GardenTalk Issue 2, 2017 - Energise Your Space

Garden talk

Spring

2017

energise your SPACE INSIDE

WIN! A trip to Keukenhof 2018 courtesy KLM • GardenShop Online • Stylish water features • Beautiful decor ideas • Lemon scent • Colour for your garden

Contact us on 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336) Queries:

To provide you with excellen­t servic­e, we have a team of dedicate­d and passionate gardening experts and there are several ways of directing your gardening queries to us: Web gardenshop.co.za

Call 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)

Email us on info@gardenshop.co.za eShop gardenshoponline.co.za

Connect with GardenShop! Daily gardening posts, updates on new plants, trending gardening ideas and seasonal pictures from our garden centres.

GardenShopSA Editor: Deborah Hele

e-mail: deborah@gardenshop.co.za Publisher & Ad Sales: First Wave Media cc e-mail: gardentalk@firstwavemedia.co.za

GardenShop Tel: 011 516 9700 Fax: 011 516 9701 PO Box 70966, Bryanston, 2021 GardenShop proudly supports:

Editor’s lettter The energy, vibrancy and colourscape of springtime make for boundless activity and enjoyment, and GardenShop has a world of gardening and décor ideas to enhance and energise your indoor and outdoor living spaces.

Rejuvenate and invigorate your garden with gorgeous colour splashes of Lavender, Clivias, ever-popular Daisy varieties, the wonderful red Cape Fuchsia ‘Lemon Spritzer’™ and of course everyone’s favourite, the wonderful Pelargonium.

Inject flavor and fragrance of lemon-scented citrus herbs to set your taste buds tingling (page 12) and get to grips with basic garden health (page 14). View our wide selection of exquisite water features to enhance your outdoor spaces (page 20) and be inspired by indoor plants to spruce up homes and work spaces (page 17).

WIN! Don’t miss out on the exciting GardenShop-KLM Facebook competition where you stand the chance of winning two economy class tickets to Amsterdam, three nights accommodation and entry tickets to Keukenhof in 2018. Blooming marvellous! Plus a second prize of a terrific GardenShop spring hamper worth R3000 and third prize of a KLM hamper. Full details on page 26.

Energise your space!

PS: Don’t forget your complimentary R100 discount voucher (towards any purchase over R500*) with this issue! *T&C’s apply

9 featured GardenShop Online - Get your green fingers clicking!

Colour for your garden - Patriotic Pelargoniums A taste of spring - Lemon scented herbs first wave media GardenTalk is published on behalf of GardenShop (Pty) Ltd by: First Wave Media cc Tel: 011 640 7354 Web: firstwavemedia.co.za Postal: PO Box 28845, Sandringham, Johannesburg, 2131

Your indoor space - recharge with green

WIN! - A trip to Keukenhof 2018 from KLM

GardenShop Bryanston - A green space in the city

4 9 12 17 26 30

Love the environment, please recycle this copy of GardenTalk after you have read it!

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GardenShop Online is convenient GardenShopping made easy for garden enthusiasts, wannabees and home owners wanting to enhance their living space.

Get your green fingers clicking

We’ve listed an ever increasing range of unique and exclusive nursery and home dÊcor items to offer you the best online gardening experience From birding products, our current specials, gifting ideas, chimes, exclusive GardenShop collections, bonsai, cactus and succulent selections, at the click of a button you can garden from the comfort of your couch.

SAVE

on your first online buy!

Online

In celebration of our new eCommerce website, we will give you R50 off your first online purchase of R250 or more. Just use the coupon code GSOV502502017 and remember delivery is free to Gauteng areas for orders over R1000.

Shop Now!

www.gardenshoponline.co.za 4

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ON PROMOTION

Lavender Loveliness Spring is a season of joy and happiness and what better way to celebrate its arrival with gorgeous Lavender in your garden!

