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APRIL 2019

SOUTH AFRICA

THINGS TO DO

Sow metres of colour Keep your compost hot Potted annuals PRIDE OF INDIA

New varieties Other countries 33.04 INCL VAT

R38

On sale 25 March â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 23 April 2019

Building soil Why and how?

Wellness

Cockt ls Decorate with Easter wreaths

Loc bulbs to lighten your garden

Welco W

e are entering one of the busiest garden months in the calendar, a month that really gets my juices flowing! Now that temperatures have cooled down we need to prepare now for everything that we want to happen in spring. An added bonus is that it’s really much more comfortable to garden now that it’s cooler! Let’s start off with seeds. This time of the year is when it all happens: from getting in your Namaqualand daisies and Virginia stocks to sowing mixed seed packs for shady or sunny spots. Seeds offer so much reward for such a small investment, especially when compared to buying seedlings – seeds are streaks ahead when it comes to value for money. And if you’re willing to put in a little effort the reward is tenfold. While you’re sowing all those seeds packed with so much promise, it’s also time to pop in your rewarding indigenous bulbs. Tritonias, chincherinchees and ixias are but a few of the beauties. They are tough, no-nonsense accompaniments to any garden, no matter how big or small. And the great thing about these local guys is that they come up year after year! It’s said that effort equals reward, so if you put the effort into planning and preparing for your spring garden now, well folks, you will be blown away when the weather starts to warm up again! With all this planting going on I come back to where it all begins, the base and foundation that provides for the promise that you are planting – the soil. Is yours alive? Is it well balanced, full of the good carbon, humic and organic content that supports healthy plants? Recent research, studies and developments have made farmers and home gardeners more and more aware about the importance of this topic. As they say, it’s a whole new world down there under the soil, and we hope you enjoy an exploratory journey with us learning about what makes it all work together and tick! Happy gardening!

34 Tanya and Garth clothed by:

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Contents

April in the garden 2019 4 8

Trusty Trio New ‘Diamantina’ dipladenias

Stick to your roots 6 indigenous bulbs to plant this autumn

20 24 28

Pride of Indias On the comeback trail

Proudly South African Anemone vesicatoria: Blisterleaf anemone for the shade garden

34 38

Your rose garden Create a space from which you can appreciate your rose garden

The value of sowing Why, how and what to sow directly for winter and spring colour Potting recipe: The last blooms of summer! Summer annuals are always at their prettiest when it’s early autumn and already time to plan for winter

Subscriptions Celine van der Westhuizen Dinnie Gildenhuys

Tel 031 003 0940

Food gardening • Wellness cocktails: the herbs and the recipes

Building soil Shift your focus from plants to the soil

60 61

Bonsai is easy Taking the first steps… April in your garden Here is a quick checklist to remind you what to do in the garden in April

Assistant to the Editor Cindy May Wang 031 003 0940 Copy Editor Stephen Smith

extras 33 68 69 72

Subscribe to The Gardener and save! Product news

Lunar gardening guide and events Stoep Stories with Anna Celliers Phanda Pusha Play!

Team Assistant Kelsey Bonnet

Photography Tamlyn Redman

The Garden Show Adele de Welzen info@thegardenshow.co.za

Digital Platforms Manager Stephani Green

wendy@thegardener.co.za

Design Gillian O’Donoghue, Vincent Goode

Publisher Lonehill Trading (Pty) Ltd

Managing Editor (Editorial enquiries) Wendy Moulton

Plant up a chandelier Light up your patio with this clever repurpose of an old lighting fixture.

• Brassica tips

DIY Expert Garth Demmer

Assistant Editor Anna Celliers

DIY Easter wreath Easter parade at your front door

• 6 tips for keeping your compost cooking

Email subs@thegardener.co.za Editor Tanya Visser

garden decor and DIY

55 58

Urban oasis You need to box clever to make the most of a small space

Dianthus Pretty flowers with a steely spine

create

Advertising Jonathan Gouws 076 453 5971 jonathan@thegardener.co.za Greg Steyn 083 225 3574 greg@thegardener.co.za Office Administrator (Enquiries) Nokuthula Zuma 031 003 0940 nokuthula@thegardener.co.za

Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or part, without written permission is strictly prohibited. The Gardener will not be held responsible for any omissions or errors. Unsolicited material will not be accepted.

Editorial contributors Alice Spenser-Higgs, Anna Celliers, Ashley Clare, Gary English, Gerald Schofield, Graham Duncan, Ilona Thorndyke, Izolda van der Merwe, Ludwig Taschner, Madison Moulton, Stephen Smith, Tanya Visser, Wendy Moulton Editorial Head Office 64 Old Main Road, Botha’s Hill PO Box 184, Botha’s Hill, 3660 Telephone 031 003 0940 Telefax 086 758 3105 Email info@thegardener.co.za

TRUSTY TRIO

New ‘Diamantina’ dipladenias (or mandevillas to some!) Dipladenias and mandevillas are amongst the most floriferous of garden plants currently cultivated. Some are distinct climbers whilst others are more shrubby of habit. Recent breeding has changed the dynamics of these most rewarding plants, adding extensively to their range and enhancing their garden performance. The relatively new ‘Diamantina’ range of hybrids is now available locally and is categorised into different groupings according to size and habit, each grouping named after a gemstone. Here are three that are grown locally.

Dipladenia ‘Diamantina Opale’

Dipladenia ‘Diamantina Tourmaline’

Dipladenia ‘Diamantina Jade’

Slow-growing climbers that are best grown up a small trellis or some other means of support, these plants have lush green leaves with a waxy sheen with odd tendrils appearing amongst them. There are two different colour forms in this group: ‘Citrine’ is a unique clear yellow shade and ‘Grenat’ is a rich burgundy. Both of these stand out amongst the other lowergrowing dipladenias and should be given suitable growing conditions to emphasise their larger stature. Light pruning can be undertaken in mid-spring when new growth commences and winter is over.

The ‘Tourmaline’ range is actually just a single rose-pink variety. The extremely compact and bushy plants produce an abundance of star-shaped flowers all through the spring, summer and autumn period. It remains shrubby and has little or no tendency to start climbing at any stage, which makes it perfect for pot and container culture. ‘Tourmaline’ is good as a single specimen plant or part of a mixed floral display in large pots. All of these dipladenias like to be kept on the dry side, so good drainage and no over watering are paramount to their success.

Low-growing and compact, the ‘Jade’ range is definitely more of a shrub or bush than a climber. The plants are covered in tubular flowers from spring to autumn with colours from white to pink, red and a dark burgundy (‘Grenat’). It is lovely in pots, window boxes, hanging baskets and even in sunny flower beds, although lanky growth does need to be pinched back to maintain compact bushes. Regular feeding through spring and summer keeps them blooming for months on end. Cold and frost sensitive, they require winter protection in many parts of the country.

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THE 2019 LIFESTYLE GARDEN DESIGN SHOW

La vie est belle (Life is beautiful) The 2019 Lifestyle College student- and lecturer-designed and built Show Gardens are a celebration of French garden influences and French spaces this year. This unique series of outdoor living spaces will take you on a mystical journey. Some of the gardens featured are: 1 Classique Magniﬁque – a grand garden showcasing classical formality, but with a twist or two.

2 Soup and Salad – a traditional potager, reflecting the classical walled edible gardens of yesteryear. 3 A la carte Alfresco – shaded intimacy meets gastronomic sophistication and soft romantic glamour. 4 Bouquet Town Square – a riot of colour underscoring a carnival atmosphere. 5 Serenzippity – inspired by Provence with contrasting colour. 6 Alpine Rocks! – a real otherworldly space where a moonscape of crater-like ringmounds meets lofty alpine height. 7 Green Scene Rooftop Apartment – chic, rooftop living and grand city skyline vistas. Visit the 2019 Lifestyle Garden Design Show (open to the public with FREE ENTRY) and be inspired by the fully integrated experience. Our Garden Guide, complete with the 2019 garden breakdowns and a plethora of gardening advice and insight as well as inspiration, will be available to all visitors. This is an event not to be missed, and a highlight in the green calendar!

When: 16 February 2019 until the end of May 2019 Where: Lifestyle Home Garden Lifestyle Garden Centre, Corner of Beyers Naudé Drive and Ysterhout Avenue, Randpark Ridge Find out more at www.lifestyle.co.za and www.lifestylecollege.co.za

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Friday 5 – Sunday THE MAYFORD GIN BAR Relax and drink in the beautiful gardens while sipping on a botanical gin cocktail

There’s a chill in the air, a crisp morning breeze, trees are bursting with gold and russet leaves – Autumn is here. Believe it or not, now is the time to plant as great gardens begin in Autumn. What better way to celebrate this inspiring season than to visit The Autumn Garden Show, which returns for its second year at The Herb Farm, Summit Road, Midrand from 5 – 7 April 2019.

Take a stroll through the picturesque herb garden, a vibrant celebration of the senses with bursts of colours of roses and blooms and the heady scents of herbs. Enjoy an educational Herb Tour through the spiral labyrinth garden, admire the spectacular orchids on display, taste heirloom tomatoes in a variety of colours from every corner of the globe and listen to free talks and demos from gardening celebrities, sponsored by Atlantic Fertilisers. Explore the shopping avenues ﬁlled with plants, crafts and gardening goodies and stop for a botanical gin at the MayFord Gin Garden, a spot of lunch or a cup of tea in an enchanting setting. Bring the kids along to the Starke Ayres kids’ zone for a day ﬁlled with fun planting demos and where they can play on jungle gyms, do an obstacle course and enjoy a pony ride through the garden. Presented by The Gardener, Die Tuinier, Grow to Eat, Let’s Braai, Kom ons Braai and Open Gardens of South Africa magazines in partnership with Nico’s Mowers, this family event is the perfect way to Fall into Autumn!

