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JANUARY 2022
Get rid of whitefly
Climate health 7 tips for better soil Save more water Aliens must go Bomb-proof plants
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ou will have often heard the saying that ‘the only constant is change’. Oh my goodness, how apt this saying is now! Our lives have changed, we have changed, the people around us have changed, and our relationships have changed. Our most intimate environment, our homes, have had the spotlight shone on them for the past two years: bedrooms were transformed into home offices, or the dining-room table had to get cleared superfast after the breakfast run so that Mom could make it look like an office, or at least a tidy space. Never before have we worried so much about our background spaces – yes, what do the others on that Zoom call see when they look at you on their screen? Would you ever have believed that there are now courses on how to best present yourself on Zoom meetings? Light, your makeup, background objects and so on are discussed. Apparently it’s a five-hour course! Really! And never mind the fact that there is a newly documented mental condition called ‘Zoom Fatigue’! Anyway, here I am babbling on again – but at least I have set the scene. So how have all these changes influenced gardening? Have they? Do we have a ‘new’ perspective? Well, in my mind the answer to all of these questions is a resounding ‘yes’! One change was that when lockdown was announced, we suddenly all had aspirations to become subsistence farmers. Yes, I know some of us aimed a little too high! The basic laws of gardening still exist: plant in small batches and do so regularly. This could have helped you to avoid the carrot glut you had, or the endless new recipes you had to create out of brinjals. But folks, there IS change; we have witnessed it and we have seen the ‘new normal’. And because of this, our January issue is dedicated to change! The articles researched and laid out for you in our usual practical style are going to help you embrace this. I do think the most pertinent is water, water scarcity and water usage: this scarce but essential resource was highlighted again at the COP26 climate conference. Foodscaping (I love the word), especially in limited spaces, and garden gym are also very relevant today as we all take a closer look at our health, mental and physical. Like the majority of our gardening
family know, gardening has only positive influences on both aspects of our health, so embrace your garden and your health this new year. As with everything, start your voyage of change in small steps, bite-sized chunks
and, most importantly, witness the change and enjoy the journey. Welcome to a brand-new gardening year everybody! It’s going to be a good one! Happy gardening,
Contents
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JANUARY 2022 Inspiration
CHANGE
What to do now
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17
49
Garden feature One-of-a-kind style and design
Plants
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Trusty trio High-impact foliage
Regulars
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Garden Galleria Time-saving vendables
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Plant by the moon January lunar guide
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Stoep Story Slowly turning into gardeners
Change
Our series of articles to begin the year with a bang are all about change:
Planning and actions for the garden this month
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49
Plant now Sunflowers, echinaceas and rudbeckias
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18
10 ways to change your garden on a budget
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Garden for climate change • Water is the driving force • For a safer kind of green • Bomb-proof plants
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Pot recipe Detox in a pot
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Plant a blast of colour
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Flavoursome, fabulous fennel
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Foodscape your garden
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Garden gym
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7 tips for better soil
Food gardening • How to control whiteflies on veggies • Sowing guide • Garden tasks • Tips for carrots
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Border with cuphea
DIY 68
Build a seesaw rocker
Dry shade Renga Renga Lily Your rose garden Checklist
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TRUSTY TRIO
High-impact foliage Some plants have such fantastic foliage that their flowers pale into insignificance. Here are three with a vibrant summer glow that you just have to plant to create a Persian plant carpet in a collection of pots, or in a semi-shaded garden bed receiving ample morning sun.
Heuchera ‘Purple Petticoats’ Heucheras or coral bells are back with a bang thanks to many varieties with intricately patterned leaves of different hues. Although their dainty little flower sprays are quite pretty, it is the leaves that attract the eye. The new varieties are tough and tolerant to heat and have medium water usage. One of them to go for is ‘Purple Petticoats’, which has dark purple and burgundy frilly leaves and cream flowers. This perennial will reach a size of about 35cm x 50cm.
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Plectranthus scutellarioides ‘Campfire’
Strobilanthes dyeriana (Persian shield)
There is a resurgence in popularity as far as coleus is concerned, with beautiful varieties that look very different to the old types of the past in their coffee tins on a grandma’s back porch. These new hybrids can take a lot more sun, too. A favourite to try is ‘Campfire’, which stood out in trials as a superb performer with its lobed and somewhat heart-shaped leaves of bright, coppery orange with pinkish-red accents. Should any flowers appear, cut them off to direct the plant’s energy into the striking foliage, and take care not to overwater it. Size about 70cm x 60cm.
This striking native to Myanmar can grow outdoors or indoors with great aplomb. The leaves are lance-shaped and dark green, flushed with brilliant purple with a metallic silvery sheen as a topping. It will tolerate full sun (if not too hot) to partial shade, likes moist (not constantly sodden) soil and high humidity. The tiny funnel-shaped violetblue flowers are insignificant and should be pinched out in favour of better leaf quality. Size about 1m x 1m.
Time-saving vendables Build a water reservoir in the soil Makhro Home and Garden has introduced Aquafix, a polymer planting gel that absorbs up to 300 times its weight in water and acts as a reservoir in the soil. Along with water, it also absorbs water-soluble nutrients and fertilisers and then slowly releases them to the root zones as demanded by plants, which significantly reduces watering cycles and increases the seedling survival rate. www.makhro.co.za
Pruning made easy For time-saving you can’t beat the STIHL HSA 25 cordless pruning shears. Complete with a shrub cutter, grass cutter, battery and charger in a handy carry case, the lightweight HSA 25 is a must-have for keeping your garden in immaculate shape. The shrub cutter quickly and easily shapes and maintains ornamental trees, shrubs and hedges while the grass cutter, fitted at the touch of a button, precisely trims lawn edges around flower beds or paving stones. www.stihl.co.za
Solar watering Gardena’s AquaBloom Solar Powered Watering Set is designed to automatically water up to 20 plants without the requirement of a tap. You can use up to 14 pre-set watering programs that will run the pump in a water container to deliver water directly to the roots of your plants through drip irrigation. The whole system runs on a solar panel with a rechargeable battery and 10 metres of pipe. Perfect for anytime, especially while you are away. www.gardena.com
Potato planters An easy way to get a good harvest of fresh potatoes with no fuss, especially for those with limited space or only a balcony. The tough polyethylene bags have reinforced drainage holes to avoid overwatering and a handy flap on the side to harvest the potatoes or other root vegetables. www.tanyavisser.com
DIY watering can Turn your waste plastic bottles into a watering can. The RainSoft Sprinkler fits most 500ml, 1-litre and 2-litre plastic bottles and is ideal for watering delicate plants, hanging baskets and potted plants. www.tanyavisser.com
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The best start
Plantable pods Sowing just got easier with Seedcell Plantable Pods. Choose from a range of seeds and pick up a multipack or single pod that is ready to go into a pot or into the garden. Each bio-degradable, plantable seed pod is pre-sown with high-quality seeds and comes ready to plant; just water the soil and plant the seed pod. Once planted, the seed pod will absorb and retain the moisture it needs while feeding water directly to the seeds using water-absorbing technology. The pod protects the seeds as they begin to germinate in a safe micro environment, before breaking down naturally leaving zero waste and high-quality, healthy plants. For more info on the SeedCell range email info@goodroots.co.za
To give our plants the best start, we need the best combination of ingredients for them to grow in. So when you see a product that says Clivia Mix, you can be assured that the manufacturers of the mix have the knowhow to create the best product for your clivias to grow in. Bark Unlimited Organics is one such company that has made it so easy to grow specialised plants with their range of mixes. You can choose from African Violet Mix, Bonsai Mix, Orchid Mix, Cycad Mix, Herb Mix, Germination Mix, Clivia Mix or Succulent Mix from amongst their range of organic composts, potting soils and mulches. It takes the guesswork out of planting. Available in leading garden stores in Gauteng. www.barkunlimited.co.za
Self-watering propagator Garden augur One of the most satisfying and time-saving gadgets for the garden is an augur drill bit that you attach to an impact drill to make quick planting holes, and lots of them in a short time. This 80mm x 450mm Garden Augur Earth Planter Drill Bit is made of heavy-duty steel construction and will make holes big enough for grass plugs, nursery seedlings and flower bulbs. www.electronicpro.co.za
The Garland Self Watering Seed Propagator kit has 12 individual growing cells and features a two-level drainage and watering system that ensures optimal watering for up to 7 days. The clear cover holds in heat and moisture, allowing your seeds to grow in the perfect environment. www.tanyavisser.com
Pre-soak seeds before sowing
Garden tool belt To save time in the garden, this handy garden tool belt apron keeps all your tools organised and available while you’re busy in the garden. Pockets are large enough for your notebook, pen and cellphone. It has sturdy straps and is made from tough fabric. www.tanyavisser.com
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GARDEN FEATURE
One-of-a-kind STYLE AND DESIGN This garden may have been a challenge, but it ended up winning awards.