Outstanding to plant as hedges or in pots close to living spaces - where their perfume can be enjoyed with the added attraction of visiting butterflies – Lavender complements so many other garden plants. And it’s a wonderful drought-resistant plant too. Fresh or dried Lavender flowers bunched together will bring a special touch of happiness and delightful fragrance to your home.

Our varieties include Lavender stoechas (also known as the French or Butterfly Lavender) – from ‘Blueberry Ruffles’, ‘Mulberry Ruffles’, ‘Boysenberry Ruffles’, ‘Winter Purple’ and ‘Plum’.

An assortment of flowering, waterwise Lavenders awaits you at GardenShop.

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Enhance your garden with Clivia from GardenShop

Colour splash with Clivia

Courtesy Clivia Society of South Africa

Clivias bloom into magnificence towards mid September but their show stopping performance is worth all the wait. We are all familiar with Clivia miniata, the traditional orange variety, but for the plant enthusiast, the flower hunter - you may want to add some special species to your envious collection.

Versicolour

Hirao

All Clivia species require much the same conditions, preferring cool-shaded conditions with excellent drainage. Their natural habitat is in the summer rainfall areas, but they flourish in most places and grow just as well in winter rainfall areas too.

Wide tepal yellow

Many new shades (pictured right) are cultivated by specialist growers and range from deep orange to sought-after red and rare peach, apricot, salmon and the most desirable of all, the treasured and lovely pink! There are also patterned forms such as Versicolours, Splash, Picotees and Bicolours.

For collectable Clivias come and visit the Clivia Show happening at GardenShop FloraFarm on 9 and 10 September. A spectacular array of rare and treasured varieties will be showcased including Clivia ‘Ghost’ and ‘Hirao’, after its breeder Dr. Hirao of Japan.

For further reading and information visit the Clivia Society www.cliviasociety.org

Ghost

Interspecific

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ON PROMOTION

Daisy Delight Daisy flowers including Osteospermums are colourful, waterwise and ideal to bring bright spring cheer and exuberance to any outdoor sunny-living space. They are extremely popular as both gifts and for growing in abundance in gardens as colourful fillers, ground covers and in pots.

The blooms of these star performers are also wonderful for cuttings and appear in a wide range of colours including yellow, pink, white, purple and blue-lilac shades to red, orange and even gold! Plus their beautiful and radiant flowers will attract a bounty of butterflies and of course our ardent honey-makers, bees.

Visit GardenShop now and enhance your garden with the delight of Daisies!

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Patriotic Pelargoniums Hero plants indeed, originating from our South African habitats, they are seen and loved all over the world.

Inject colour into your garden spaces with bold and bright Pelargoniums. Also known as Geraniums, you can plant these waterwise delights with pride as they add splashes of colour to your garden beds, pots and hanging baskets. Be rewarded with dazzling colour all your round.

Look out for vibrant varieties of Geraniums at GardenShop to energise your outdoor garden spaces!

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Let’s plant seed!

Courtesy Kirchhoffs

All plants start with a tiny seed, and it is through our vast selection of seed packets for annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables, that Kirchhoffs has been the gardener’s friend for more than 100 years.

The modern garden, although often small can be both ornamental and edible. Have fun with it. Try a new veggie that you’ve never grown before or mix and match veggies and flowers in traditional gardens and containers. There is no law that says lettuce cannot be used as interesting bedding plants. Planting Basil between brightly coloured blooms is also a sure winner.

As you grow your own veggies, use companion plants and flowers to introduce diversity into the garden. This creates an efficient growing system that does not need harmful chemical controls.

Flowers and herbs are used to bring colour into the mix, and to act as useful companion plants. The result is a multi-purpose space that looks good, smells good and is edible and healthy.

One of the best approaches is to keep watch over your own garden and see what works for you. You can go with a colour theme or just go carnival!

Seed germinating tips from Kirchhoffs: • Sow seed at the depth recommended on the seed packet.

• Lightly firm down the soil so that the seed makes contact with the soil.

• Dampen the soil using a watering can with a rose head, it has a softer flow.