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

y 7 April 2019

Free Talks and Demos brought to you by

Meet some of the experts in the gardening industry FRIDAY 5 APRIL 11:00 Heirloom tomato tasting with Living Seeds 12:00 Orchids with Plantae Orchids 13:00 Anna Celliers – Taking gardening by the horns 14:00 Tanya Visser – Awesome autumn 15:00 Lizette Jonker on herbs

Bring the little ones to have some fun learning about gardening with Starke Ayres

SATURDAY 6 APRIL 11:00 Heirloom tomato tasting with Living Seeds 12:00 Orchids with Plantae Orchids 13:00 Ludwig Taschner talks roses 14:00 Tanya Visser – Awesome autumn 15:00 Lizette Jonker on herbs SUNDAY 7 APRIL 11:00 Heirloom tomato tasting with Living Seeds 12:00 Orchids with Plantae Orchids 13:00 Anna Celliers – Taking gardening by the horns 14:00 Tanya Visser – Awesome autumn 15:00 Jill Manson’s ﬂoral design demonstration

The Herb Farm, 264 Summit Road (R562), Bridle Park, Midrand, 1685 Gates open from 9am – 5pm daily (Final gate entry at 4pm) Box Ofﬁce Tickets: R80 Adults, R65 Pensioners and Children U12 (Children that ﬁt under the Giant Daisy only R10) Discounted online tickets available at www.webtickets.co.za

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Urban Oasis

TEXT Ashleigh Clare

You need to box clever to make the most of a small space

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LEFT: Green on green â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a peaceful palette that is perfect for an oasis. ABOVE: The owners, Rob and Kerryn, are busy so wanted a lowmaintenance garden, hence the gravel courtyard and multitude of easy-care containers planted mainly with grasses and succulents. RIGHT: The sound of water is a must in an oasis garden. In an urban area it can also be used very effectively to drown out traffic noise.

hat a fun challenge this small urban garden was. A beautifully renovated old Durban home needed a garden to match its beauty, but the challenge was that we were extremely limited for space. Our wonderful clients have extremely highly pressured jobs, which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t allow them much time to garden, so the garden needed to provide a sanctuary to come home to after a long day at work, but remain fairly low maintenance. We worked cleverly with the space to create different rooms, to add interest and entice you around the garden. As you arrive, two beautiful, classical urn water features greet you, providing a cool and calming sound. The use of gravel and formal hedging allowed us to bring in green elements, yet still have space to move around. From this beautiful entrance you are drawn to the side of the house through a doorway between two large hedges, which leads you into a quaint formal kitchen courtyard, a small space with a lot of impact and enough going on to keep you intrigued for ages. With a diminutive formal water feature set against the back wall, ticky creeper

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ABOVE: A pop of red bougainvillea in the urn makes a focal point in this simple design. BELOW: A green backdrop is made interesting by using varying leaf sizes and shapes. The giant elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta) contrast well with the serrated leaves of Philodendron ‘Xanadu’. RIGHT TOP: The metal filigreed furniture in this design works perfectly in the small space because you are able to see through it, creating the illusion of more space. FAR RIGHT TOP: Elephant ears run happily along the pathway, creating an instant tropical feel as you enter the garden. RIGHT BELOW: Philodendron ‘Xanadu’ is easy to grow and makes an excellent indoor plant as well. RIGHT BELOW MIDDLE: Red bougainvillea is used with great effect for spots of colour. FAR RIGHT MIDDLE: Potted succulents are used extensively in this garden for texture and colour. FAR RIGHT BELOW: Metal frameworks provide focal points but don’t hinder the growth of the hedges.

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The objective was to provide a sanctuary to come home to...

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THE PERSONAL TOUCH Ornamentation and pots bring a touch of fun and whimsy to this essentially green garden.

greening up the walls, floating shelves with succulent pots, a beautiful wild olive (Olea europaea subsp. africana) to bring shade, and large terracotta pots for herbs and veggies, there couldn’t be a better place to enjoy your morning coffee. The main garden was kept simple with formal hedging around the pool and classical urns for colour. We also used beautiful tropical plants (elephant ears and Philodendron ‘Xanadu’) for a feeling of tropical lushness, complemented by two formal wooden benches and a beautiful steel arch. A bank of agapanthus brings in summer colour without adding much hard work. What I loved most about the garden was the use of beautiful ornamentation, from stunning pots to sculptured hares sitting gracefully on the pond edge. I believe that planting of a garden is merely the framework, and that the decorations bring the fun and personal touch. Ashleigh from Garden Heart Landscaping and Outdoor Styling can be contacted on hello@gardenheart.co.za or 082 661 4103. 12 I www.thegardener.co.za

k c i Stotyour s t o Ro Ixia

TEXT Madison Moulton

BULBS

indigenous bulbs to plant this autumn

Babiana

colourful, fragrant spring garden is incomplete without bulbs. Whether in pots or flowerbeds, indoors or outdoors, bulbs are guaranteed to add a wow factor wherever they bloom. However, they do require a little patience. A beautiful blooming spring garden full of bulbs requires planting in autumn, and therefore some planning ahead. In your process of planning, the first question when faced with the enormous variety of bulbs available is, “What on earth do I plant?” For those with a penchant for indigenous gardens there are six stunning bulbs available now to fulfil any vivid garden desire.

Babiana This sizeable genus of about 80 individual species hails largely from the West Coast of South Africa. The genus name stems from the primates that typically eat the bulbs, as does the common name, baboon flower. Although they may look delicate,

Ixia

these bulbs are tough and designed to handle any of the harsh climates of South Africa. Different varieties bloom in different seasons but most tend to bloom late in winter, making them a colourful pick-me-up during dull winters. Plant your Babiana bulbs in full sun to semishade from April to June for a transition of winter to spring flowers. Babianas grow to around 20cm tall but their brilliant colours ensure they won’t get lost in your garden.

Ixia For an indigenous plant, the Ixia flowers have a wonderfully exotic look. The common name, wand flower, comes from the stems, which bear a collection of star-shaped flowers on their ends. It is also known as the African corn lily. The flowers come in several colours, with some variants even an unusual turquoise or green. The flashy petals contrast with darkened centres to create a wide

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BULBS

Tritonia

range of depth and colour on a single stem. Ixias are slightly taller than babianas, growing to about 40cm. When planting between April and June, the best position for the bulbs to thrive is in full sun for most of the day. While they only bloom from the start of spring into October, these exquisite flowers are well worth the wait.

Tritonia Tritonias, also known as blazing stars, have fiery white, pink, orange or red flowers. These bulbs pair well with both Ixia and Sparaxis as part of the Iridaceae family, and are a great choice for their reliability, ease of planting and ease of care. The cup-shaped flowers sit on thin elegant stems and look rather dainty, despite their hardy nature. These bulbs need morning sun and afternoon shade and, similarly to ixias, will only bloom in September through to October. They grow to about 30cm high and look great in large outdoor pots. 16 I www.thegardener.co.za

Ornithogalum

Sparaxis

Ornithogalum

The Sparaxis flowers are visually similar to Ixia flowers, with pointed petals and a greater contrasting centre, giving them the common name of harlequin flowers. The interesting mix of dark and light colours on each flower set Sparaxis apart from the other bulbs. However, where they do not differ from the others is their willingness to grow. The bulbs can be planted with Ixia and Tritonia in clusters perfectly suited for a rock garden or patio pot. Sparaxis flowers are the sunny spring welcome your garden needs. The flowers begin to bloom from September and the stems reach an average height of 35cm – a happy medium between the taller Ixia and smaller Tritonia stems. These bulbs require full sun all day.

Although the name may be hard to say, these bulbs are luckily not too hard to grow. Derived from Greek ‘ornis’ (bird-like) and ‘gala’ (white), these bulbs grow tall stems with stark white flowers that make them absolute showstoppers. They look great in a garden but are commonly used as a cut flower as they can last up to six weeks in a vase. Instead of cutting the flowers, also consider planting Ornithogalum bulbs in pots for annual rewards. Ornithogalum bulbs close off the spring season with flowers blooming in October and November. The stems are slightly taller at 50cm and need to be placed a little further apart due to their size. Plant in full sun all day to ensure healthy, happy bulbs. www.thegardener.co.za I 17

BULBS

Freesias

Freesias Fragrant freesias are known for their alluring scent that just scream springtime. These bulbs grow wild in the southern parts of South Africa where winter rainfall brings them to life in August and September. The funnel-shaped flowers grow in a wide range of colours (white, red, lilac, yellow and pink), which makes for striking cut flowers when bunched together. With enough sunlight they can also make lovely houseplants that bring the sweet smell of spring indoors. Freesias symbolise sweetness, friendship and trust â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a meaningful gift idea for friends or family. Plant these bulbs in stages from mid-April to mid-June for a wave of blooming flowers beginning in late winter and continuing to September. They are slightly more versatile as they only require dappled shade, and are a good option for those looking for a colourful patio display, growing around 40cm tall. With so many stunning options, indigenous is a great way to go this autumn. Bulbs are available at selected garden centres and nurseries countrywide, or can be ordered online from www.hadeco.co.za.

Freesias

PLANT FEATURE

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ Lavender Lace

of INDIAS

On the comeback trail

TEXT Gerald Schofield

Pride

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ Mystic Magenta

or much of the last century pride of Indias were planted extensively all around South Africa, used as garden shrubs and trained as single-stemmed standards, and also popular as street trees in many of the new towns associated with the mining boom. Today they have seemingly disappeared from the scene. That is, until recently. A new generation of hybrids have been introduced from America to rekindle interest in these free-flowering plants. Lagerstroemia indica is found growing naturally in Asia and is known by many common names such as pride of India, crape myrtle or crepe flower. The flowers are born in summer and early autumn in terminal clusters on stout branches or stems. Each individual petal is soft and papery looking, giving rise to the appropriate common names. The trees or shrubs bloom all summer long in a range of different colours including white, pale pink, rose pink, wine red and shades of lavender, mauve

and purple. They’re deciduous and the leaves turn beautiful autumn colours in the colder climates before shedding, although in warmer regions the autumnal hues are less pronounced. Another feature on older mature plants is the attractive smooth bark that peels and sheds from time to time. During the mid-1900’s lagerstroemias were popular garden horticulture subjects and used extensively as street trees in many of the colder towns and developments that sprang up on the Highveld and surrounding areas. They withstood the harsh climate and exposed growing conditions and were a picture of beauty in their summer bloom. In gardens they were pruned back after flowering and kept as more of a shrubby bush. Left unchecked they can grow into rather large multi-stemmed trees exceeding 5 or 6m in height. As gardening fashions changed these reliable plants lost favour and were no longer part of the cultivated ornamentals offered in the nursery trade,

‘Black Diamond’ Lavendar Lace in a pot.