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LEFT AND BELOW The sea-side of the property is a gardening challenge with the salt air and wind blowing onto the plants. The selection was carefully chosen to incorporate tough, hardy coastal plants and also to contrast with the house. Succulents and grasses are a good choice, as were the indigenous coastal trees that also provide shelter from high winds.
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hose familiar with the architecture of Antoni Gaudi* will first be amazed by the organic design of this Plettenberg Bay house, and then by the fantastic, awardwinning garden that surrounds it, blending the two together to create one inspiring homestead.
The landscaper GvH Landscapes was tasked with creating a garden that would blend seamlessly with the organically designed house and encapsulate it to soften the tree-trunk pillars that had been cast on site by the builders. Graham von Hoesslin and his team got to work.
PHOTOS: supplied by GvH Landscapes
The brief The client wanted a natural coastal garden with an emphasis on hardy, colourful plants and textures, and minimal lawn. Being a keen gardener herself, she wanted as much interest as possible in the garden, and as part of the brief a number of beautifully crafted sculptures, pots and benches had to be incorporated into the garden design. She also had involvement in plant and tree selections.
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LANDscaping The challenges One of the biggest challenges with this project was the site. Situated on a sand dune on a beach road in Plettenberg Bay, it is exposed to all the coastal elements, especially wind and salty sea spray. Graham had to be creative with hardy, coastal indigenous plants in order to create the colour and interest that the client wanted. A forest of large white milkwood (Sideroxylon inerme) trees was planted in the bottom section of the garden in the sand dune. These protected indigenous trees are perfect for coastal gardens, and form dense foliage with small white flowers and edible purple berries. Its scientific name means ‘iron wood’ in Greek, and refers to its very hard timber. Another good coastal tree, red milkwood (Mimusops obovata), was used in numbers as feature trees for their tolerance to sea spray and wind. Large Modjadji cycads (Encephalartos transvenosus), one of the tallest cycad species, were also planted into the dune area as feature plants. Olive trees were planted on the road side of the property, as well as two very big Cape beech (Rapanea melanophloeos) trees and coastal sweet thorn (Vachellia karroo), with its striking yellow flowers, dark green leaves and very attractive bark. There was more leeway with what could be planted on the road side of the house, as its protected from the winds by the house.
BELOW The number of stairways on this steep property made for a challenging garden construction. RIGHT AND FAR RIGHT Rather than lawn, this pathway is surrounded with low lawn alternatives like this wonder lawn (Dichondra repens). It gives the garden wanderer space to walk and admire the myriad of plants and trees along the way.
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BELOW A circle design feature almost forms a waterless pond, planted with these bouncing ‘Kyoto Dwarf‘ mondo grasses and surrounded by young trees. It is an area in development that will grow into a focal point as the plants and trees grow around it.
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‘Nothing is art if it does not come from nature.’ – Antoni Gaudi
AQUAsmart The trees form the backbone of the garden, with many species used below and next to them, like the bright bougainvilleas that grow up the patterned shuttering and contrast against the dark grey walls of the house. The roof gardens on the sea-side of the house had to be planted with hardy plants, and these included succulents like echeverias and several grass species. This creates a soft background against the glass balustrades. The roof gardens on the road side were where colour played a huge role, the explosions of colour pouring from these gardens include plants like ivy geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) in three different shades of pink and Convolvulus to trail over the edges. Agapanthus species, watsonias, scabiosas, alstroemerias and gauras were used for colour, and Leucadendron ‘Red Devil’ and Elegia tectorum ‘Fish Hoek’ were used for height and textural interest. The biggest challenge was getting materials onto the property, as there was limited access due to construction of the building and how the house was situated on the property. All the topsoil, compost,
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ABOVE The clear balustrades make it easy to sit and enjoy the spectacular view, including the ‘borrowed’ landscape and ‘extension’ of the garden with the wild coastal plants at the bottom of the garden. BELOW Minimal planting here allows the fish sculpture to steal the show.
SEAsculpting
ABOVE On the left is the building during construction. On the right the transformation is stunning to see, with loads of colour and beautiful trees. BELOW The roof gardens here were quite the challenge as you can't simply throw soil in and plant – the weight of everything has to be taken into account. The landscaper made use of new materials and technology to create a lighter load for these areas before adding glorious colour.
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PLANTcombos
You can see here why this garden won this year’s Best Use of Colour trophy.
large trees, feature rocks and plants were carried up and down three flights of stairs. The roof gardens were filled by carrying materials through the house and using buckets and ropes to move soil. It was a very labourintensive job, but well worth the effort in the end.
The awards At this year’s SALI (South African Landscape Institute) Awards of Excellence, GvH Landscapes went away with several awards for the garden design and maintenance for this garden including Gold Awards for Landscape Construction and Landscape and Turf Maintenance, and the trophy for Best Use of Colour in the Landscape. They were well-deserved. *Gaudi (1852 - 1926), the Catalan architect, was influenced by nature in his famous architectural designs, found mostly in Barcelona, one of which is the famous Sagrada Familia church which is still to this day being built. It is due to be completed by 2026, although that may be delayed due to the pandemic. Contact GvH Landscapes on 072 289 2938 or gvhlandscapes@gmail.com
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History of Kynoch If you are an avid gardener and spend time in any good fertilizer department, you will have noticed a ‘new’ brand on the shelves: Kynoch. But Kynoch is actually anything but new, having been around for over 100 years! The Kynoch story started in the 1850s in Birmingham, England. It was during the early 1900s that a factory was built in Umbogintwini, KwaZulu-Natal. In 1918, Kynoch shifted the focus of their operations, building the first fertilizer plant in South Africa, also at Umbogintwini. In 2014 Kynoch was wholly acquired by the ETG Group with a diverse portfolio of expertise across multiple industries. Today Kynoch is one of the most respected fertilizer brands in the South African agricultural sector, at the forefront of innovation in the field. 2018 marked 100 years of Kynoch fertilizer in South Africa, a story of agricultural excellence that has resulted in a presence in 12 African countries, six production facilities and over 50 depots. Kynoch now distributes over 750 000 metric tons of fertilizer across southern Africa every year.
What is new is that Kynoch has moved into the domestic gardening sphere, taking all of their expertise and knowledge from the agricultural field and applying it to products for the home gardener. Four products have been developed from tried-andtested agricultural favourites, but tweaked for domestic use: Kyno Shrub, Flower and Fruit; KynoGarden; KynoVeg and TurboGrass.