• Start watering away from the bed, swish it over the bed and finish watering away from the bed. The first and last droplets come out in a spurt and can wash seeds away.

• Don’t let the soil dry out during germination. Water lightly each day.

• For shallow sown, fine seed cover the bed with shade cloth and water through it. As soon as the seed germinates lift off the shade cloth.

Visit GardenShop now and energise your garden with an array of Kirchhoffs seeds!

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Lemon Grass is a clump forming perennial growing up to 1m high. It grows best in full sun, in fertile, well-drained soil and needs plenty of water. It can also be grown in large containers.

TIP: To extract the lemon flavour, cut the stem into 5cm lengths and bruise the stem or make superficial cuts along the stem.

Add these pieces to curry or other dishes but remove before serving.

Lemon Verbena has the strongest lemon taste and fragrance of all the lemony herbs.

It grows best in full sun, likes a light soil that drains well and should be watered regularly.

TIP: Add the fresh leaves to fish and poultry dishes, vegetable marinades, and rice but remove before serving. Make a refreshing tea by combining dried or fresh leaves with pineapple and apple mint.

A taste of spring — by Alice Coetzee

In spring the fragrance and flavour of lemon-scented herbs from GardenShop sets taste buds tingling with a veritable bouquet Lemon Balm is a low growing perennial (30cm) that grows in moist, fertile soil, does best in morning sun and afternoon shade.

TIP: Add finely chopped fresh leaves to salads, to lightly flavour egg dishes, as a garnish for soft cheese, incorporated into white sauce for fish, mayonnaise, marinades, vegetable soup and stews, poultry and pork.

Lemon Thyme is a small, shrubby perennial that grows to 30cm, with small, bright green-yellow leaves that are lemon scented and pale mauve flowers in spring. It likes full sun and gritty soil that drains well.

TIP: When roasting chicken stuff the cavity with half a lemon, half a peeled onion and several sprigs of thyme.

Citronella Geranium is not just a natural mosquito repellent but its lemony leaves can be used in cooking too. Plant it in full sun in well composted soil.

Make a delicious citrus scented sauce - for ice-cream, stewed fruit or for pouring over a baked dessert. Combine 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped citronella geranium leaves, 2 tsp. grated orange rind, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey and 2 tsp. finely chopped Rosemary leaves. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Strain and serve.

For more information visit www.healthyliving-herbs.co.za

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NEW RELEASE

Cape Fuchsia ‘Lemon Spritzer’™ A perennial plant with a twist – commonly known as the Cape Fuchsia – this indigenous, waterwise variety boasts beautiful and eye-catching, slender hot pink trumpet flowers which dangle from red flower spikes. Its lime green leaves are splashed with colours of darker green shades to make shady areas of your garden wonderfully vibrant and alive. Honeybees buzz straight to it!

‘Lemon Spritzer‘™ is long-flowering and makes for an ideal tall groundcover and is perfect for containers and hanging baskets.

Spritz up your garden now with this new release available from GardenShop.

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Growing health in your garden - by Jenny Slabber, Talborne Organics

All magnificent gardens start in a well nurtured soil. A healthy soil = healthy plants = healthy people, pets and a healthy living ecosystem which all adds to a wonderful garden environment.

Basics for Garden Health A healthy soil: Needs lots of compost matter to feed the complex eco-system of beneficial

soil life such as bacteria and fungi, which protect our plants’ roots. Compost is a reservoir for water in the soil for plants’ roots to drink from, and builds a soft friable and oxygenated soil for roots to penetrate. Make your own compost, or earthworm bin from kitchen scraps but if space is restricted buy Fertilise Earthworm Castings or a good quality compost. If already planted, apply a thin layer of compost or Fertilis to your plant beds or lawns every 3 to 5 months which will be taken up into soil.