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Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ Pink

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ Purely Purple

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Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ Best Red

Lagerstroemia indica

other than a few dwarf-growing hybrids that made an appearance for a short while but were not readily available. The irony of the matter is that in many established suburbs, pride of Indias still perform remarkably well these days, especially during dry periods, and there are always calls and enquiries for them while they’re blooming. Fortunately, a recent introduction from Fisk Horticulture sees Lagerstroemia ‘Black Diamond’ being launched on the local market. These American-bred crape myrtles have distinctive, dark, almost black, foliage that contrasts with the colourful flowers, and a range of different colours is being introduced through selected nurseries and garden centres around the country. Look out for these strikingly different garden shrubs – they really are completely unlike the old-fashioned types. Use them as

focal-point shrubs, background plantings, container specimens, or just about anywhere in a sunny location where a large shrub is required. They grow in a wide range of different climates and require average watering during initial establishment and also during dry weather. An application of general garden fertiliser in spring and again in summer will ensure healthy growth and a good flowering performance. Any straggly or ungainly growth should be pruned out in winter. Ideal planting conditions are full sun, friable and well-drained soil and plenty of free air movement around the plants. Coldand frost-resistant plants that adapt to subtropical growing conditions remarkably well, ‘Black Diamonds’ are definitely going to make an impression in our local gardens. Pride of Indias ask for little and provide an abundance of blooms for 8 – 12 weeks

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Twice as Nice’

of the summer and early autumn, but are handsome garden plants for their foliage alone. They are well worth looking for and planting in gardens, especially the exciting new ‘Black Diamond’ range, which would make a great collection of the different coloured varieties.

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ANNUALS

Dianthus ‘Ideal Select White Fire’

TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs

Dianthus: pretty flowers with a steely spine

D. ‘Ideal Select Violet’

ianthus needs to be added to the list of garden toughies that are water-wise, don’t mind neglect and outlast most other garden annuals. Planted now, dianthus will flower through winter into spring and summer, and only by next autumn will plants be well and truly exhausted. The secret of longevity is full sun and soil that drains well, which means they are good for coastal gardens. In gardens with heavy soil and a bit too much shade, dianthus can be grown as a long-lasting container plant in an area with lots of sun. Like petunias, dianthus should not be overwatered as they rot when it is wet and hot. They perform best in cooler, drier weather. Keeping plants neat is also easy. Wait until the flush is almost over and then cut plants back by half with garden shears. Plants shoot quickly after cutting and new flowers will appear within 3 – 4 weeks. Dianthus will flower repeatedly if cut back after flowering. Fertilise after cutting back.

Dianthus ‘Ideal Select’

Dianthus ‘Margarita’

Dianthus ‘Jolt Red’

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D. ‘Super Parfait Raspberry’

Using dianthus in the garden Pink, red and white are the shades most associated with dianthus, but there are as many variations as there are varieties: single or double blooms, picotee edges, frilled petals, bi-colour and tricolour flowers, dark eyes, fragrance and more. • Very compact varieties are generally Dianthus chinensis. They have large single or double flowers and grow 20 – 25cm high and wide. They are best for edgings and borders. • Taller Dianthus barbatus is a mid-border plant growing 45 – 60cm high. These are the traditional ‘pinks’ and they last well in the vase, having long, pickable stems. They are available with single and double blooms. • Dianthus hybrids, usually a cross between D. chinensis and D. barbatus, have been bred for their profusion of flowers, even though the individual blooms are a little smaller. They have the boldest colours: shocking pink, neon purple and glowing crimson. They are also more heat tolerant.

D. ‘Double North’

D. caryophyllus ‘Sunflor Bianca’

Dianthus for containers

D. barbatus ‘Sweet William’ 26 I www.thegardener.co.za

Many new pot dianthus varieties have been introduced, like ‘Pink Kisses’, which was used to support the breast cancer drive. These are compact, neat plants with single, often multi-coloured flowers. They can start off indoors and later be planted out in the garden or into a bigger patio container. For fuller-looking containers double the number of plants. When it becomes crowded, pull out the extra plants and plant them in the garden. Water container plants more regularly and feed once a month with a liquid fertiliser.

roses Time to smell the

Gardeners are always busy, but what is the point of having a beautiful garden if you can’t also sit and enjoy it. Every garden should have a bench, especially one that is encircled by beautiful roses.

GET THE LOOK April is the month to find a bench and just sit among the roses. They are at their best, and from now on it is a steady progress to winter. The climber ‘Isidingo’ is tied to a pergola over the bench and it works well with bedding roses in shades of pink. The almost white ‘Free & Loyal’ and pale pink ‘Lyn Keppler’ accentuate the darker pink of ‘Marijke Koopman’.

TEXT Ludwig Taschner

YOUR ROSE GARDEN

‘Vodacom’

here is an art to placing benches in the garden. A bench at the end of a series of rose-covered arches makes it a focal point, and a rose-covered gazebo becomes an intimate space when a bench is added. Use your bench as an invitation, to draw people through the rose garden so they can stop and enjoy the perfume on the way. To achieve the effect you want, the rose with the right growth habit needs to be used for the pergola, gazebo or archway. Large gazebos require a strong but not rampant-growing rose that grows up to 3m and flowers repeatedly, so that the gazebo becomes a feature. A popular gazebo rose is ‘Eden Rose’, which has very large, soft pink flowers and diseaseresistant glossy green leaves. It flowers repeatedly in great profusion, earning itself a place in the Rose Hall of Fame. Other roses that would work equally well are ‘Pink Curtain’ and ‘Towering Rose Magic’ (in shades of pink), ‘Butterscotch’ and ‘Count Dracula’ (red). For good cover plant three roses equidistant around the gazebo and train them upwards. Pergolas also need strong-growing roses that produce long canes that can be woven around the pillars and trained upwards. For an abundant effect choose roses that produce clusters of roses, like ‘Cherry Garland’. Once its canes have been trained upwards it keeps on growing and producing clusters of medium-sized, full-petalled blooms. ‘Golden Showers’ produces large loose clusters of semidouble blooms. ‘Compassion’ is a very tough rose that’s easily trained up a pergola and it, like other similar climbers (‘Blossom Time’, ‘High Hopes’), produces perfect hybrid-tea blooms with an intense perfume.

‘Eden Rose’

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A bench hidden under a rose-covered arch is the perfect place to relax, and the secret is to choose roses that flower from top to bottom. ‘Clair Matin’ is an old favourite and a trusted performer. It produces many flowering side stems bearing tight clusters of blooms at the end of every shoot. It is a neat grower and easy to train up an arch. ‘Fairest Cape’ is a Panarosa that is used with great success over arches. This maintenance-free rose has naturally arching growth. For a very dense effect plant two climbers on either side of the arch. The strong canes will form a green enclosure studded with gold-peach blooms. Just surrounding a bench with roses will create a special space, without the effort of tying up roses to a support. Choose tall, bushy roses that act as a screen. ‘Afrikaans’ is a head-high bushy floribunda rose with vivid orange blooms that make a statement. ‘Pink Ayoba’ is another tall grower, up to shoulder height, that is shrub-like, with glossy green leaves that are almost impervious to disease. ‘Vodacom Rose’ equals ‘Iceberg’ in performance and produces dense clusters of large, fullpetalled purple blooms.

Rose care for April • Reduce watering in summer-rainfall areas to once a week. In warm subtropical and coastal areas water more frequently because the roses are entering their prime blooming time. In winter-rainfall areas water once a week in the absence of rainfall. • Heavier dew or rainfall requires more vigilant spraying for black spot, in order to keep retain the leaves and ensure flowering. Spray every two weeks with Chronos or Rose Protector. Adding Ludwig’s Insect Spray will control any insect infestation. • If the roses have lost their leaves from black spot you can stop spraying and let the roses go dormant, or you can get them back into shape. This involves pinching out growing tips and watering once a week so that they develop new leaves and will flower again before winter. Do not cut back plants that have been denuded by black spot. • This is the last month to fertilise in all areas except the sub-tropical and warm coastal areas. Fertilising in these latter areas will encourage good blooms through winter. • Don’t fertilise bushes that have lost most of their leaves, but allow new growth to sprout first. Once the new growth has developed sufficiently, with new shoots having about five leaves, the bush can be cut back to just above the new growth. Good quality blooms will develop.

‘Afrikaans’

• Deadhead and disbud to keep rose bushes looking neat. Remove the centre bud of a floribunda cluster to allow the remaining buds to develop uniformly.

Blisterleaf anemone

for the shade garden

outh Africa has 11 species of Anemone, which are widely distributed from Limpopo to the Western Cape and grow mainly in shaded habitats. Anemone belongs to the ranunculus family (Ranunculaceae) and other South African members include the climber Clematis brachiata (travellerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s joy) and several species of perennial Ranunculus. Commonly known as blisterleaf, brandblaar, katjiedrieblaar or tandpynblare, Anemone vesicatoria was previously well known by its old name, Knowltonia vesicatoria. It is widely distributed from the Bokkeveld Mountains near Nieuwoudtville to the Cape Peninsula and along the coast to Grahamstown (now Makhanda) in the Eastern Cape. It occurs along forest margins, in forest understoreys, river valleys and in shaded coastal scrub. This evergreen perennial grows from a subterranean, creeping rhizome with fleshy roots. It produces mound-like clusters of large, leathery, dark green hairless leaves with prominent veins, which are divided into three leaflets and have somewhat prickly serrated margins. From early to late spring (August to October) clusters of attractive

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greenish-yellow, star-shaped flowers appear on branched inflorescences up to 1m high. Individual blooms last up to a week, but a succession of flowers is produced over several months, followed by clusters of shiny green, oval-shaped berries that turn black when ripe. The blisterleaf is an easily cultivated and long-lived perennial, ideal for lightly or heavily shaded parts of the garden in frostfree parts of the country. It likes a neutral or acidic, well-composted, well-drained soil, and is best planted out in autumn or spring. An initial heavy watering is recommended at planting time and about once per week thereafter for several months, but once established it is remarkably waterwise, provided it has sufficient shade. The plants are slow growing but do occasionally multiply by offsets, and clumps should be allowed to remain in the same position for about five years before lifting, dividing and replanting immediately in late autumn. Plant the blisterleaf in groups in shady rock gardens among ferns, clivias, streptocarpus, asparagus and low-growing plectranthus, or around tree trunks, or grow it as a specimen

TEXT and PHOTOGRAPHS Graham Duncan

Anemone vesicatoria

PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN

plant in terracotta pots in a shady courtyard. In addition to separation of thick clumps, propagation can also be done by sowing the black fleshy berries in early autumn in deep seed trays in a composted medium, kept moist. The flowers are relished by honeybees. The fresh leaves and roots have been used medicinally for generations in the Cape, including as treatment for rheumatism and lumbago, colds and flu. In addition, alleviation from toothache was achieved by placing a small portion of the rhizome into a tooth cavity, due to a toxic chemical irritant that destroys the exposed nerve, hence the common Afrikaans name, tandpynblare. The species name vesicatoria, meaning blisterforming, is descriptive of the allergic reaction, in the form of blisters, that can develop when fresh leaves are applied directly to the skin, such as when treating sore backs and joints, hence the common names blisterleaf and brandblaar. Blisterleaf is rarely available from general nurseries and garden centres, but can be obtained from specialist indigenous nurseries such as the Garden Shop at Kirstenbosch (021 797 1305).