Change Every year we look at what we can do to start the year off with a bang. This year the simple idea of ‘Change’ gave rise to several thoughts on what this means today and how we can embrace it. When you look at the trends in gardening coming through international avenues, it is clear that there have been several shifts in gardening that are helpful to the industry as a whole, and to people like us who love to talk about it. According to the Garden Media Garden Trends Report from the USA, 18.3 million new gardeners were gained in 2021, and in 2022 they forecast that at least 75% of these will continue gardening post-pandemic. This big change in the number of gardeners is allowing us to impart our well-known expert gardening knowledge to young gardeners, and hopefully turn them from ‘instant-gratification’ gardeners to ‘lifelong’ gardeners. The studies show that new gardeners are turning their small backyards, patios, balconies and indoor containers into spaces for growing edibles, gardening for wildlife and for stress-relief. They are looking for ease of use with raised beds that water themselves, as well as edibles to grow in pots,
organic and natural products, and at least two-thirds of the new-generation gardeners tackled a DIY project in 2021. The sales of fresh flowers has also soared during the pandemic, soothing some of the anxiety caused through the giving and receiving of flowers. It’s all very positive, and we look forward to embracing these changes. Our collection of articles in this section will give all gardeners a chance to think about change, and perhaps revise ideas going forward. We tackle trending topics and fill in with innovative practical advice on how to do it. Another innovator is our sponsor for this section: Kynoch – suppliers of fertilisers and plant-nutrition products to the agricultural industry and now to the gardening industry. We thank them for their support and wish them the best with the launch of their superb products to the market. Finally, as they say: The one thing you can be sure of in life is change. So seize the chance to do things differently: plant a tree, sow more seeds, grow more pollinatorfriendly plants, use your patch of garden to exercise and relieve stress in, and grow to eat!
We’ll be with you all the way.
SPONSORED BY
Trusted by farmers since 1919, Kynoch Fertilizers now bring the same quality to your home. www.thegardener.co.za I 17
10 ways to change your garden on a budget
Anyone who has ever been to buy plants from a nursery knows that gardening isn’t cheap. Plus, there is no guarantee that the 2m-high magnolia in full flower that you just had to have and took out an extra bond for will actually survive in your garden. Seasoned gardeners know that you have to be savvy with what you have in order to make a spectacular garden with few resources. But it’s not all hard work: Mother Nature also provides. The joy of growing a crop of green peppers from the seeds you harvested from a fruit you bought at a supermarket, carefully dried, sowed, watered and fed, makes gardening more than just a hobby, but a way of life. Here are 10 ways to get big impact without blowing the budget. Who knows, you may even be able to sell some garden produce and save up to buy that big beautiful magnolia!
choose perennials rather than annuals for mass planting in the garden. If you look after them, perennials can last between 3 – 4 years, or even a lifetime. Even the so-called short-lived perennials can then be divided, cuttings taken or seed saved. The second thing that will save on the budget is buying perennials in six-packs. Amongst the masses of annuals on sale at your local nursery, there will be some perennials in four or six packs that will give you the most value, as long as you have a little time and patience. Big swathes of perennials will give the maximum impact in a garden, especially when they flower. Try the following: • Agapanthus – in full sun for loads of flowers. They are drought resistant, hardy and low maintenance. • Echinacea – colourful hybrids that are tough plants and pollinator attractors. • Salvias – there’s plenty of variety available, and they are long-flowering and low maintenance. • Plectranthus – easy to grow and propagate from slips. Different sizes available, from large shrubs to groundcovers, for sun and shade. • Gaura lindheimeri – Masses of dainty flowers from spring into winter, low maintenance, frost hardy.
Tip Get on your local nursery’s mailing list and make use of sale days or end-of-season sales. Most perennials can be planted at just about any time, so get them cheap and save even more.
TEXT Wendy Moulton
perennials in six packs 1 Buy The first thing that will save tons of money is to
Sourced from your own garden, a rock pile makes an interesting focal point and is very organic.
There is no reason why your repurposed bicycle can’t be painted purple and used as a colourful focal point in the garden.
Here’s an ingenious way to turn tree pruning into an art form. Glue branches together in a giant dandelion shape and spray-paint white for a clever hanging focal point.
your own focal point 2 Make Garden designers will tell you that every room in your garden should have at least one focal point; something that draws your eye in and makes you pause for a moment. These can be in the form of statues, water features, wall art, containers of plants, a bench, a feature plant like an aloe or cycad, a sundial, bird feeder or bath – there are hundreds of options. Most of these have one thing in common – they can be expensive to buy. So why not make your own? A can of spray-paint goes a long way, and it comes in an endless choice of colours. For the best results, and to save on buying too many cans of spray-paint, use a spray-on primer before adding colour.
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3 Invest in plants with more than one use When choosing trees for your garden, there should always be a planning meeting in order to find the correct tree that will ultimately be the right size and have a structure that will complement the home and garden. You don’t want to have to move trees or cut them down because you planted them in the wrong place or they got too big for the space. During this planning stage, consider planting fruit trees, thereby investing in trees with more than one function. In garden beds, plant herbs that flower. Plants like marjoram, dill and coriander have beautiful, delicate flowers that are serious bee and butterfly attractors, and the best part is that you eat them too. Choose plants that will look good all year round. Take Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’ as an example: this shrub has beautiful plum-coloured foliage for 12 months of the year – tick number 1. Then in spring and autumn, it blooms with flowers that look like pretty pink tassels – tick number 2. It can also be grown in full sun or partial shade – tick number 3. Tarchonanthus camphoratus is a small tree with attractive grey foliage. It is wind- and coldresistant, fast growing, has creamy white flowers and fluffy wool-covered fruits and can be made into a screening hedge. Nandina domestica is a very useful plant in the garden as it is tall and skinny and so fits into very narrow spaces, and can be grown in the sun or shade. It is even frost hardy. It also has green foliage that turns red in autumn, and pretty white flowers in spring and summer that are followed by clusters of berries.
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Reuse, recycle, repurpose to make garden décor
Marjoram
Tarchonanthus camphoratus
Loropetalum ‘Plum Gorgeous’
Nandina domestica
It is often the hunt that is the exciting part when it comes to travelling to far-off places for hidden treasures in ‘junk’ stores, or delving into a reclamation yard for an old set of garden tools you can hang on the wall as art. As they say, another man’s junk… Take some inspiration from these:
The best way to save money is to get out into the garden and do the work. Not only has this been proven to have several health benefits, but it also reduces stress and is great exercise. Most people will say that it just makes them
TEXT Wendy Moulton
Do the work, save seed, divide
5 and propagate
Fencing droppers can be used to make all sorts of interesting things, like this wall feature for hanging a collection of air plants or ornaments.
happy. What more could you want? When you make the time to spend in the garden, you will at some stage want to grow plants from seed. Harvest seed from plants that are performing well for you in the garden, keep them safe and labelled, and you can save a bundle come the next season. Dividing and propagating is also a great way to increase your stocks of plants and make use of the ones that are perfect for your garden.
Try something new
An old ladder may only need a coat of paint or a few décor items to turn it into a feature.
Turn slices of tree into pieces of art for your wall. Make your own water feature from repurposed items. Repurpose tree branches into an organic fence.
Learn stepby-step how to make your own kokedama.
One of the most fun things to do in a garden is to try something new. Adding a new element can transform a space from okay to fabulous, with just a small touch. Take, for example, kokedamas; they are fun to make with few materials and you can hang them anywhere, even indoors, for some new interest.
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Use gravel for pathways
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Paint something
Gravel is one of the easiest and cheapest materials to use for pathways, and this is not hard to do. You will need some sort of edging on each side of the pathway to keep the stones from flying off into garden beds. Old bricks, small pavers and flexible metal edging are all good choices, or you can go a bit out there and edge your pathway with upside-down bottles buried in the ground, get creative with scraps of wood, pallets or logs, use cinder blocks that you can plant groundcovers into, or even use old plates, tiles or shells packed next to each other for a talking point. Once the edging is in place, the pathway needs to be compacted. One item that is essential on the list is weedguard or landscape fabric, which you can cut to fit the space. This reduces maintenance by preventing the weeds from coming up, and stopping the gravel from sinking into the ground with use. It doesn’t need to be very deep, but at least 5cm of gravel is ideal.
