Babylon

STORIES

Napoleon’s Willow

August 12th, 2016

Babylonstoren has a number of trees with interesting stories, or rather cuttings from famous trees that are linked to people, moments and places that made history. These include Newton’s apple tree, Shakespeare’s mulberry, an olive from Mount Gethsemane and more.

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How to prune your lemon tree

July 15th, 2016

In winter, citrus colours our garden with vibrant pops of yellow and orange. Recipes including these deliciously sour fruits spring to mind and fills our kitchen with ...

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Making Magic Tea

June 27th, 2016

Although claimed by many, the origin of Kombucha remains a mystery. Most sources attribute this “magic tea” to the Chinese, dating back over 5000 years. We have to admit that a jar of fermenting Kombucha looks like a science experiment: however, the end-product is a deliciously refreshing drink with many alleged health benefits.

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ROCKIN’ THE CAPE

May 25th, 2016

We've always been strong on botany, weak on stones. Now we're adding the palaeontological landscape of four regions of the Cape. Our team is reworking blocks in the indigenous fragrance garden with soil, rocks, and numerous plant species. We're creating small-scale versions of the Hantam, Robertson Karoo, Simonsberg and Eastern Cape.

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How to Preserve Olives

April 28th, 2016

On the farm we use most of our olives to make extra virgin olive oil – a medium style, but complex blend of five cultivars: Frantoio, Mission, Don Carlou, Leccino and Corratina. We also preserve the whole fruits in brine or salt for the two restaurants, black calamata and green Nonchellara.

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