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PRACTICAL GARDENING

The value sowing

TEXT Anna Celliers

April is an important month to sow for winter and spring colour. Get planning and planting now!

California poppies

Editor’s choice

ome gardeners prefer to buy their bedding plants as seedlings in punnets at the nursery, rather than sowing flowering annuals themselves. There is nothing wrong with this, but there are cheaper ways to garden. One small packet of flower seed costs between R18 and R24, and depending on the type of seed (big or very small) you can get up to 600 seeds per packet, as with Namaqualand daisies. Secondly, you will miss out on a wide variety of plants. Many winter- and springflowering annuals can only be sown directly as they do not tolerate either shelf life in a tray or transplanting all that well. Pretty flower faces like forget-menots, Virginia stocks, African daisies, bokbaaivygies, Shirley poppies, candytuft, California poppies, cornflowers, love-in-amist, nemesias, linarias and godetias (satin flowers) are examples.

Bokbaaivygies

TIP

Adding a product like HumiGro when preparing your soil is like adding a highly concentrated form of compost that feeds your plants.

Godetia ‘Azalea Flowered Pale Pink’ The editor lost her heart to godetias this year, an annual spring bloomer and popular cut flower with satiny single or double flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, lavender and red. These fast growers can start blooming 60 days after sowing, which should be done directly as transplanting is not always successful. They germinate well in cool weather and need full sun and compostenriched soil. Keep the plants moist but not wet, and fertilise monthly. Tall varieties (up to 40 – 60cm) will need staking as lots of stems and flowers are produced. Godetias are good reseeders, so plant them where they can drop their seeds and grow undisturbed. They are bee and butterfly friendly. Look out for seed packets of Godetia ‘Azalea Flowered Mix’, which can be sown in spring and autumn. Flowers should appear after 90 – 120 days.

Special purpose novelty seed mixes Try the following great seed mixes from different seed suppliers:

Love - in -

• Colour Patch Winter Dwarf and Colour Patch Winter Tall, which contain varieties suited to South African winter conditions. Different varieties bloom at different times. • Bird and Butterﬂy Flower Garden is a mix especially chosen to attract birds and butterflies, and can be sown in autumn and again in spring. • Meadow Mix is a mixture of seeds that can be sown in autumn, spring and summer to supply something of interest for many months. • Flower Garden – Edible: All the plants have a variety of culinary uses as well as attractive flowers. It is ideal to sow directly in small gardens in autumn and again in spring. • Flower Garden – Fragrant is a selection of seeds for glorious scents and visual appeal to sow directly in autumn and again in spring.

a - mist

TIP

Give your plants the best possible start with added microelements. A product like StartGro gives your plants an extra boost at the beginning.

For a few bucks more… You can also invest in bulk seed packets that cover a large area, up to 10m2. And again, there are special seed mixes to give you a succession of varieties. • Border and Balcony Mix: Seeds chosen for bedding borders and containers on a balcony to be sown in autumn and spring. Suitable for full sun or semi-shade. • Shade Mixture has more than 20 different flower types suitable for shade and semi-shade. Sow directly in autumn and repeat in spring and summer. • Autumn and Winter Mixture contains more than 20 types of flowers for full sun.

Linarias

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Note that seed packets supplied by seed merchants are changed seasonally to ensure fresh seed on the shelves. Printed and illustrated on the back of the packets is all the information you will need about the right sowing times, depth, sun/shade requirements, planting distance, and whether it must be sown in seed trays or directly in the garden (or if both is possible).

POT RECIPE

Isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it ironic that summer annuals are always at their prettiest when the

TEXT Anna Celliers

calendar says itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early autumn and already time to plan for winter?

e grabbed a wide bowl, some potting soil, a few punnets of late summer annuals in full bloom, and textured foliage plants to capture the last pleasures of summer. We wanted to create an instant garden in a container. Instant gratification is part of modernday life, and it is luckily always possible to achieve with plants if you are prepared to play around, enjoy it for a while and then let it go…

The plants in our pot garden 1 Callistephus chinensis ‘Matsumoto Pink’ is a popular cut flower novelty aster of Japanese origin, and has bright, cheery, yellow-eyed spray-type flowers on long stems (60cm). These asters, which don’t like overwatering, will flower in the garden from spring to autumn. 2 Jacobaea maritima ‘Dusty Miller’ is perhaps better known as the grey cineraria, but whatever you call it know that this tough perennial (often used as an annual), with its frothy, silver-grey, fernlike leaves, is the perfect texture foil for any brightly blooming annual. The trick is never to allow it to flower (the yellow flowers are insignificant anyway!). Keeping it from flowering will ensure bushy growth, with the plant’s energy rather directed to the foliage. It grows in sun or semi-shade, poor soil and is drought and salt tolerant.

Tie a knot somewhere The combination of plants in this container is pretty enough to repeat on a larger scale in your flower borders for next summer, so keep this recipe to remind you.

3 Plectranthus neochilus ‘Variegata’ is an indigenous perennial groundcover with strongly fragrant leaves when crushed. It produces bright blue lobster-like flowers in summer that contrast well with the white variegated leaves. This is a handy filler plant in a mixed container, but is also suitable for hot, sunny spots and dry light shade. 4 Celosia plumosa ‘Hot Pink’, commonly called cockscomb, is a popular annual for summer. These plants, with their showy plumes, like full sun, can withstand wind and dislike over watering. 5 Verbena x hybrids are available in a number of series, all annual verbenas suited to hot weather. Colours include white, pink, scarlet, ruby, mauve, purple and even bi-colours. The trick with verbenas is not to overfeed or overwater them.

6 Bedding salvias used to be available only in bright red, but nowadays new ranges include flower colours that vary from shades of red, white, pink and scarlet bi-colour to the lovely dark purple Salvia splendens ‘Purple’ that we used. Annual salvias, as with all the other annuals we used, are heat tolerant sun lovers that also dislike being overwatered. www.thegardener.co.za I 39

FOOD GARDENING

TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs

s l i a t cock

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ocktails sound sophisticated, glamorous and just a little bit decadent. Add herbs to the mix, a dash of juiced vegetables or fruit, remove the sugary tonics, and you have a wellness cocktail. Adding health without losing the kick – that’s the new trend in wellness, and what better way to incorporate herbs into your diet! Did you know that the Egyptians infused wine with herbal medicines as early as 3150 BC? And in the middle ages monks perfected the making of tinctures, using alcohol to extract and preserve the medicinal properties of herb leaves and flowers. Tinctures are still used today as tonics and for treating various ailments. As we all know, the herbal approach to life is all about moderation. Even when dosing with herbs, less is more. If you like the idea of sipping a cocktail with friends or to unwind after a stressful day, here are guidelines for making your own wellness cocktails (in moderation), along with some delicious recipes.

Healthier cocktails – here’s how to do it z

Go natural: Instead of sugary mixers like tonic water or ginger ale, use sparkling water. Many commercial mixes contain loads of sugar and additives that are unhealthy and hangover inducing. To naturally flavour sparkling water, add lemon or lime juice, or strongly flavoured herbs like lemon verbena, pineapple sage, mint or rose-scented geranium. Need some sugar? Use stevia as a sweetener, or freshly pressed fruit juice infused with some mint, a snip of rosemary or lavender flowers for extra flavour. Another option is to make a herbal syrup using less sugar and infused with herbs. That way it is easier to regulate the sugar consumption. Fresh is best: Juiced up veggies like tomatoes and celery, or tropical fruits and berries, are the best way to add natural flavour. Combine the vegetables and fruit with their herbal companion like basil with tomato, sage with pineapple and borage with strawberries. Extra zing: Dress up the cocktail with fresh herb flowers (borage, chamomile, thyme, lavender, rosemary, basil) or snip in some leaves like the flavoured mints (apple, pineapple, peppermint). Lemon zest or thinly sliced ginger are also delicious additions. Adding the buzz: Most cocktails use vodka, gin or tequila as a base, all of which are plant based. While vodka is almost tasteless, gin often has herbal notes because it uses botanicals to achieve its flavour. According to www.Vibrantwellnessjournal.com try mixing with wine and sake for a lighter buzz. Both wine and sake are considered raw and are another cocktail option.

Hot winter drink of hot apple cider with spices, garnished with apples, oranges and cranberries.

Mocktails are cocktails

without the alcohol but with all the flavour… and you can drink more of them! Like healthier cocktails, mocktails need sparkle (think sparkling water or soda water), natural fruity flavours and herbs. TRY THIS: Combine the juice of two limes, a herb-infused syrup (lemon verbena or mint julep) and ice, topped up with club soda and finished off with sliced strawberries, cucumber slices and basil or mint leaves for a garnish. For a bloody Mary mocktail start with a can of tomato cocktail, season with salt and pepper, add a dash of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, and a hint of garlic, and garnish with a crunch stalk of celery, sprig of rosemary and olives.

FOOD GARDENING

Best herbs for wellness cocktails z

Mint (Mentha sp.) pairs particularly well with vodka-based cocktails, as a garnish and for adding flavour. Fresh and flavourful spearmint is a must, but also grow julep mint (sweet leaves), ginger mint, apple mint and pineapple mint. To grow: Mint grows best in fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of sun. Pick and trim regularly to keep it bushy and less invasive.

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an aromatic herb that matches fruity cocktails surprisingly well, like strawberries with sparkling wine, or as a sage-infused syrup with blueberries and gin. To make a sage syrup dissolve one cup of sugar and one cup of water in a pot. When the syrup is hot, add 4 – 5 sprigs of sage and let it infuse for 2 – 3 hours. Cool and keep in the refrigerator until use. To grow: Sage grows in poor soil that needs to drain well. Don’t over water. Trim back in spring to encourage new growth and flowers.