Paint is a great way to instantly resurrect a tired space. For a fresh new look, you can change you colour scheme every season if you wish, and still not break the budget. Paint can also give the illusion of a change in a space. Lighter and warmer colours, bold textures and patterns painted on a wall can visually bring the wall forward, while darker and less saturated colours with smooth surfaces and matt paint can visually recede. Make a piece of wall art stand out by painting the wall a contrasting colour, and group things together by using tones of the surrounding colours. Use outdoor paint and colour not only on walls, but also on fences, furniture, features, benches, gazebos, pots and containers.
Coloured pots and containers with contrasting flowering plants create an instant burst of freshness, and with a little paint this can be done on a shoestring by repurposing and painting.
A bold choice is tempered by contrasting brown décor and also blended with the orange tones of the pots and flowering plants.
An example of simple gardening with maximum impact.
One tree chosen wisely can make all the different to an outdoor space.
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Invest in the right tools and look after them
Investing in high-quality garden tools will save you money in the long run. A good pair of secateurs that is cleaned and oiled after every use and sharpened on a regular basis will last for years. Using the right tool for the job will also save time and money. A new saw, for example, will cut a tree branch much easier that an old one will. Also make use of hiring companies to do the big stuff – hire a cement mixer rather than mixing by hand, or get your wood supplier to cut your timber to the lengths you need.
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Working with simple shapes and structural plants for a simple, soothing design.
An example of simple gardening with maximum impact.
Keep it simple
Designing a new-look garden can be a very expensive endeavour. The first thing to decide is how much you would be willing to allocate to the design of the garden and the implementation, as well as any hard landscaping and plants. Some designers will do a consultation and charge an hourly rate for that; they can then add a garden plan at a price, and then they can do the implementation at another cost. Some will recommend that you spend 5 - 15% of your house’s value on the garden, which will add around the same percentage or more to the value of your home. Others recommend allocating at least R2000/m2 of garden. When talking about gardening with a limited budget, this all seems daunting – the way you can overcome this is by keeping it simple. Get any hard landscaping you want properly done. Spend the time and resources on preparing the area for your hard landscaping well and you should be able to do it easily enough yourself; alternatively, hire a professional. Remember that straight lines and simple patterns are cheaper than curves. Then add your plants – 3, 5 or 7 are the magic numbers, and contrast two plants together for a modern, eye-catching look.
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Garden for climate change
Water is the driving force Maintaining a beautiful garden needs water. It is, however, a scarce and increasingly expensive source that should be carefully managed Technology, innovation, products and just thinking differently can help us to reduce our water usage. We are already choosing species with a better drought tolerant factor, like those with grey foliage that reflects the sun’s rays away from the plant and keeps it cooler, which in turn reduces water loss. We are also now using many more succulents, which store water in their leaves and stems. Modern hybrids of old favourite perennials are now bred with a higher resistance to heat and have much lower water needs. But there is always something more that you can do, like the following:
Save every rainy day
Install irrigation systems Watering a garden properly by hand takes time, and often the water doesn’t get to the roots of plants where it is needed. Installing an irrigation system can alleviate these problems. There are two systems of irrigation that can be used in a garden: spray irrigation and drip irrigation.
TEXT Anna Celliers
Harvesting rainwater makes ecological and financial sense. Rainwater is relatively clean water that can be used in the garden for irrigation, in the swimming pool or in the home to run washing machines, showers and toilets. The great thing about harvesting rainwater is that once your system is set up, the water is free. Using untreated water in this way cuts back on chemical residue in the environment and reduces the demand placed on the country’s water systems. Don’t confuse harvesting rainwater with using grey water – rainwater is ready to use, whereas grey water (water from drains and baths) needs to be treated before use for certain purposes. Apart from the obvious environmental reasons for saving water, rainwater harvesting saves money in the long run.
Tips Plan your garden Water after hours Fix leaky taps
SAVE THE RESOURCE
Spray irrigation uses water pressure to feed water to vertical mist sprinklers set at intervals through the garden. This system is very easy to install and there are several DIY products from small to big available on the market. There are some disadvantages to using sprinklers, though: the systems are usually dependent on high water pressure to work, and the vertical pipes can easily be damaged by people and pets. More importantly, watering the foliage of plants can lead to disease while not reaching the roots of the plants. Drip irrigation provides a better solution and saves water in the long run. This system uses a series of perforated pipes or soaker hoses that can be positioned throughout the garden, including on slopes and in rocky gardens without the need of trenching. There is no water pressure needed and the slow rate that the water is delivered means that the water gets to where it needs to go – at root level. Both these systems can be controlled
manually or connected to an automatic controller to time the start and end of a cycle. You can even get weathermonitoring systems that will switch off the system if there is going to be rain.
Recycling water Grey water recycling for use in the garden is another way to save. There are various products on the market that can be attached to the water outlet pipes from the bathroom and kitchen to deal with collecting and storing water from showers, sinks and baths to be recycled to the garden. There are some conditions that need to be applied, like avoiding the use of harsh chemicals and cleaning products, before these systems can be effective. The more expensive systems are often used for hotels and commercial buildings, but are also available for home owners, and these treat the water using filters, biological systems and UV sterilisation. These automatic www.thegardener.co.za I 25
systems store cleaned water until needed, whereas other smaller systems have to use up unprocessed grey water immediately, or at least within 24 hours. Although recycling water systems takes some planning and perhaps the assistance of professionals, just using a basin placed inside a kitchen sink to catch the water you might use for rinsing something quickly or washing hands, or a bucket to catch shower water, will give you enough to water your containers.
Water-retention products Use water-retention granules in flower beds when planting young seedlings. Water-retentive products break the waterresistant layer of certain soils, draw the water deeper into plants’ root zones and keep the soil moist for longer. Also treat all your container plants with waterretention crystals or granules – simply dig it in lightly around the existing plants, water well and finish off with a decorative mulch like bark nuggets, or add it to the potting medium before planting. You will be amazed at how helpful these products can be to keep plants hydrated (and alive) for longer!
More watersaving tips
Use waterretention products
Planting tricks Plants with deep roots have a much better chance at surviving periods of drought. To encourage deep anchorage when planting new trees or large shrubs, insert 60cm lengths of plastic downpipes, or thick water pipes, upright into their planting holes before backfilling them. A small section of these pipes must stick out above soil level. When watering by hand, you can simply insert the hose into these openings to water deeply. Another way to keep the water where it is most needed is to create a soil basin around each plant. After watering deeply at ground level, apply a thick layer of mulch around the plant. Do not allow it to bulk up against any stems or trunks as it can cause rotting.
Water-wise lawn care Long grass sends down deeper roots and provides more shade for itself, so can cope far better with drought, so raise the cutting height in summer. The lawn might have a softer or wilder look, but will stay green.
1 Cover any open soil between plants with layers of organic mulch – compost, shredded bark, bark nuggets, leaf mould or straw – to prevent moisture evaporation. Mulches keep the moisture in and reduce evaporation by up to 70%.
2 Water leaks from taps and pipes can be costly. Repair them immediately.
Planting groundcovers with naturally low water requirements in your flowerbeds will keep the root areas of other plants cool and moist, and will reduce evaporation.
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Group plants with high water requirements – such as roses and annuals – in one section of the garden so that you can direct one or two deep watering sessions per week to a specific area.
Test if your plants need watering by pushing your finger into the soil. If the soil feels damp or sticks to your finger, it does not need watering. Rather than watering lightly and often, water less often but well to encourage roots to grow deeper. Water in the early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation. Avoid watering on windy or hot days.
Remember to check the fourday weather forecast before watering your garden and, if possible, allow the rain do it for you instead.
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4 Improving the soil will improve its water-holding capacity. There are three main soil types – sandy, clay and loam – and each has different moisture-holding capabilities. Loam is the best soil type as it holds plenty of moisture but also drains well so that plant roots don’t get waterlogged. To improve sandy and clay soils, add well-decomposed organic material such as compost or composted manure.
Don’t hose down paths, patios and driveways – use a broom, rake or leaf blower instead.
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Plant annuals that like regular watering in containers so that you water just the containers and not a whole garden bed.
10 Use a cover over your pool to reduce evaporation and the need to top-up water regularly. More than half the water in your pool can evaporate in a year.
