A dog called Clove and a Clove Tree Orchard.
A story of the rescue dogs we have at GlenMyu Resort and Hotel, Haputale, Sri Lanka.
A dog called Clove and a Clove Tree Orchard.
Cloves remind me of both Christmas and skiing in Europe.
Oranges peppered with cloves sunk in gallons of red wine and brandy on the stove creating an intoxicating beverage on a chilly December day just gives me a glowing warming comfortable feeling.
This perfect combination is something to look forward to as the temperatures dive towards the end of the year.
It’s not a drink for Sri Lanka, apart from maybe Nuwara-Eliya, as it just doesn’t get cold enough here to do justice to this delicious beverage.
What are Cloves?
Cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree which is a tropical evergreen tree known as Myrtaceae Syzygium aromatic.
The trees are native to the Moluccus Islands, or Spice Islands in Indonesia.
Cloves have a strong aroma and a hot, pungent taste. They are used to flavour many foods and in particular meat and bakery products. It is used in Europe to flavour Christmas foods such as …… hence my picture of Christmas when I smell the aroma of cloves.
Indonesia is still the worlds largest producer of cloves followed by Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.
An accident or fate? - How we met Clove and she found a place in our hearts
Early on during the build of the main house on GlenMyu Estate we were made aware that some of the construction workers were feeding some abandoned puppies near our gate entrance. Once of the three foundlings had already dies and there were two black waifs struggling to survive. My wife Ruwanthi went up to investigate and brought the starving creatures down to the garage.
My parents had always had dogs when I was growing up and Ruwanthi was the same however, we had not considered having any animals ourselves. We both had worked long hours in the UK and it would not have worked for us and we would not have been able to provide the care for the animals so the thought had not entered our minds.
Our small Clove Orchard
The agricultural department supplied us with around thirty trees which we planted in an area where they would get sufficient shade for them to survive during the warmer months from mid June to mid September.
Our worker dug some rather large holes before planting however as the land is very rocky it was important to provide the trees with the ability to establish their roots without too many obstacles.
Once planted they looked a bit lost as they were so small however, as we have learnt over the last few years, they require sufficient space when they are established to thrive.
Early on I planted lots of coleus around the saplings which gave them a bit of shade when needed and a bit of colour in the developing orchard.
It has taken a lot of work initially watering, clearing around the trees and occasionally feeding with organic compost made on the estate. I patiently inspected them over the months hoping that they would change from waif like twigs into something that resembles a proper tree.
In the last few months however they really appear to have got going and hopefully it will not be too long until we are ready for our first harvest.
Clove and Cinnamon were destined to become part of our family
Our outlook on not having dogs soon changed as both Clove and her sister Cinnamon became embedded into our daily life.
After the initial continual feeding, trips to the vet, injections, skin treatments and so on they became lots of fun and something both Ruwanthi looked forward to waking up to.
Unfortunately Cinnamon did not survive, which broke our hearts, and we were left with Clove who became an important member of our family.
Clove is such a lovely dog, who is so friendly with everyone it is difficult for her not to melt your heart.
Cooking with Cloves
What are Cloves used for in Sri Lankan cooking?
Clove recipes
Come to GlenMyu Estate and see what other trees, fruits and vegetables we are growing
We were lucky enough to have some established trees on the five acre Estate and we have continued to plant more trees and other plants as we have developed the land.
We have an organic garden which provides the staples to lots of the items we serve on our menu. We are also developing Plant Based, Vegetarian and Vegan Menus as an offering for guests who stay at the Estate.
There are three king size on suite bedrooms for guests which all have superb views of the hills below.
A natural spring fed swimming pool is available for the use for guests and is a great place to have a refreshing swim or just hang out listening to the nature that passes by.
Please visit our website https://resortglenmyu.com for further details or contact Ruwanthi by WhatsApp.
We hope that you come an enjoy our little part of paradise and watch it grow.
Where we are located.
Can I bring my own dog to GlenMyu Estate?
We love dogs, however, as GlenMyu Estate is home to seven dogs we do not permit guests to bring their pets.
We believe that the risk, however small., would be too much and both the guests and ourselves would not be able to enjoy your stay as we would be concerned about your pet and ours.
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