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) has a spicy perfume and subtle anise flavour that blends with vodka, lime, cucumber and sparkling water. In a herbal vodka tonic, the herb component is accentuated by combining basil with dill, rosemary, and coriander. To grow: Sweet basil is a summery annual that needs regular watering and fertile soil for lush flavourful leaves. For milder-flavoured leaves, pinch off the flowers. Allow the bush to flowers towards the end of the season, for the sake of the bees and for using the flowers as a garnish.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) has a deliciously strong lemon fragrance and flavour, which means that it pairs with any cocktail that calls for lemon or lime… and tequila! To grow: Lemon verbena grows into a large bushy shrub, bearing sprays of white flowers in summer. It may die down in cold areas but will sprout in spring. It needs plenty of sun and regular watering.

z Dill (Anethum graveolens) has feathery leaves with a mild tang that can be added to a tomato and vodkabased bloody Mary. To make the ultimate dill cocktail combine a sprig of dill with two slices of cucumber, a shot of vodka, lime juice and a dash of sparkling water. Sweeten if necessary. To grow: Dill is an annual herb that grows up to 1m high, and its flowers attract many beneficial insects that prey on aphids. It does best in well-composted soil and should not be planted with fennel or tomatoes. z

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has a fresh piney taste that is suitable for adding to sangria, using organic red wine, sliced fresh fruit and sparkling water. It also combines well with berries, gin and sparkling water. To grow: This hardy perennial herb requires very little care and survives drought. Plant it in well-composted soil and water when required. Trim to keep it in shape and to prevent it from getting woody.

Rose geranium (Pelargonium sp.) has a delightful floral fragrance and flavour, ideal for all pink cocktails (using grapefruit juice, grenadine and crushed ice) with vodka or botanical gin. Use the leaves to make a rose-flavoured syrup for sweetening, and the flowers as a garnish. To grow: This perennial grows in full sun to semishade in well-composted soil. It produces pink flowers in summer. Cut back if it starts to look untidy.

Mocktail with orange, berries and rosemary.

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) produces flowers with a delicate citrus-apple flavour, which has made it a favourite for teas, so why not cocktails? Chamomile flowers as a tasty garnish complete a blood orange margarita, using tequila, the juice of blood oranges and crushed ice, with a rim of crushed Himalayan pink rock salt. To grow: Plant in sun or semishade, in well composted soil. Chamomile has low, spreading growth, and is a tonic for nearby plants, hence its name the plant doctor.

Rosemary-infused wine is as delicious now as it was to the Romans centuries ago. Pour a glass of good, dry white wine and push three bruised rosemary sprigs into the wine bottle. Pour back as much of wine as possible, close the bottle and store in a dark cupboard for up to two weeks. Check regularly to make sure the rosemary is submerged. Strain out the lavender, chill and drink.

Blackberry-rosemary gin fizz Blend fresh or frozen blackberries with ½ cup of gin in a blender. Roughly chop up a sprig of rosemary and add to the blackberries, leaving to infuse for an hour. Fill two cocktail glasses with ice, strain the blackberry mixture and pour over the ice, topping up with sparkling water. (https://vibrantwellnessjournal.com/)

Strawberry sage sangria Juice up a punnet of strawberries, add an equal part of sparkling wine to strawberry juice in each glass, and garnish with strawberry slices and fresh sage leaves. (www.truewellnessbytrue.com)

Lemon ginger gin fizz Stir together ¼ cup lemon juice, add two tablespoons grated ginger, ¼ cup gin, lemon verbena-infused syrup for sweetening and 1 litre sparkling water. (https://vibrantwellnessjournal.com/) For more information: www.healthyliving.herbs.co.za

Tip from Mint Mentha piperita Garden mint and any flavoured mint is probably the best remedy for indigestion, nausea, colic, bloating and even headaches you can find. Chew a couple of leaves and you’ll soon find relief. It’s far healthier for you and beats the over the counter quick fixes.

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TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs

i t

k e r e o p f i n s g p

FOOD GARDENING

COOKING 44 I www.thegardener.co.za

Spice it up with variety

Tip:

Using the same materials all the time (lawn cuttings and dried leaves) might produce goodlooking compost, but it will be limited in terms of the nutrients and good bacteria that make compost so effective. Try to mix it up as much as possible, using household waste (except meat, dairy, onions and citrus), all the trimmings from the garden (not just lawn cuttings) and make the most of fallen leaves. Shredded paper and cardboard are also beneficial.

When using household waste, make sure that it is covered with a thick layer of brown material so that it doesn’t attract flies, rats and other pests.

Tip:

othing can match the richness of home-made compost, but don’t assume that all home-made compost is fertile and well balanced, especially if you put a lot of the same thing in your heap. Ever wondered why the plants turn yellow after you’ve added compost? It is probably because the compost hasn’t fully decomposed. In the process of breaking down it withdraws nitrogen from the soil, leaving the plants yellow and nitrogen deprived. Making compost is not complicated or time consuming, but there are some mistakes that are easy to make, and they affect the quality of your compost. Here are some tips:

Save autumn’s falling leaves in bags for use during summer. Pine needles, straw and layers of paper or cardboard also work.

Think ‘lasagne’

Nutrient-rich compost consists of both nitrogen (which comes from green material) and carbon (from dried material and paper). The best way to achieve this is to make layers of brown and green material. Layering also speeds up decomposition. When green material decomposes it generates heat, and by putting a thick brown layer over the green, the heat is trapped, which kills pathogens. It is like putting a lid on top of a boiling pot.

Keep it cooking

Tip:

If the heap has gone dry and dormant, it needs moisture. Turning and watering a compost heap should regenerate it. Put a sprinkler on top of the compost and (depending on the height) run it for 30 minutes to an hour so that the water penetrates right through. Check the middle of the heap after watering. If the compost still doesn’t heat up, re-build it by adding more layers of nitrogen-rich material, like manure, and water the layers as you go.

Microorganisms use up a lot of water, which means that during a heat wave you need to water the compost – almost as often as you water the veggies.

Size matters

Cutting or shredding garden waste can speed up decomposition, but if the texture is too fine the heap lacks ‘pore spaces’ for air, which is necessary for the decomposition process. Diversity of textures is as important as diversity of materials.

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The green, green grass

Some gardeners don’t like adding lawn cuttings to the compost as it can add too much nitrogen (affecting the balance) and can form a dense matt that blocks airflow. To avoid this, mix the grass cuttings with dried leaves, spread out the grass so the layer is not too thick, and cover it with a brown layer. If you don’t cover the cuttings the top dries out and forms an impenetrable crust.

Activists and additives!

Tip:

The quicker the turnaround of compost the better, because there never seems to be enough. When making layers, include finished compost, a sprinkling of manure (not too much) or rich topsoil to introduce the beneficial bacteria. Herbs like yarrow, borage, and comfrey are excellent activators that speed up decomposition. Add them with the green material. Turning the compost heap at least once a month (twice is better) adds air, which also speeds up decomposition. And don’t forget to keep it moist! The materials in the compost should feel damp, like a wrung-out sponge.

Less is more

Too many grass cuttings for the compost? Leave some on the lawn and they will help to fertilise the lawn.

You may love being lavish with the compost, but the experts say that it is a waste. Rick Carr, compost expert at the US Rodale Institute’s organic farm, believes that only 5cm of compost needs to be mixed into raised beds. For potting soil add 25 – 50% of compost but no more, and don’t start seeds in compost because it has a high mineral salt content that prevents germination. www.thegardener.co.za I 47

GARDEN TASKS for APRIL • Water as early in the day as possible so that the leaves are dry by evening. • Pull out spent crops and rework the soil, with added compost, for planting out winter seedlings. • Keep harvesting fruiting crops to keep up production. • Start harvesting basil and preserving the leaves (pesto) before the flavour becomes too strong. • In cold or shady winter veggie gardens, plant veggies in pots for growing in a warm, sheltered area. • Water lettuce with 1 tablespoon Epsom salts to 5 litres of water for a better flavour and colour. • Mulch lightly to keep the soil warm. • Encourage tomatoes to ripen by removing leaves that shade the fruit from the sun.

BRASSICA TIPS Plant out brassica seedlings to harden off and become established before the first frost. Two weeks after transplanting, fertilise brassicas and leafy greens with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser.

5 minutes to spare Protect seedlings by sprinkling an organic snail bait (Ferramol) around the veggies.

If you have heavy soil grow broad beans as an easy, pest-free winter crop. Beans sown in April or May will produce their first pods from July. This crop likes well-composted soil, full sun and shelter from the wind. Sow in situ, spacing plants 30cm apart. Harvest pods when they have filled out.

To cook:

SOWING GUIDE for APRIL This general guide should be used in conjunction with your own experience of local conditions and the micro-climate in your garden.

REGION

VEGETABLE

Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands

Beetroot, broad beans, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips

Middleveld (Tshwane and other less frosty areas)

Beetroot, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, garden peas, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips

Eastern Cape and Little Karoo

Broad beans, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, Swiss chard

Western Cape (and Southern Coast)

Beetroot, broad beans, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, garden peas, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips

Northern Cape and Great Karoo

Beetroot, broad beans, Chinese cabbage, carrots, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsnips, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard, turnips

Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal Coast

Beetroot, broad beans, bush beans, runner beans, brinjals, cabbage, capsicums (sweet peppers and chillies), carrots, cucumber, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, garden peas, pumpkins and Hubbard squashes, radishes, rhubarb, spinach and Swiss chard, bush and trailing squashes, tomatoes, turnips

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Broad beans need to be doubled podded. After removing the beans from their pods, cook the beans for two minutes in boiling water. Drain, put into cold water to cool, drain and peel off the tough skin from the beans. Toss in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, or mash with some potatoes, add in braised chilli and chives, and a sprinkling of fresh mint and parsley. The flavour of broad beans works well with garden peas, Asian greens (Chinese cabbage) and asparagus.

If you have light soil that drains well sow garden peas in the Western Cape, Lowveld and subtropical coast and warmer areas on the Highveld. Peas need deep, fertile soil and love a warm wall that receives winter sun. As most are climbing varieties, train them up a trellis. Don’t let the soil dry out, and fertilise once a week when the plants start flowering.

Try this:

RAW seeds’ ‘Tom Thumb’ is a miniature bush pea that’s good for growing in containers or tucked into small spaces in the garden. It grows 20cm high, doesn’t need staking, and the pods can be harvested when very young or left to mature for shelling.

10 minutes to spare Check for aphids and eradicate with an organic insect spray so that they don’t later migrate to the brassicas.

ver the last 12 000 years the practice of agriculture has been honed, revised and tweaked to suit a plethora of ecosystems, climates and conditions. With the advent of the 21st century, agricultural science has grown at an expansive rate, opening up a wealth of new knowledge for farmers and gardeners. An example of this can be found in the ‘James Leslie’ approach to soil maintenance. By shifting the focus from the crop to the soil itself, farmers have been growing healthier food and raking in higher yields. This also leads to less expensive chemical use, crops with a higher natural resistance against disease and less work on cleaner soil. As gardeners, we can learn a lot from these farmers when it comes to our own practices, or more specifically, we can learn more about growing a healthier and more productive garden.