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Make use of flow regulators or aerators on taps to reduce the water flow.
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Direct rainwater off paving directly into your flowerbeds.
When washing your car, park it on the lawn and use a bucket for washing and rinsing. Not only will you be watering the lawn, but you will also be fertilising it – car shampoos use phosphates that are similar to many fertilisers.
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Garden for climate change
For a safer kind of green! Daily news about the depletion of water resources and the loss of biodiversity due to aliens is overwhelming, and the question arising in a worried gardener’s mind is often, ‘How can I do my bit to help?’ A lone gardener can’t do much to change anything, but if we all pull together we might create a more positive outcome. The first place to start is with the eradication of invasive alien plants, which are still enjoying free boarding and lodging in our gardens. A basic definition of IAP’s (as they are referred to by SANBI at www.sanbi.org) is that they are products of unwise or unintentional plant introductions and are now widely considered to be a major threat to our biodiversity, human livelihoods and economic development. Simply put, they are dangerous plants that do not belong here anymore. They are choking our riverine areas, guzzling our water and threatening the delicate balance of ecosystems far beyond a normal suburban garden’s boundaries, perhaps without the gardener even noticing it or thinking about it. A typical weed or invader likes our climate (mostly dry and hot), grows fast, has no natural predators to control it, and produces masses of seed or suckers. It is said that just a small ‘contained’ population, which you might think won’t have any impact, has the potential to increase its range and the consequence thereof in future decades. Now that is a heavy burden to bear, thinking that the one or two ‘sinner plants’ you are still harbouring can do that. Some plants might be pretty to the eye of the beholder and cool to have because they are so exotic or weird, but are they really worth the damage they can do?
ALIEN WATCH These must go… Now! It is true that not all officially declared invasive and weed plants can cause the same problems in all of our provinces with their differing climates, but the following are some of the worst no matter where you may garden: Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass) Although this native of southern South America is an extremely ornamental perennial grass with thick plumes, and is still favoured by some floral artists, it is not a friendly plant as the curving leaves are razor-sharp and it can outgrow and displace native grasses, forming large masses along roads, riverbanks and disturbed areas. It is a declared weed in many countries across the world.
Cortaderia selloana
Pontederia cordata
Pontederia cordata (pickerel weed) This aquatic plant, which grows up to 2m tall, has heart-shaped leaves, a blue flower spike and a horizontal rhizome. It soon forms colonies that infest water bodies and wetlands. We are still often unable to publish an image of a beautiful water feature in a feature garden article because it contains this invader!
Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) The velvety rosettes, which can be 15cm across, and long feathery hanging roots of this global weed might have be desirable to owners of ponds or aquariums, but just a fragment of this plant can infest and choke formerly pristine bodies of water. Don’t risk even one rosette to float in a bowl because it might look cute and harmless to you.
Lantana camara
Lantana camara (tick berry) We all used to plant yellow and purple flowering Lantana montevidensis like crazy, as they are so hardy to heat and drought, but they were sterile hybrids of this species. It unfortunately seems that there is now confusion, as the bad species, Lantana camara, with its pretty multi-hued flowers, is still often seen in gardens. This sprawling shrub invades like crazy with seeds, suckers and even pieces of roots finding a way into the soil. It is one of the worst invaders out there.
Tecoma stans (yellow bells) Introduced as an ornamental and fastgrowing large shrub or small tree, it has very showy clusters of bright yellow flowers that turn into slender pendulant capsules containing numerous winged, papery seeds. The invading habitats of this plant are bone-chilling; roadsides, riparian zones, open woodlands, grasslands, forest margins, waste areas, rocky places, sandy lake shores and disturbed sites in temperate and subtropical environments are all vulnerable.
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Eriobotrya japonica
Araujia sericifera
Eriobotrya japonica (loquat) The positive attributes of the loquat as a pretty evergreen garden tree producing masses of vitamin rich, fleshy pome fruits are highly sung if you read up about it. This tree grows extremely well in most climates, even at the coast, but its seed germinates very easily and the plant invades forests and roadsides and is a declared weed in South Africa. If you want to see why, just go and check out the germination rate of seedlings under a mature tree in a temperate habitat. The very informative Alien Weeds and Invasive Plants by Leslie Henderson (ISBN: 1-86849-192-7) mentions that this species is an alternative host for the fruit fly, which causes so many problems with the production of the more valuable soft fruit crops that we eat locally and export.
Araujia sericifera (moth catcher) The unenlightened might be surprised to suddenly see a strange creeper twining along a suburban fence, and they might leave it there as it is quite an ornamental package with attractive pointed leaves, nocturnally scented flowers in soft pink, and large, greyish-green egg-shaped fruit. But some of the other common names for this plant, like cruel vine or stranglehold plant, should tell you that this vine will soon smother any other plant in sight and can even bring down a small tree! When the fruits split lengthwise, they release numerous seeds topped with tufts of long, white silky hairs that are dispersed by wind or water. This is a bad environmental weed that will even grow in concrete cracks in a city!
Macfadyena unguis-cati (cat’s claw creeper) This creeper was introduced as a good garden plant with bright yellow flowers. The heavy and massive creeper can soon get out of hand, though, to smother other plants in the garden, and has no problem escaping into fields with its rope-like stems and sharp clinging vines. It grows very quickly, is tolerant to drought and cold, and produces a mass of seeds in capsules that stay on the plant for months while continuously releasing the noxious seed.
Canna indica
Canna indica (Indian shot) Growth is tall and vigorous with narrow bronze or green leaves. Copious small flowers, which can be yellow, red, orange or white, are borne, followed by fruits that are at first green and spiny. They then turn brown before splitting open and releasing multitudes of black, pealike seeds. This tendency to produce vast amounts of viable seeds has seen many a garden overrun by Indian shot, along with many watercourses and damp and marshy areas. Sterile hybrids of ornamental cannas, of which there are many, can be planted instead.
Eradication is not easy None of the above plants are easy to eradicate once they have taken a hold, but we should never give up hope: dig up every piece you see, poison them with weed killers and dispose of their remains in a safe manner.
PLANTING FOR CHANGE
BOMB-PROOF PLANTS Plants are our allies in the battle to garden in the face of climate change. Some of the potential hazards of climate change are heatwaves, long periods of drought, strong winds and heavy storms. This could mean an increase in flooding, erosion, pollution, food scarcity and water scarcity, as well as declining numbers of pollinators. Although plants themselves can’t stop what is happening to nature, they can play a big role in minimising the effects. Let’s look at some multi-purpose plants that will fit in with all of the other measures we can use to try to help our ailing environment.
Kiggelaria africana
Rapanea melanophloeos
Trees for shade and shelter We have come a long way in eradicating invasive trees and replacing them with indigenous species. But don’t get stuck on what is commonly planted, what is ‘fashionable’ at the time, or what a nursery hand is telling you to plant because it is in stock and easy to sell. I am saying this because I can see that all the newly planted trees in my dry and windy coastal town, which is naturally tree poor, are lately all of the same species – Syzygium guineense (water pear). It is not a bad choice and is a pretty, fast-growing tree (although this tree grows naturally in water or in swamps), but it is creating a corridor of monoculture and not encouraging biodiversity.
open to release black seeds covered in an bright orange oily membrane that is loved by many birds. The reason why this lovely tree is often not favoured is that it is host to the caterpillars of the Acraea horta and A. igola butterflies, which can strip it bare of leaves. This is a short natural cycle we should appreciate and not try to eradicate with an insecticide, but to rather see it as a tree with great heart. The tree takes the temporary stripping it in its stride and soon recovers with new foliage. Larvae of the battling glider (what a name!) also feed on the tree, which in turn attracts many more insect-eating bird species.
Investigate these two…
Rapanea melanophloeos (Cape beech) A hardy, evergreen, medium-sized tree with a lovely dense canopy to shade hot and windy gardens. The oblong leaves are leathery with a purplish cast that complements the violet clusters of fruit appearing after flowering on the branches. These fruits stay around for a long time, attracting fruit-eating birds.
