising rings of feathery bracts amongst which the tiny flowers nestle. They flower in autumn and winter (May to August). Seeds are easy to germinate when treated with hot water and a pre-emergence fungicide. Soils must be well drained and acidic. Zone 8.

Turraea obtusifolia ‘Small honeysuckle’

Turraea obtusifolia is an often-overlooked, beautiful, ornamental shrub with glossy dark green foliage displaying masses of showy white flowers in summer and decorative orange-red fruits in late summer to winter. The flowers are fragrant at night and are pollinated by moths. This plant does best when planted in a warm position against a wall. Sow Sp. Zone 10.

Phylica litoralis

Compact rounded shrub to 1m with dense arrangement of dark green leaves and attractive clusters of white flowers forming numerous button-like flower heads that cover the plant. Grows in full sun along the southern Cape coast and is an ideal coastal plant being resilient against the desiccating effects of salt-laden winds. Suitable filler in gardens near the coast or warm, sunny gardens. Germinate readily when pre-treated with hot water. Sow Spring. Zone 9

Anthony Hitchcock with the magnificent Erica verticillata (Extinct in the Wild) which has been restored to Rondevlei Nature Reserve

Erica verticillata (Extinct in the Wild)

This exquisite erica has been the subject of much conservation attention in South Africa and at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. From being thought extinct in the early 1980s, it has resurfaced in several places around the world through the efforts of the British Heather Society, Kew RBG, private growers and famously from the Belvedere Palace collections in Vienna where it has been grown since the 1790s

Erica verticillata is a handsome, strong growing species averaging between 1.5 and 2m in height, but specimens can grow up to 3 m tall. It produces beautiful pink, tubular flowers arranged in neat whorls. Peak flowering is from January to March, but it is known to flower intermittently throughout the year. Nine distinct forms of this species have been discovered in collections around the world. For further information see: http://pza.sanbi.org/erica-verticillata and author with species in picture above. Please request as seed is limited due to poor seed set probably resulting from long-time isolation in cultivation. Seed produced germinates well when smoke treated. Seed supplied is open pollinated and therefore may yield a mixture of the forms. Sow Autumn. Zone 8.

1. Instructions to sow in autumn refer to South African winter rainfall conditions, however on other areas we recommend sowing at the beginning of the growing season.