SOIL SCIENCE

The story begins

Building

soil A balanced loam is a healthy soil.

James Leslie, a progressive farmer from Harrismith in the Free State, has a passion for healthy soil – and the resulting agricultural sustainability – that is second to none. It began when James and his young son were out in the fields, and he had to prevent his child from playing with soil poisoned by pest control products. Pest control products that James used because it was considered the norm to do so. Going against the collective wisdom of his peers, James began researching different soil functions and then testing out his new ideas. He started by planting a potato crop in virgin soil without a clue as to how the crop would flourish, and to his surprise, found that the yield was higher than that of a conventional field. In an instant, James’s approach to farming changed to focus on balanced soil and soil health – the future of agriculture in his eyes. He continued his research, discovering the needs of the living organisms like bacteria and fungi in the soil, and how attending to these needs could improve the health of his flora. James’s new ideology enshrines a simple principle – that soil should be seen as a functional whole; an ecosystem. A decade later and James’s theory has been proven right time and again, with his personal implementation resulting in major success. He now plants in a humus-rich biosystem that results in softer and more fertile soil, leading to less tilling. The less that the soil is tilled, the less that the microbes inside are disturbed or destroyed – microbes that naturally increase the health of plants. Healthy plants are less prone to disease, requiring a far smaller amount of chemical intervention. James now plants all of his crops in soil

The community of organisms living all or part of their lives in the soil is a complex ecosystem that sustains and optimises plant growth. with compost to boost the levels of organic matter or humus (partially decomposed organic matter). The humus retains moisture and keeps the soil temperatures moderate while vermitea – or ‘worm wee’ – is added as additional fertiliser. James is also in the practice of planting as many cover crops as he can after harvesting the main crop, which are then fed back into the soil as green manures, adding valuable organic matter into the cycle. Keeping living roots in the soil also feeds the microbes. James then brings in animals to eat the green crops, ensuring that the fodder is recycled, and the nutrients are returned to the soil by the animals’ excrement. Through his ‘one ecosystem’ approach to farming, his commitment to understanding the ‘ecological community’ that exists inside soil, and by understanding how soil health contributes to food production, James has

discovered one of the secrets to guarantee healthy soil and healthy produce. During the course of his research, James came into contact with Madumbi Sustainable Agriculture – a team that shares his commitment to the healthy future of farming, gardening and all-round plant health. Together, James and Madumbi have found a common purpose – to challenge the traditional methods of farming, to challenge the societal standard of safe farming, and to challenge the way that people farm. Madumbi now brings its sustainable agricultural solutions to the home gardener with a range of products that will take you on a similar journey in improving your soil and gardening practises. These products are now available at your local garden centre under the EcoBuz brand.

The science of soil

1. The sausage test

By understanding how soil works, we can see the benefits of understanding that soil is an ecosystem that needs as much attention as the plants planted in it.

Wet an area of soil, then collect a handful and roll it into a sausage shape and gently bend.

What healthy soil does Think of soil as the ocean. You can’t see much on the surface, but once you go below, as you would in an aquarium, you see all sorts of life teaming beneath the waves. A healthy soil is alive with billions of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes as well as macrobial organisms like earthworms and insects. All play an important role in enriching and aerating the soil, processing organic matter and feeding the plants.

• If it is very crumbly and breaks before bending it means your soil is sandy. • If it holds its shape and then breaks slightly when bending then it’s loamy soil (ideal). • If it bends and holds its shape (without breaking), it means your soil is clay.

Healthy soil: • Anchors plants and promotes strong root growth; • Holds water and makes it accessible to plant roots; • Holds air so that roots and soil microbes can breathe; • Holds nutrients and makes these available to the roots.

Sandy soil has few nutrients for plants.

Tests to ﬁnd out your soil type Before planting up a new bed, garden or veggie patch, make time to get to 'know' your soil. There are many different soil types, and there may be great variation between different areas of your garden. Soil is broadly classified into loam, clay and sandy soils. There are two simple tests that can be done to help you determine what is what:

Clay soil is compact and usually waterlogged and not ideal for plants.

2. The ball test Wet an area of soil, collect a handful and roll it into a ball. • If the soil particles won’t bind together, the soil is sandy. • If the soil moulds to a loose ball but breaks easily then its loamy soil (ideal). • If the soil retains its shape after moulding, it’s a clay soil.

Working with your soil type Once you have established what soil type you have, you will be able to implement a suitable plan of action for its improvement or sustainable management. Even loamy soil needs continuous enhancement and nutrition to support optimal root and plant growth. The EcoBuz range offers a holistic, balanced approach to soil health.

above. By adding compost, you promote soil aggregation and improve water-holding capacity, while also adding nutrients. Other good practices like mulching, planting cover crops that can be used as green manures, and adding plenty of organic material into the soil will eventually turn the soil around and give you and your plants the benefits of a healthier soil.

Loam soil This soil consists of a combination of clay and sand particles that results in:

Clay soil

• A workable soil with good colour that holds its shape. • A balance of large and small soil particles, with mixed pore spaces. • Good water-holding capacity. • Medium porosity – allowing water and nutrients to be absorbed while the excess can drain away. • Good aeration – allowing oxygen to penetrate into the soil to sustain life. • A soil that can hold onto nutrients for use by plants and keep the soil pH balanced.

Clay soils are not ideal for gardening, as the small clay particles prevent the free flow of water, oxygen and nutrients. These soils are prone to water-logging and crusting, and are easily compacted.

The problem

Clay soil has the following characteristics:

The problem

• Soft and powdery to touch. • Very fine particle size with minimal pore spaces. • High water-holding capacity. • Poor drainage. • Poor aeration. • Nutrient content is usually pretty high, but unavailable for uptake.

Sandy soil has the following characteristics:

The solution

• Coarse and gritty to touch. • Has large particle sizes with large pore spaces. • Has a low water-holding capacity. • Drains easily. • Well-aerated. • Poor in nutrients.

Start building the soil as with sandy soil. Adding compost to clay soil makes it easier to work, and over time compost improves soil aggregation, aeration and enhances nutrient uptake. Compost builds and contributes to soil structure.

The solution

In the next issue we will talk about the next step in holistic, sustainable garden wellness.

Sandy soil

Start building the soil to negate the problematic characteristics as discussed

EcoBuz aids your journey The journey to garden wellness starts with healthy soil and HumiGro. Why do we need HumiGro? We think that adding fertiliser to the soil will do the trick, but the purpose of fertiliser is to provide nutrition for plants (not soil). Poor soil also requires more and more fertiliser because it can’t hold the nutrients the plant needs – it’s a vicious cycle. HumiGro is a carbon-based soil conditioner with a complex list of nutritional elements that form the basis of soil fertility. Think of it as a highly concentrated form of compost. Adding HumiGro: • Feeds beneficial microorganisms; • Promotes soil structure; • Buffers against any harmful substances; • Releases nutrients for plant growth. A healthy soil is the key to a healthy garden. For more information on HumiGro and the other EcoBuz products visit www.ecobuz.co.za.

Easter parade

DIY CRAFT

at your front door

Why should Christmas be the only holiday to get wreaths? We think Easter deserves them too, and you can use autumn leaves to make this rustic fantasy to welcome everyone to your door. Grow to Eat I 55

WHAT YOU NEED • Scrap Masonite, MDF, plywood or cardboard for the circle and the bird house • White paint for the bird house • Leaves, bark and sticks • Floral foam • Wire • A selection of fresh flowers • Glue gun and glue sticks • Ribbon • Small white chocolate eggs

WHAT YOU DO 1 Use a Stanley knife to cut a circle out of the Masonite or cardboard to use as a frame. It should have an external diameter of about 350 – 400mm, with walls of about 50mm thick.

2 Cut pieces for the birdhouse and glue them together – you can also use a premade birdhouse, which are available at certain craft shops. Once the birdhouse is complete, paint it. Cut two slits in the base of the birdhouse so that it fits onto the frame. Use glue to keep it in place. 3 Cut a piece of floral foam for the flowers and soak it in water for 30 seconds. Wire it to the frame below the birdhouse.

56 I Grow to Eat

4 Make a hole in the top of the frame before the next step and thread a long piece of ribbon through it to hang it from. Heat up the glue gun and start gluing leaves and bark to the frame. The idea is to cover the frame so that none of it can be seen once the job is done. Add the little sticks until it looks good. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to decorate the roof of the birdhouse as well.

5 Hang the frame on the door and arrange the flowers in the floral foam, covering it completely. Add a few mini chocolate eggs or other decorations and you are done.

DIY CHANDELIER PLANTER

Plant up a

chandelier!

Light up your patio with this clever repurpose of an old lighting fixture.

WHAT YOU NEED • An old chandelier • Small terracotta pots (the same number as there are arms on the chandelier, and the right size to fit the chandelier) • 1m lightweight chain • Nuts and fender washers to fit the lamp holder tubes (or quickset epoxy)

Tools Spanner, screwdriver, wire snips or pliers

WHAT YOU DO 1 Remove the globe fittings and the electrical wire from the chandelier. 2 Fasten the pots to the holders. To do this, pop the pots onto the lamp holders, with the threaded tube going through the central drainage hole of the pots, and then place a washer inside the pot and fasten them in place with a nut. Alternatively, just use quickset epoxy to glue the pots in place.

3 Plant the pots with trailing plants. We used Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, which is very drought and heat-tolerant, and we didn’t even take the plants out of the little black pots they came in. We just slipped the pots into the terracotta pots, so that the plants can be taken out every week or so, watered, and returned to the chandelier when they have drained.