Kiggelaria africana (wild peach) The wild peach is indigenous to large areas in South Africa. It is an evergreen to semi-deciduous tree, fast-growing with a nonaggressive root system, and suitable to small and medium-sized gardens. This is an interesting species with male and female flowers on different trees. When in fruit, greenish-yellow capsules appear, which split
Good points: O Natural low-branching habit allows it to be a very effective windbreak if not trained into a single-stemmed tree when young; O The wood has economic value; O Traditional medicinal use; O Grows in both summer- and winter-rainfall regions.
Good points: O Wildlife friendly; O Traditional medicinal plant; O Great for cooling down and screening purposes; O Very hard and durable wood sometimes used for making violins.
Screening solutions to protect Tough, sculptural and giving A tough climate-change garden can be beautiful with the addition of dramatic focal points.
Invest in these two… Strelitzia juncea (crane flower) This is an elegant choice for a dry garden with its pointed reed-like leaves. The clump-forming plant is long-living and slow-growing, requiring very little care. Established plants have a long flowering season, from late winter to November. Good points: O Striking feature plant; O Beautiful cut flowers to pick; O Very drought and wind resistant; O Nectar plant – attracts pollinators and sunbirds; O Black seeds with a bright orange aril are dispersed by seed-eating birds. Euphorbia ingens (common tree euphorbia) This is a succulent tree for medium to large gardens (although it can be grown in a large pot in smaller spaces to inhibit its size), and it offers a huge aesthetic footprint in the landscape! Many segmented branches with spined ridges grow upright to form a dense balloon-shaped crown. Subtle yellow flowers in autumn and winter are followed by dark red to purple fruits. The only downside to this plant is its milky latex, which is toxic. Good points: O Tolerant to wind, sand and heavy clay soil; O Attracts pollinators; O Safe shelter for birds.
If you’re thinking of screening off sections of your garden against wind or noise pollution, you will want dense and easy-togrow plants that will not break the bank, as you will probably want to plant these in numbers.
Invest in these two… Dodonaea viscosa ‘Purpurea’ (sand olive) This is a fast-growing evergreen with elliptical purple leaves and papery pink flowers. Growth is upright. Good points: O Very drought and wind resistant; O Tolerates heavy clay; O Can be used as a soil stabiliser to prevent erosion. Brachylaena discolour (coast silver oak) Excellent hedge plant with a wide and dense growth habit and a silvery blue appearance from a distance. The large simple leaves are leathery and glossy dark green on top with a silvery-white flipside. Masses of creamy-white flowers appear in July to September. Good points: O Drought and frost resistant; O Soil stabiliser; O Nectar plant that attracts pollinators; O Popular beekeeping plant; O Used in traditional medicine; O Wood has economic value – used to build boats and fishing rods.
Brachylaena discolour
Strelitzia juncea
Euphorbia ingens
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SA’s famous carbon buster!
Vitis coignetiae
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Cooling down overhead Covering pergolas with creepers or planting vines against the house can cool the indoor temperature down a lot and give you a shady place to be outside.
Invest in these two… Vitis coignetiae (crimson glory vine) A vigorous and fast-growing deciduous vine that needs a sturdy structure to creep over. This plant, also called the ornamental grape vine, will grow in full sun or light shade. It looks a lot like the ordinary grape vine and produces small bunches of tiny fruit that is not edible. Good points: O Needs regular watering until established; O Beautiful autumn foliage colours. Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Boston ivy) Another very tough, vigorous and fast-growing creeper that you can plant against a wall. It is also deciduous but beautifully lush in summer with deep-green, three-lobed pointed leaves. Good points: O Autumn leaves turn into brilliant shades of burgundy, orange and wine red; O Self-clinging.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide in their photosynthesis process and release oxygen, which we need to breathe. One of our own, Portulacaria afra, does a great job of it, and once established, which does not take much, basically looks after itself. The pork bush or elephant’s food, as it is commonly known, will grow in any garden except in very frosty regions, where you can cultivate it in pots in a sheltered spot. It is a succulent shrub or small tree (in nature) with rounded or oval fleshy leaves and reddish young stems turning to grey and becoming cork-like when mature. Dense clusters of small pink star-shaped flowers appear in late winter and spring. Good points: O The nectar-rich flowers attract insects such as honeybees and butterflies. O Farm animals, turtles, antelope and elephants love the leaves, and so do humans, who use the tart foliage in salads and other innovative dishes. The leaves are high in vitamin C. O The moisture-rich leaves have medicinal uses, like soothing sore throats, sunburn and insect bites. O It will grow in full sun or light shade, in poor soil, and uses very little water. Light frost will also be tolerated. Uses in the landscape: O Great to use as a tough, long-living, impenetrable hedge that can even have a formal shape as well-tended plants that are watered and fertilised now and then respond well to fairly heavy pruning. O Mix single specimens with grasses and vygies in a rock garden or lowwater zone in the garden. O Plant some in low-maintenance containers, where they will give a good show. Pork bush cultivars: If you invest in all the cultivars, which have different growth habits and foliage colours, you can actually create an imaginative garden area totally dedicated to them. ‘Prostrata’ – a groundcover with a spreading growth habit that makes it handy to stabilise the soil on a bank. If planted in a pot or hanging basket, the stems will cascade over the edge. ‘Aurea’ – the leaves turn bright yellow in full sun, and the growth habit is low and mounding. Perfect for spots of easy colour in a rock garden or anywhere else. ‘Limpopo’ – the large leaves and upright growth habit make it perfect to grow as an eye-catching specimen in a large pot. ‘Variegata’ – a dwarf, nearly prostrate cultivar with light green leaves with white variegation. Perfect to grow in small pots on a hot patio.
Foodscape your garden Why replacing ornamentals with edibles is the next big thing… When we picture an edible garden, we typically imagine neat rows of grouped vegetables, tidy orchards or raised beds overflowing with produce. These gardens have their own designated spaces, and a clear identity that most gardeners recognise. But what if your edible garden could match the meticulously landscaped areas of the rest of your garden? At first glance, you may not even know many of the plants were edible, as they blend seamlessly into your design aesthetic. That’s the goal of foodscaping, a popular movement combining the growth of edibles with the practice of landscaping. Foodscaping is not only about design, or making your garden beautiful and functional at the same time. It’s also about using all available garden space to grow your own produce to improve health, save money and combat food insecurity. Foodscaping focuses on lowmaintenance gardening – far from the labourintensive edible gardening practices many of us are accustomed to. This means lower water usage, fewer additional chemical products and less time spent worrying about your harvest overall. Now that we’ve established why, the next question is – how? The scope of edible plants is massive, translating to a mass of different garden uses. Replace your typical groundcovers, hedges, bedding plants, containers and even houseplants with edible alternatives that look great and feed you year-round.
Edible groundcover Groundcovers are an important part of a landscaped garden. They serve an aesthetic purpose – covering open spots of soil with greenery and colour – but also a practical one, acting as a living mulch that retains moisture in the soil and keeps weeds at bay. There are many
Tip Make a start by planting vegetables and herbs in the sunniest areas as most edibles prefer sun. Choose edibles you like to eat and intend using or plant strong herbs to protect other plants in the garden.
CHANGE TO EDIBLES
Oregano groundcover
Rosemary
Flowering thyme
Colourful pansies
Nasturtiums
low-growing edible plants that make the perfect groundcover while providing some other benefits at the same time. Nasturtiums are popular in edible gardens for their trap-crop qualities, particularly when it comes to aphids. Leave them to grow along an open patch of your garden and they become a great edible groundcover with many uses in the kitchen. Shorter herbs like oregano and mint serve the same purpose when harvested often, keeping them short and compact. For a flowering alternative, try creeping thyme. Harvest throughout the year and leave the plant to flower in spring for blankets of lush purple spread across your yard.