Nutritous Plant Food: To prime a healthy soil, add a fully formulated organic fertiliser which contains all nutrients in correct proportions for plant uptake, use VITA Grow 2:3:2(16) at 100g per m2. For conditioning existing beds planted with flowers and shrubs, fertilise with VITA Fruit & Flower 3:1:5(18) and lawns and leafy gardens apply VITA Green 5:1:5(16) at 100g per m2 every 4 months. Water lightly after application and then continue your regular watering programme.

Water Strategically: Catch and store rainwater from the roof in tanks, reuse bath and shower water in the garden or for pot plants. Mulch to protect soils from water erosion and prevent evaporation by planting ground covers, or covering soil surfaces with chipped bark, gravel, wooden stepping stones or mixes of waterwise lawn for extensive areas.

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Growing H ea l t h

Vita Green 5:1:5 (16) Lawn & Foliage Fertilizer Fertilizer for Certified Organic Growing Reg. No: K5126

Excellent for:

a Lawns a Tropical gardens a Indoor, outdoor, container and foliage plants

a Will NOT Burn a Value for money: Only apply

Growing Health

100g/m² every 4 months

www.talborne.co.za

www.facebook.com/Talborne

healthy soil = healthy plants = healthy people GardenTalk

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Your Indoor Space Recharge with green Transform your indoor living space into a beautiful green oasis and impart a sense of calm with practical and beautiful indoor plants. Let them lift your spirits and wellbeing as they detoxify your space with the release of pure oxygen.

www.plantimex.co.za Pure Emotions – Natural Elegance Proud supplier to GardenShop

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Regardless of whether you are a natural gardener or lack a green thumb, GardenShop has an extensive range of on-trend, easy-to-care-for indoor options that will work wonders to destress living and work environments. Whether your preference is for all-round leafy greens or those that boast a variety of colourful, flowers, recharge and destress with green.

Spathiphyllum 14cm R59.95

Asplenium Antiquum 15cm R150

Anthirium 14cm R145

Ficus benjamina 20cm R150

Phalaenopsis Orchid 1 stem R135 Lucky Bamboo, 3 sizes From R64.95

Bamboo Palm in 19cm pot R150 GardenTalk

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Luscious Lawns with CULTERRA Lawndressing Enviromentally friendly Lawndressing from Culterra, a Johannesburg based company that has produced a range of quality organics for the gardening industry since 1965.

Without exception Culterra Lawndressing is the top selling gardening item in spring and no wonder, as it improves the lawn’s soil structure and therefore soil water retention increases immediately.

As soil structure improves, microbial and earthworm populations will be stimulated.

Apply lawndressing throughout September and October.

One bag of Culterra Lawndressing covers 4m2.

Get going this season with your own luscious lawn for spring with Culterra Lawndressing.

Available at all GardenShop stores.

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Plants, flowers, shrubs and other vegetation will always be the foundation of spectacular garden design, but the right décor element brings that little extra touch of magic.

GardenShop’s range of stylish and modern water features will enhanc­e your garden, bringing sound, movement and gentle energy to your outdoor space.

Energise with water features 20

Square Pillar R4585

Sunbeam Skylights

Atlanta R4185

Gauteng – South Africa

enlightenment made easy

Add pizzazz to your patio!

Majuba R3985

Enclose your patio with a Sunbeam Skylight installation and let the sun shine in! It’s that easy and a terrific modern and stylish way to maximize your sense of being outdoors – regardless of the weather. Plus, a sure way to boost your property value!

Capri Small R5885

Water features create a wonderful visual effect and their soothing aural soundtrack adds to your garden’s tranquility. The addition of water always brings beauty and life to a landscape, attracting bountiful birdlife for you to quietly observe.

Whether for your main garden environment, home entrance, driveway or courtyard, GardenShop’s range of easy to install, plugand-play water features will suit any garden style and fit your budget. From rustic and natural to modern and contemporary, these garden décor accents bring peace and tranquility to any space.

Prices include base, pump and feature.