Dichondra ‘Silve

r Falls’

Bonsai is easy The first steps...

f you page through a beautiful coffee table book on bonsai, or look at some photos of bonsai on the internet, it is easy to become mislead. You’ll see stunning miniature trees in beautiful pots in a well-tended display area, and it’s easy to presume that bonsai must be expensive and difficult. It’s true that well-established bonsais in lovely pots are expensive, but it is important to realise that these trees are the very best of the best. The reality is that bonsai is not an expensive process. Bonsai are not grown in fancy pots, but are only placed in fancy pots when they have reached a certain stage of maturity. Bonsai are grown in all sorts of containers, from plastic nursery bags to old coffee tins, although many peoples’ favourite is shallow plastic basins. The most important thing is that whatever the container, it MUST have drainage holes. Likewise, if you look at a bonsai grower’s toolbox, you will see an astonishing array of weird tools and cutting implements. These are all nice to have, and each one

60 I www.thegardener.co.za

TEXT Gary English

BONSAI

does serve a specific purpose, but they are mostly not necessary. A good pair of kitchen scissors is good enough to begin with, especially for small to medium sized trees. The most important thing regarding tools is that they must be sharp, and you must clean them regularly. Blunt scissors damage branches, leaving a ‘furry’ stump a bit like an old paintbrush instead of a clean, neat cut. Furry stumps are not good because they don’t seal properly, which means that the plant loses moisture and the stump dies back. This die back can spread to the whole tree, which can eventually die. Dirty cutting edges carry lots of bacteria, which can very easily contaminate your tree. Experienced growers will often clean their tools immediately after working on a tree to prevent any chance of disease spreading from one tree to another. Right, so now you know that you don’t need fancy tools and expensive pots to begin growing bonsai, but you do need good bonsai material. The most likely place to find good bonsai material is at a garden nursery, of course. Many nurseries sell little ‘bonsai kits’ that contain a few seeds in a plastic packet, a little bit of soil and an inexpensive pot. While there is nothing wrong with these kits, they are not really the best place to begin. We live in an age of instant gratification – fast food, instant bank transfers (which still seem to take days) and fast internet (which also seems to take forever). Growing a bonsai from seed takes a long time, and modern people demand fast results. It’s much better to begin with something that has already been growing for a few years. It will already have some sort of shape that can then be enhanced by the grower, and, if done correctly, can begin to look like a bonsai within a few months. The next question is, ‘What species of plant do I buy?’ From a botanical point of view there is nothing different between a miniature tree in a tiny pot and its large cousin growing in the ground. A bonsai remains small because it is grown in a relatively small container, so almost any tree growing in your garden could make a lovely bonsai. Almost, but not all. Pawpaw trees don’t make good bonsai! I have tried to grow all sorts of trees over the years and have eventually realised that the best species for bonsai are the indigenous trees that are native to your local area. I live

in Durban, which is fig tree territory, and as a consequence I grow fig trees almost exclusively. They are well suited to the local environment, resistant to local bugs and diseases, and they make stunning bonsai. They do very well anywhere on the eastern side of our country, which receives more rain than the west. If I lived in a drier, hotter region I would probably grow more senegalias, baobabs and olives. Ask the local nursery person about the best species for your area. Most nursery people have at least a basic idea of the best species for bonsai in their area. Inspect the plant carefully before buying. The single most important thing about buying a plant from a nursery is that its trunk must be widest at soil level, becoming narrower as it goes up. Dig below the soil a couple of inches with your fingers to make sure it has a healthy root system. Plants of the same variety do not always have the same sized leaves. If possible, look for a plant that has smaller leaves than others of the same variety. Begin with just one or two plants. A large number of plants can very quickly become overwhelming, and suddenly growing bonsai will seem like a whole lot of work. Once you get your new plant home the first thing to do is nothing. Find what you think is an appropriate place for your plant and leave it there for a week or two. It will need this time to become acclimatised to its new surroundings. It will also tell you if it is not happy where it is and then you can move it to a more suitable place. Give your new tree lots of love, sunshine and water, and one day it will become a stunning miniature tree just like you see in the pictures.

I am in the process of creating a blog about bonsai in order to help you grow better bonsai. It is called Better Bonsai and can be found at betterbonsai.co.za. I will be posting weekly blogs covering all sorts of bonsai-related stuff, from basics to more expert tips. It will also provide a wonderful platform for you, the reader, to ask me questions. I am looking forward to having a lot of fun and exchanging ideas on bonsai and gardening in general, so please join me at betterbonsai.co.za.

A il in

CHECKLIST

garden

Here’s a quick checklist to remind you what to do in your garden in April.

Year-round interest with

New hybrids of the trusty indigenous agapanthus appear often, and all of them are plant-worthy in a waterwise garden. Agapanthus ‘Zambezi’, however, stands out above the rest with its broad, strappy, leatherlike leaves that are dark green streaked with a creamy-yellow variegation and framed by a broad golden-yellow margin. This variegation means year-round colour. ‘Zambezi’ grows to approximately 40cm in height and produces tall, strong flower spikes above the foliage with open-faced violet flowers that appear through the summer months, generally from December to March. It is evergreen and will handle light frost. Plant it in full sun or semishade in well-drained soil. Great for pots too!

April is

sowing month

You need to shop for: Seasonal, fresh seed (the seed packets on the shelves are frequently changed according to sowing seasons), seedling trays, seedling medium, vermiculite to cover the sown seed and a watering can with a fine rose spray. Simply fill up a seed tray up to about 2⁄3 with seedling medium and lightly tamp down with a piece of wood. Sow the seed evenly and cover with a thin layer of vermiculite. Tamp it all down lightly again. Water gently with a watering can and cover the tray with a sheet of plastic or an old glass pane and place in a shady but light spot. As soon as germination takes place, remove the covering. Plant out the seedlings as soon as they have grown about four leaves into small pots or seedling trays and harden off in morning sun to make them strong enough for the garden. Feed regularly with a growth stimulant such as Kelpak.

Plant for

Keeping the theme for Earth Day on 22 April 2019 in mind, which is to ‘protect our species’, let’s plant indigenous this month to supply an annual menu to attract sunbirds to the garden. For summer: Plant a dwarf coral tree (Erythrina humeana), which covers itself with scarlet red ‘pokers’ drenched in nectar. Also go for summer-flowering aloes like the very pretty Aloe cooperi with apricot flowers with green tips. For autumn: Choose the crane flower (Strelitzia reginae), which is a hardy evergreen indigenous shrub with large banana-like leaves, and brilliant orange and shimmering peacock-blue flowers produced from May to December. Their rich nectar is irresistible to sunbirds. This large shrub is stunning as a focal plant in the garden or in a roomy container. For winter: Any winter-flowering aloe species or hybrid will do to attract many other bird species as well, but the centrepieces should be the other coral trees. The coastal coral tree (Erythrina

Barleria obtusa

Pentas lanceolata

In ﬂower

Enjoy the flower bounty of many well-known and easy-to-grow South African plants. • Bush violet (Barleria obtusa) – this spreading little shrub, which spreads in light shade and climbs gently over other plants, remains unobtrusive in other months of the year, but bursts out in colour in March and April, when it covers itself in masses of mauve, pink or white flowers. Always worth waiting for, even if the flowering phase is a bit short. 62 I www.thegardener.co.za

Erica verticillata

• Egyptian star cluster (Pentas lanceolata) is a handy little perennial to fill gaps in full sun or in the light shade of other shrubs and trees. It has minty green leaves and flat inflorescences made up of masses of small star-shaped flowers in spring and again in autumn. It is ideal for mass planting. • Fynbos plants like ericas, acmadenias and buchus (Agathosma) are easy to grow, and lots of species flower in April. As their root systems are very fine they should never be allowed to dry out completely if growing in containers or newly planted in the garden, although they are tougher when

caffra) is a large tree producing magnificent flowers smothered in nectar. The smaller, common coral tree (E. lysistemon) is equally generous with spectacular flowers, but more suitable to smaller gardens. The broad-leaved coral tree (E. latissima) will produce its pretty blooms from late winter to spring. Every frost-free garden should have at least one of these species. For colder gardens there is the local mountain bottlebrush (Greyia sutherlandii) and woolly bottlebrush (Greyia radlkoferi) – perfect and showy for small gardens with well-drained soil. Note that planting these species will not only attract sunbirds all year long, but also other nectar-loving birds and critters like bees, butterflies and even bats.

Erythrina humeana

Euryops pectinatus

well established. A truly patriotic choice would be the exquisite Erica verticillata, which is extinct in the wild but has been saved by Kirstenbosch horticulturists and nature conservationists. It is now grown commercially and has become a popular garden and container plant. Masses of mauve or pink tubular flowers appear in late summer and well into autumn. • Fill up garden beds with lots of lasting and tough golden daisies (Euryops pectinatus). This indigenous daisy bush has lots more staying and flower power than its exotic family members.

5 Pansy ‘Matrix Midnight Glow’

Bedding

- the four ‘P’s

• Fairy primulas (Primula malacoides) will be the stalwarts of the shady winter garden, and will still be flowering in spring. • Petunias are a perfect choice for full sun in summer-rainfall areas to supply bright colour throughout winter. Use them generously to fill up beds, pots, window boxes and hanging baskets. Rejoice in all the colour and shape options available today. Iceland poppies

• Iceland poppies love the cold, in full sun and well-drained alkaline soil. • Pansies enjoy full or morning sun and will fill your pots and window boxes with their happy faces. Use them as colourful border plants too.

Primula malacoides

Petunia ‘Cascadia Rim Magenta’

HOT TIP Pinch out early flower buds on young flower seedlings to encourage bushy growth first, even though you will forfeit the first blooms.

Start planting your

From the weirdest looking corms and dried out little bulbs will burst forth the most beautiful spring flowers on earth, and for very little effort too! Hot tips on bulb planting • Because spring-flowering bulbs need to be cool, don’t plant them next to hard landscaping like driveways or paved pathways. • Avoid north-facing walls, and if planted in containers keep them in morning sun and afternoon shade. • Plant all spring-flowering bulbs with the pointed side up, except anemones, which should be planted with the pointed side down. Bulbs with fingers or claws like ranunculi should be planted with the fingers pointing downwards. Small bulbs like anemones, leucojums, muscaris, lachenalias, tritonias and ranunculus should be planted 5cm deep, and larger ones like hyacinths, freesias and Dutch irises should be planted 10cm deep. • Use a dibber or bulb planter to do the job. • Keeping the soil moist at root level is the most important aspect of growing bulbs. Soak the soil to a depth of about 15cm every 4 – 5 days. • Potted bulbs will need more regular watering – as often as every day if conditions are dry. Never allow the base of the pots to stand in water.

REMEMBER Toss some waterblommetjie bulbs into your pond – they will grow well in water between 10 and 60cm deep, and will soon settle into the mud sediment at the bottom of the pond, giving you a tasty flower harvest in late winter and spring.

Too little Interplant winter veggies in the flower garden. Try red-leaf lettuce, Swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, beetroot, oriental greens, mustards and kale. Another plant with pretty leaves to plant is ornamental kale – one of the showiest winter-foliage annuals around!

Grow your own You can buy garlic bulbs from nurseries. Pick a sunny spot with well-draining soil and plant the cloves about 15cm apart in drills of about 7cm deep. The cloves’ noses should just be covered with a thin layer of soil. Water regularly. You can also successfully grow garlic in containers.