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CHANGE TO EDIBLES
Edible hedges Hedges are a garden staple, whether used to separate the garden into rooms, create a formal atmosphere or simply to keep nosy neighbours out of your business. Edible hedges can be slightly more unruly that the traditional Buxus hedge, but their abundance of produce is well worth the effort. Berry shrubs like blueberries or blackberries are ideal. Choose taller varieties and prune often to promote the dense growth needed for a successful hedge. Those along the coast can try the indigenous Natal plum (Carissa macrocarpa), which has sharp thorns that make a perfect security screen. Pomegranates also feature thorns and grow several metres tall, providing security and privacy.
Carissa macrocarpa
Edible beds Foodscaping does not have to interfere with your precious flower beds. In fact, it can enhance them, providing the colour we look for in a bedding plant, often without the temporary nature that comes with planting annuals. Here, your options are almost endless. You can opt for the already popular bedding plants whose flowers are edible, such as pansies or violas, or choose a taller perennial as the base of your bed, such as lavender. Herbs are another option if left to flower rather than pinching before they can get going, with chives and sage featuring some of the most beautiful flowers. If you’re looking for colour without the flowers, leafy greens such as spinach and kale provide wonderful ornamental value and endless nutritional benefits. Try spinach ‘Bright Lights’ or purple kale for stunning colour that doubles as a healthy base for your salads.
Blueberry bush
Edible containers Container gardens are the perfect home for edible plants. They allow you greater control over your plant’s growing conditions – including the weather, which is incredibly difficult to manage in beds, and the soil, which has a massive impact on the quality of your harvest. And, almost any plant can be grown in a container, provided it’s big enough. This allows you to grow some of the traditional edible plants, like tomatoes, or experiment with the more ornamental edibles available. Containers are also great for smaller fruit trees that add height and interest to more uniform, one-note container gardens. Try growing your lemon tree in a pot on your patio for a bright touch of the tropics, or pot a few olives for a more Mediterranean feel.
Lemons in an ornamental pot.
Hibiscus
Grow olive trees in pots.
Herbs on a sunny windowsill.
Edible houseplants Foodscaping isn’t reserved for the outdoors – it extends to your indoor garden too. It may be trickier to grow edible plants indoors given their higher light requirements, but many tropical edible plants are well suited to indoor growing conditions and benefit from the protection our four walls provide. Even without a sunny windowsill, you can still grow edibles indoors using grow lights, greatly expanding the range of plants to choose from. Herbs are always the go-to, with mint and chives growing very well indoors with direct sunlight. Avoid herbs like basil and coriander, which struggle under indoor conditions. Dwarf fruit trees, particularly citrus, may also produce fruit indoors with high-light conditions – the ideal plant to fill up an empty corner. For something a little different in the kitchen, try hibiscus. This is one of the few plants that flower reliably indoors, and the flowers are completely edible.
Chillies in hanging pot
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Garden Gym Using your garden WR JHW ÀW Planning your New Year’s resolutions? Exercising or becoming healthier in general probably features somewhere on the list. Before you splurge on an expensive year-long gym membership that, in all honesty, you may not end up using, take a glance at your garden. You may not realise it, but many of the activities we gardeners engage in outdoors count as exercise, and quite strenuous exercise too. Gardening is classified as moderate exercise by many organisations, which means you burn off 3 – 6 times more energy per minute than you would sitting down. Keeping up that activity for 30 minutes to an hour can burn around 300 calories – the same amount as a 30-minute, 5km run. Higher-intensity activities like digging or mowing burn more, but any movement around the garden has its benefits. Studies have shown that burning calories isn’t the only health benefit. Gardening is also great for coordination, improving dexterity and functional movement. Actions like planting or pruning, or simply moving around the garden for long periods, also aid in aerobic endurance. One university study even found that digging can improve bone density, especially in gardeners over 50. These benefits come from the full-body engagement that gardening requires. It includes all four types of exercise in one activity – endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. It also engages most of your muscle groups, providing a great allround workout rather than a targeted one. If you feel you aren’t getting enough exercise out of your weekend gardening session, there are a few ways to up the intensity while keeping it enjoyable: •
Plan your workout. Start your gardening session with a light stretch and move into planned activities that are separated into sets. For example, rake for one minute, move onto digging, and then return to raking for a defined amount of time. This process replicates the typical workout routines prescribed by personal trainers, engaging all parts of your body and
CHANGE FOR GOOD
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improving endurance without tiring yourself out. Be sure to stretch well afterward too, to prevent sore muscles later on. Watch your form. We’ve all made the mistake of bending over incorrectly when planting or picking up a bag of compost, and feeling the consequences the next day. When performing any gardening tasks, use the strength in your legs and arms by using the correct form. This engages the correct muscle groups and prevents back and neck injuries. Put down the gadgets. Gardeners love our gadgets, and they may be difficult to part with. But if you’re looking to use your garden for exercise, manual is the way to go. Mowing, chopping or trimming may be far easier with the tech provided, but you’ll be surprised how much more exercise you get performing these essential tasks without them. Get planting. Digging is the most high-intensity gardening activity you can perform, using your strength and burning plenty of calories. To up your gardening exercise game, focus on digging by planting a range of new plants in different parts of your garden. Not only is this the best form of exercise, but it’s also one of the best parts of gardening – planting something new.
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7 Tips for better soil Improve your soil to improve your garden We’ve said it countless times before: healthy plants need healthy soil. If your garden is blessed with beautiful, rich, loamy soil, then good for you. If not, you might need to improve it to get the most out of your garden. The good news is that even if you have sandy or clay soil, it can be improved until it can support a healthy plant population. The golden rule of improving soil is adding organic matter to it, and there are a number of ways of doing so. Here are seven things that you can do in your garden that will make a big difference to the quality and health of the soil:
1 Compost When in doubt, add compost - we should put that on a The Gardener bumper sticker. Compost is black gold for the garden, and you can use commercial compost or make your own. Good-quality compost looks like rich soil and smells like earth, with no odour of rotting or decay. The rotting or breaking-down process should already be complete, so that now the compost is full of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. You also don’t want to be able to recognise too many bits and pieces in your compost, like sticks or nut shells, because they will actually use up some nitrogen as they break down in the garden. If you decide to make your own compost, there are many methods and theories in doing so, but the golden rule is to maintain a good ratio of greens to browns (about 4:1) to optimise the composting process, and not to allow the compost to become too dry or wet. Read more on compost on our website. Compost can be dug into the soil as a general conditioner, or it can be used during the planting process, or you can apply a thick layer (5cm) of compost on top of the soil. This will get absorbed into the soil over time as organisms integrate it. Remember: there is no such thing as too much compost!
2 Mulch We’ve already mentioned using compost as a mulch, and it is an excellent one. But there are loads of mulch options, both organic and inorganic. While both types discourage weeds and help to keep the soil cool and damp, organic mulches are the ones you want to use because they will improve your soil. Inorganic mulches include gravel and even landscape fabric, and
popular organic ones include macadamia nut shells, peanut shells, bark chips or wood chips, pine needles, straw, leaves, grass clippings and even paper or cardboard. Before applying mulch, it’s a good idea to weed the area. Once that is done, a 5 – 10cm layer of mulch will prevent the majority of weed growth, and those that do make it through can be easily spotted and removed. If you are really battling with weeds, apply a layer of cardboard or newspaper to the soil and then mulch over it. Don’t mulch right up to the stems of plants – give them a gap of a few centimetres to prevent rotting and to allow water to penetrate.
3 Hügelkultur
‘Hügelkultur means ‘mound culture’ in the German of its origin, or growing on a mound, but there is much more to it than that (and it doesn’t even have to be on a mound!). The essential aspect of hügelkultur is that you are creating a raised garden filled with rotting wood, or wood that will rot. Generally, you dig a pit (although you can start at ground level), fill it with logs or branches and keep going until you’ve made a mound, top it with a growing medium, and get planting. The theory is that the biomass (the pieces of wood) absorb water and slowly release it to plants as it is needed.