Contact us NOW for a quotation without obligation! sales@sunbeamskylights.co.za 082 448 1101 www.sunbeamskylights.co.za GardenTalk

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Bird’s Eye View There is nothing on earth that can replace the joy of watching different birds make their way into our gardens. Children delight when they see birds returning to stock up on food. We love to sit outside and watch how they chatter, feast on berries from our trees and dig their beaks into the soil for fresh earthworms.

Birding and gardening go hand in hand. At GardenShop our birding departments offer you the very best in bird food - nectar feed, suet, bird puddings, raw peanuts and seed - all locally sourced with no cheap fillers. Our birding range carriers the highest recommendation from BirdLife SA. Peanut Block – 4 Value Pack R195

All birding products are available for sale online www.gardenshoponline.co.za

Let’s go to the African Bird Fair African Bird Fair 2017 will be held on the 9th and 10th September at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Roodepoort.

Visit www.birdlife.org.za for more information.

Seed Bell Small R59.95

Bird Pudding 2.5kg R350

Suet Slab – 5 Value Pack R225 GardenTalk

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Is your garden hydrozoned?

Group plants with similar water needs together for a waterwise garden.

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High water use zone (3 drop)

This hydrozone should be kept as small as possible. These plants will need frequent

watering throughout the year. Plant 3 drop plants, such as annuals and spring-flowering bulbs, in containers.

•

Medium water use zone (2 drop)

Keep this hydrozone relatively small, as these

plants will need more water than that is received as rainfall in your area. Many popular exotic garden plants are considered 2 drop.

•

Low water use zone (1 drop)

This hydrozone can be as large as you like.

1 drop plants will thrive mainly on the rainfall received in summer, and may only need a little extra water in dry winter months. Plants suitable for this zone are often indigenous plants.

For further information on Water Wise, please contact us on 0860 10 10 60 or visit www.randwater.co.za and click on the Water Wise logo.

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No water use zone

You may make this hydrozone as large as possible. Plants that are categorized in this zone are often established local indigenous plants, shrubs, and succulents. A no water use area may also include permeable paving and hard landscaping.

GardenShop proudly stocks a wide range of waterwise pants for hydrozoning.

Win a trip with KLM to Keukenhof, Holland Dear garden lovers Have you dreamt of visiting the beautiful park of Keukenhof? To celebrate the arrival of spring in South Africa, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is giving away a trip for two to Keukenhof, where you can enjoy spring in Amsterdam! The prize consists of 2 return Economy class flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Amsterdam, hotel accommodation for 3 nights for 2 people and tickets to enter the park. All you need to do to enter the competition is visit the KLM South Africa Facebook page, answer the daily question and you will be entered into the draw to win the main prize. We will also be giving away KLM hampers and a second prize GardenShop Hamper valued at R3000. The competition will run from the 4th of September until the 8th of September 2017 and winners will be announced on the 11th of September on the KLM South Africa and GardenShopSA Facebook pages.

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About Keukenhof (Kitchen garden) In 1949 a group of flower bulb exporters came up with a plan to use the Keukenhof estate for a permanent exhibition of spring-flowering bulbs, signaling the birth of Keukenhof as a spring park. Keukenhof is the international and independent showcase for the Dutch floricultural sector, with a special emphasis on flower bulbs. The park first opened its gates to the public in 1950 and was an instant success, with 236,000 visitors in the first year alone. In the space of eight weeks Keukenhof shows what the Dutch floricultural sector has to offer. The focus in the park is on the 7 million spring-flowering bulbs, in which the 100 participating companies show their living catalogue. In more than 20 flower shows, 500 flower growers present an enormous variety of cut flowers and pot plants.

About KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines was founded on 7 October, 1919 to serve the Netherlands and its colonies. KLM is today the oldest airline still operating under its original name. KLM has been part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group since the merger in 2004. With Air France, KLM is at the forefront of the European airline industry. Offering reliability and a healthy dose of Dutch pragmatism, KLM strives to provide innovative products for their customers in a safe, efficient, and service-oriented way.

