For those who love succulents, a visit to Bucksy is a must.  Situated just off the Friendly N6, approx 20km north of Stutterheim, Sylvia and Buck Steinmetz have an amazing assortment of plants. With more than 50 different varieties, both indigenous and exotic, stepping into the hothouse is like entering another world.

Sylvia, who originally hails from Switzerland, admits that succulents are her absolute passion.  Having lived in the Thomas River area since 2004, she has gained incredible knowledge of the local flora and has added several species of Aloe to her collection.  She is fascinated how the succulent has a specialized anatomy that allows them to survive drought or lack of light.  Storing moisture in their fleshy stems, leaves or roots, they can survive with little water.  In really adverse conditions, many simply cease growing and remain dormant until the next rains.    She also tells of how the Aloe Striata which bears a bright orange stripe on its leaf will lose the colour within a few hours when moved from inland to the coast and how succulents which store their water in tuberous or swollen roots are likely to suffer less damage from veldt fires or grazing animals.

Part of the hothouse is reserved for the mother plants from which she propagates the next batch.  By all accounts this appears to be a full time job as Sylvia is constantly taking leaf cuttings, stem cuttings, dividing offsets, tubers and rootstock.  She then nurtures the young plants until they are large enough for sale.

While Sylvia is busy in the hothouse, Buck loves to spend his spare time making wooden toys and gadgets.  Buck, who used to be a chef in a Knysna hotel, produces beautiful items from dolls houses to garden windmills and bird feeders.  Each one is lovingly hand crafted.

Having lived there in the area for 16 years, he has a wealth of knowledge of local flora and fauna.  For those who are interested in nature, a few hours spent with him is truly fascinating. Over the years he has watched the eco systems change with the weather.  The birds, reptiles and insects that live there during wet spells have totally changed during this last year of drought.  Should you be interested, Buck can also take you to a spot where a colony of Cape Vultures lives.  At the last sighting there were 80 of these endangered birds counted and it is certainly a perfect way to end off the day.

Contact Buck or Sylvia: 082 572 9990 or 072 109 6334