Autumn

The best hedge is a dense hedge, so if you have not started the autumn pruning of formal boundary hedges yet, now is the time to get this job done. Only prune evergreens and those that finished flowering in summer. They should be pruned to be narrower at the top than at the bottom, so that the sun can reach the whole plant. The result will be dense new growth right down to ground level. Bougainvillea hedges growing in summer-rainfall regions should be pruned at the end of the month.

Do your

clean up Spend time in your garden to clean out spent growth, to sweep and collect the falling leaves, and to add it all to your compost heap. Your plants will benefit from being dressed with layers of mulch, as it will keep the soil temperature slightly warmer in the cold months ahead.

Grow to Cut back asparagus and mound the soil around the crowns. Plant out rhubarb plants and harvest the last peppers and chillies. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to plant out young strawberry plants and young fruit trees, especially deciduous types like peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. Prune back old raspberry and blackberry canes that have finished fruiting.

Bugs, and problems

Clear away fallen leaves and rotten fruit under fruit trees. This will prevent rose beetles and fruit fly from breeding and overwintering there. You can also dig around the base of the trees and lay down a fresh layer of organic mulch. While grafting away, also fix the walls of the earth basins that should be around their main stems – a great way to get to most value out of watering sessions as you simply have to fill up the ‘wells’ when watering. Turn the compost heap over regularly to check for larvae and pupae of fruit fly and rose beetle.

13 these Divide overgrown clumps of chives and garlic chives and replant into freshly composted soil. If you have enough to go around, pot up a few pots too. Keep them over winter on a sunny kitchen windowsill. The soil must be kept moist and your chive pots should be fed regularly with a liquid fertiliser.

jobs

• Stake climbing sweetpeas and pinch out their side shoots to encourage strong and healthy growth on the main shoot. You can also plant a batch of pretty little knee-high sweetpeas (they need no staking), which will be available in nurseries now. • Plant the full range of osteopermums, arctotises and diascias for instant colour – they flower now and love the cooler weather. • Keep spraying conifers against Italian cypress aphids, which are active in the cooler months. • Move frost-sensitive plants in pots to a protected place and buy frost-protection material to protect sensitive plants in the garden. • Clean out hanging baskets and plant them up with trailing ivy-leaved pelargoniums. • Keep weeding, but leave some seed heads for the birds. • When belladonna lilies have stopped flowering they can be lifted (if overcrowded), and replanted with the neck of each bulb showing above soil level. • To ensure a great harvest of lemons you have to fertilise at least four times per year (in July, September, January and April) using a balanced granular fertiliser.

Product Tired of messy hosepipes?

Trolley for tidy hosepipes The Gardena Metal Hose Trolley 60 is a convenient, fully assembled hose trolley that is lightweight and easy to use, featuring a height adjuster and large wheels for easy rolling on lawns. It can accommodate 60m of 13mm hose or 35m of 19mm hose. www.gardena.co.za

Tuck your hosepipes against the wall with a Gardena Wall-Mounted Hose Box. This easy-to-install product automatically rewinds the hose and comes with a hose guide and anti-drip device. Once installed, using the included wall bracket and assembly kit, it can swivel up to 180Â° and has integrated frost protection. Available with 30m or 35m hose capacities. www.gardena.co.za

Wiz of a worm farm

Grow Clivias

Wizzard Worms has brought out a new wormery especially designed for a single person. The Wiz Worm Farm will produce about a Â˝ litre of worm wee per week and vermicompost every three months. It is the perfect size for a person with a balcony, small area, school projects or someone who wants to experiment with a new worm farm at a reasonable price. These mini worm farms can be delivered to your door and come with a stand, jug, worms and a filter for the worm wee. www.wizzardworms.co.za

The third edition of Grow Clivias by author Graham Duncan has recently been published in the Kirstenbosch Gardening Series. Comprising 100 pages, it includes major chapters on history, general cultivation (aspect and climate, hardiness, growing medium, watering, feeding), propagation (seed, division, pollination), and pest and disease control. It provides detailed information on each of the five recognised species (C. miniata, C. caulescens, C. mirabilis, C. nobilis and C. gardenii) with updated information on classification, distribution, habitat and specific cultivation notes. It also contains a colourful selection of clivia hybrids, including variegated and novelty clivias, and three new cultivars. The book includes over 200 superb colour illustrations including habitat photographs, as well as eight watercolour paintings by various artists, five distribution maps, a glossary of terms, useful addresses and a comprehensive index. Published by SANBI [South African National Biodiversity Institute], ISBN: 978-1-928224-29-7. Currently available from the Botanical Society Bookshop at Kirstenbosch (021 762 1621).

l i r p A

events and open gardens

GAUTENG Saturday 13 – Sunday 14 April • Johannesburg Succulent Society Autumn Show Come and feast your eyes on a display of succulents from some of the best collections in South Africa. A huge selection of plants will be on sale by local enthusiasts. Venue: Floreum Hall, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, Emmarentia Entrance: Free, from 09:00 Enquiries: jhbss.info@gmail.com, rauschanthony@gmail.com

WESTERN CAPE Saturday 13 April • TOKARA Autumn Open Garden and Annual Rare Plant Sale Experience TOKARA in all its autumn splendour when this acclaimed Stellenbosch family wine and olive estate opens its extensive farm garden to the public. Meander through tranquil walks dotted with sculptures by local artists while taking in the magnificent vistas over the large garden dam. The dedicated indigenous garden, textures in the cork oak forest and the fresh scents wafting from the terraces of the picking garden will appeal to all the senses. Other enchanting secrets worth discovering are the inspiring vegetable garden, wetlands and the gurgling mountain stream flowing into soothing lily ponds. Venue: TOKARA wine and olive farm, Helshoogte Pass, Stellenbosch Times: 09:00 – 16:00 Entrance: R50 per adult Enquiries: opengarden@tokara.com

GROUNDCOVER

STOEP STORY

Phanda Pusha Play! A recent National Lottery jackpot exceeded R220 million – an obscene amount of money in anybody but a Gupta’s book!

am not keen on any form of gambling – I don’t even take out a raffle ticket or play the tombola at church fetes, since I have never won anything. I don’t regard the ‘winning’ of five dahlia bulbs one year after my business card was drawn at a gardening trade day as a win per sae. I suspect that it was rigged, and I actually forgot the bulbs in a plastic bag in the car’s boot and missed their planting season altogether! A gambling-loving friend once invited me on a weekend visit to a casino in Swaziland. In those days everything that had something to do with sin was banned in South Africa, so in my youthful innocence I regarded our trip as a huge cloak-and-dagger adventure. After promptly losing about R20 on the one-armed bandit machines, I got bored and reckoned I would get much more excitement going to watch X-rated movies like Lady Chatterley’s Lover or Clockwork Orange, which were showing in the hotel’s movie theatres. But my gambling friend started losing her head (and her money) at the casino tables and begged me to stay with her and sit on her handbag so that she couldn’t get to her purse for more funds. I had to promise not to give in, whatever happened. I kept to my side of the deal but ended up with a blue eye and a split lip after fighting off her attempts to grab her bag. We left the hotel early the next morning… A few years later four of us took a very low-budget, self-drive trip to Europe. We didn’t really plan ahead but simply drove an old Ford station wagon from town to town and country to country (we covered more than 8000 miles in that car!). It so happened that we ended up in the Mediterranean principality of Monaco. With no funds to spend on anything but bread and wine, we still managed to get into the impressive Casino de Monte-Carlo and play one or two rounds of roulette before we got too broke and shy and had 72 I www.thegardener.co.za

to go… To this day I can still say, “No more bets s’il vous plait” in a sexy French accent! Just imagine what a gamble her Glorious Highness Princess Charlene from Benoni must have taken to end up reigning in Monaco! I had two more opportunities to start gambling. I once accompanied a potentially addictive one-armed bandit player on an overnight trip to the casino in Caledon. Nobody else wanted to go with her, so I decided to give it a go. While she sat entranced in front of a noisy machine in a dark room feeding change to a hungry dragon, I sat outside on the veranda reading my book. That night around pumpkin time I retrieved her and told her that we were going swimming in the hot springs of Caledon (this was before it was refurbished into a fancy spa complex). We ‘bribed’ a night watchman with our charm and spent long chatty hours in the warm mineral water. As far as I know this gambler has never set foot in a casino again! It seems that I cured her. The second time I visited this place of potential ensnarement was when I had to go to the Department of Home Affairs in Caledon to replace my stolen ID document. Since I also had a garden talk scheduled close by, a friend and I decided to have a productive day by both getting our affairs with Home Affairs in order. After a thirsty morning of talking to gardeners and spending some hours in a long queue at a government office, we were in dire need of refreshments and decided to visit the casino for a quick gin and tonic. For some or other reason (which to this day I cannot fathom!) we ended up in the dark den full of screaming bandits. My usual bad luck changed that day as with only R100 and a 5-cent machine that had a mad parrot in it screaming at me all the time, I won more than R2000! The fact is, my temporary good gambling luck changed straight after I got home on that rainy and cold day. I sent my

By Anna Celliers

husband outside to fetch firewood and he slipped and fell over a log and broke his femur and hip. It kept him in pain and in hospital for a while, and turned me into a home nurse for three months! To win a jackpot of millions is probably ten out of ten on the happiness scale, and I can understand the feverish rush and urge to buy lottery tickets – even with your last resources. It so happens that just before the draw for this record jackpot I was calmly stirring a white sauce for a lasagne when I got a WhatsApp message from someone living without transport or energy in a retirement home. I was told firmly to quickly go to the shop to buy her four lines… For a moment I got a real fright since we live in a gangster province where ‘lines’ can mean something else, but then I realised she just meant a lottery ticket. My white sauce curdled while I stood in the queue at the shop. The four ‘lines’ came to nothing, but I did waste a bit of time wondering what I would have done with the money had I won it. (I bought four lines of my own while I was there for the geriatric.) First I would have bought a deep-freeze full of ice-cream for the little boy who cried so much the next morning because his young mommy’s ticket paid out only R5. It was what he wanted. The next thing I could think of was to give a huge whack of the millions to my boss. It would take her worries away, which would mean that she would leave us in peace to think creatively and to plant every day. Although we might relax for so long that we would miss every deadline… That was maybe not a good idea, but it should get top marks for ‘gatkruip’. (If you don’t know the meaning of this South African word by now, stick around as we have a general election coming up and political parties are going to try it to get your vote!)