With a small homebase from which to work, KLM has maintained an international orientation from the beginning. KLM’s strength lies in the tightly-knit, worldwide network it has built up with its partners. Passengers are able to transfer quickly and easily at Schiphol, KLM’s homebase, and by connecting the networks of many different airlines throughout the world, they can take you from Schiphol to almost any spot on the globe.

KLM has daily flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Both routes are operated by Boeing 777-200 aircraft with Business and Economy class cabins.

Full terms and conditions will be available online on KLM’s Facebook

page https://www.facebook.com/KLMSouthernAfrica at the launch of the competition.

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What’s happening at GardenShop this spring!

Spring Day Children’s Event Saturday 2 September Venue: GardenShop Bryanston’s Organic Food Garden Time: Various activities between 9am - 3pm Cost: R100 per activity Let the kids complete a current spring activity with the Cherry Tomatoes Gardening Club

Clivia Show

Saturday 9 September – Sunday 10 September

GardenShop Bryanston

GardenShop FloraFarm

Bonsai Show

Friday 13 October – Sunday 22 October

Orchid Show

Saturday 2 September – Sunday 3 September GardenShop FloraFarm

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GardenShop Broadacres

Children’s Gardening Club

Cherry Tomatoes Gardening Club takes place every Saturday morning throughout 2017.

Venue: GardenShop Bryanston’s Organic Food Garden Time: 9am – 11am Ages: 3 to 9 years

To book: email cherrytomatoesgc@gmail.com or phone 071 883 5584 (Nicola) or 079 895 1332 (Pat) GardenShop Bryanston

‘Grow Your Own’ show and tell workshops with Linda Galvad of Sought After Seedlings Venue:

GardenShop Bryanston’s Organic Food Garden

Dates:

Tuesday 22 August

Thursday 7 September

Tuesday 19 September

Wednesday 11 October

Tuesday 24 October

Cost:

R350 and space is limited.

To book: Online bookings only GardenShop Bryanston

Please refer to our website for details on each event. Our monthly mailers will also fill you in on all these exciting happenings!

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GardenShop Bryanston GardenShop Bryanston is an ideal family destination boasting a sensational selection of gardening and on-trend home décor items to energise your indoor and outdoor living spaces. This gem of a store surrounded by our concrete jungle, is a breathing space for families to experience the delight of being surrounded by happy flowers, luscious plants, healthy edibles and beautiful home and garden furniture items.

Your green space in the city

Slow the pace down by grabbing a light meal at Munch Cafe while the children take delight in the curious animals at Reptilians pet shop - and enjoy the safe play areas within the nursery. And why not explore neighbouring tenant Essex - Made to Measure for blinds, curtains, flooring and upholstery.

GardenShop Bryanston also boasts a Weber showroom for all your outdoor cooking needs, stocked with grills, tools and acessories – braaing this spring is sorted.

But the real draw card of this store is the 600m2 Organic Food Garden, designed and implemented

by Sought After Seedlings. The aim of this open Find us at: and accessible food garden is to open up a world of Cnr Main Road & Halifax Street, Bryanston possibilities to inform, educate and inspire people to grow their own healthy food in large and small spaces. Tel: 011 463 5773 The Bryanston Organic Food Garden is also the venue Email: info.btn@gardenshop.co.za for the Cherry Tomatoes Gardening Club that Co-ordinates: teaches young children about the process of growing 26° 04′ 31″ S / 28° 00′ 47″ E food, the environment and healthy eating through hands-on, fun, social and educational activities.

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Versatile, unique and exclusive to FloraImports A magnificent selection of innovative Green Industry products to add flair, style and transform any garden into an inspiring living space.

From beautiful pots, containers, bronze statues to wind chimes, airplants and patio furniture.

Plus terracotta pots, metal décor, bird feeders, children’s gardening items, baskets, indoor and outdoor garden décor.

Tel: 011 918 4620 Fax: 011 918 4619 sales@floraimports.co.za floraimports.co.za

Proud supplier to GardenShop

FloraFarm Centre, Cnr North Rand & Trichardts Roads, Boksburg