They also break down over time, making nutrients available to the plants and also creating air pockets that the roots will exploit. By creating a hügelkultur site, which is a form of permaculture, you are mimicking the natural process of a woodland, where wood and leaves are broken down and recycled by new plants. Over time a hügelkultur site will improve the soil, and it is a great way to get rid of garden waste such as branches. You will hardly ever need to water once it is established, even in winter, and you even get a bit more space in your garden because you plant in the www.thegardener.co.za I 43
Over time a hügelkultur site will improve the soil...
sides of the mound. Hügelkultur is great in areas with poor drainage as well as areas that don’t receive a lot of water or are on a slope, as water is all retained where plants can use it. It is also cheap and environmentally friendly and you can get started quickly, without waiting for the organic matter to turn into compost. And once you’re up and going, it is very low maintenance. It sounds like a winning idea to me!
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Lasagne gardening
Lasagne is one of the world’s great pleasures, as Garfield can attest to. But it is also a gardening term and is a handy and easy way to improve your garden or establish a completely new garden bed, by quickly and efficiently building up the levels of organic matter. In gardening terms, lasagne gardening is also called sheet composting or sheet mulching, and refers to the layers used in building up a bed. Just as there are countless lasagne recipes, there are a number of different ways of implementing this garden method, but here is ours: Start with a double layer of newspaper or cardboard, which has a dual role; to smother any weeds or grass and to slowly break down and add organic matter. On top of the newspaper/cardboard, add a 2 – 5cm layer of kraal manure, chicken manure or even horse manure. This stuff is full of nitrogen. Then comes a 5 – 7cm layer of straw, hay or shredded dry leaves. This can then be topped with another layer of manure or a layer of green organic matter (grass clippings, leaves, veg and fruit scraps, trimmings from the veggie garden). The brown layers should be twice as thick as the green layers. Repeat these layers, alternating between green/manure and brown, until the bed is high enough or you have run our of materials. Water this well and then top this all off with a 2 – 5cm layer of good compost. You can plant directly into this compost layer, and the layers beneath will slowly break down to create a thick layer of beautiful soil. To maintain it, add a layer of straw or leaf mulch regularly, and it will continue to develop.
SUSTAINABLE GARDENING
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The seven layers of a forest food garden 1. Canopy – large fruit and nut trees 2. Lower tree layer – dwarf fruit trees 3. Shrub layer – currants and berries 4. Herbaceous – comfrey and herbs 5. Rhizosphere – root vegetables 6. Soil surface – groundcovers like strawberries 7. Vertical layer – climbers and vines
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5 Food forests This is an exciting method of gardening that is really starting to catch people’s interest. The principle is essentially to create a self-sustaining micro-climate and ecosystem that mimics nature. We will give a very simplified account of a food forest, because it is in itself a complex subject that we could (and will in the future) dedicate a long article or even multiple articles on. A food forest, like a real forest, is made up of tall trees, medium trees, shrubs, herbs, groundcovers, root vegetables and vines (although it doesn’t have to have every one of these seven layers). They are self-sustaining and self-mulching with the leaves they produce, and they retain moisture in the soil due to the shade they create. The goal is to create a space that includes most of the layers mentioned above so that they all contribute to the overall success of the forest. Tall trees can be nut or tall fruit trees; medium trees can be smaller fruit trees or big shrubs; shrubs can be berries or similar plants; herbs can be actual herbs or herbaceous plants; groundcovers can be anything from nasturtiums to dune spinach; root vegetables can be things like ginger or potatoes, or legumes that add nitrogen to the soil, and vines can be grapes, kiwis, granadillas, beans or peas. Fungi such as mushrooms will also appear, and will speed up the breakdown process. Because of the density of planting, a lot of organic matter is created. If this is left to break down naturally, be it leaves or dead plants, the soil life will proliferate.
6 No-dig gardening We have all been somehow conditioned to dig over our gardens, to rid them of weeds or incorporate compost or fertiliser. Maybe it’s because we see farmers do this with their huge tractors? Whatever the reason, all this does is help weeds to germinate by exposing their seeds to light and moisture, kill beneficial soil organisms, and reduce the amount of moisture in the soil. All that hard work, and we’re actually damaging our soil!
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Mustard serves as a cover crop.
No-dig or no-till gardening and farming does away with this labour, and with great results. Instead of digging over the soil regularly, the soil is left undisturbed and lots of organic matter is added as a mulch. Digging is kept to a bare minimum, to make holes in which to plant. The advantages are obvious: it is easier, it is quicker, you don’t have to water as often, there are fewer weeds, your back doesn’t ache and your plants are healthier. The cons are that you need to add a lot of compost, which can be expensive if you don’t have a big enough compost heap, and carting big loads of compost can be a big job that should be done seasonally. If you do start a no-dig garden, you will need to be patient and give it time to get established. You will also need to build paths so that you don’t stand on your soil and compact it. But after time the soil will become softer and easier to work in, rain will sink in and not run off, taking topsoil with it, and you will be able to spend more gardening time doing the things you like doing, instead of digging soil over and weeding.
left bare between crops, it loses less moisture to evaporation and less topsoil due to erosion, and it also helps to keep soil life active and healthy. When they have grown and you are getting ready to plant your next crop, you dig the cover crop back into the soil as a form of green manure. This is usually done when the cover crops are flowering and have maximum nutrients, but haven’t set seed – otherwise you’ll be turning them into weeds! There are three main groups of cover crops: grains (oats, rye, annual grasses), legumes (peas, beans, soya beans, clover) and broadleaves (mustard, alyssum), each with benefits. The deep roots of the grains break down the soil and make it softer; the legumes add nitrogen to the soil; the broadleaves germinate and grow quickly to outcompete weeds, and they are easy to dig back into the garden, where they add significant biomass. When the cover crop is ready to be killed, you can turn and dig in the entire plant or you can cut the plants off at the base and add the leaves to the compost heap and just dig in the roots. You can use no-till and cover crops together, but then make sure you dig in as shallowly as possible. Once you’ve dug in your cover crop, wait for 2 – 4 weeks before planting your next harvest.
7 Cover crops Here is a really easy way of improving your soil. A cover crop is a plant that is planted, usually by sowing seed, and it is planted to benefit the soil, not for an edible or ornamental crop. Often they are planted after your veggie crop has ended and before you plant a new one, so they are usually quickgrowing plants that add value to the soil. Because your soil isn’t
Vetch and oats cover crops.
January
KDSSLQHVV ÁRZHUV Some of midsummer’s flowers are like garden Prozac. Being amongst them has the ability to turn anxiety and a ‘down’ day into a happy day. Soothe your soul, make yourself happy and celebrate summer with the following:
Sunflowers
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(Helianthus annuus) Sunflowers grow quickly and easily, and can be sown from early spring to midsummer. Garden centres will even have some of the modern and dwarf varieties in colour bags now, ready to plant and nearly in flower. Plant tall varieties of sunflowers in full sun in the background of a flower bed where they will shade other plants, and use the dwarf varieties somewhere in the middle. Enrich the soil with compost and plant the seed about 3mm deep and about 50cm – 90cm apart. Water well and keep the soil moist until germination, which is between 5 and 10 days. Growth thereafter is fast and furious.
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‘Dwarf Sunspot’ – A classic yellow with big seed-filled heads on dwarf bushes up to 60cm high. ‘Cut Flower Mixed’ – A lovely mix of yellow, red and brown shades with a height of between 100cm – 170cm.
Coneflower (Echinacea x hybrida) Echinaceas will grow in full sun to light shade, in any type of welldraining soil enriched with compost. The plants can reach a height of 30cm – 90cm and should be spaced 45cm – 60cm apart. Water well at first to establish this tough perennial, and then reduce to deep and regular watering when the soil feels dry. These plants have thick roots that reach deep into the ground to protect them against heat and dry conditions. Remove spent flowers and cut back the old stems to encourage new blooms. Butterflies love coneflowers in summer, and if the cones of some spent flowers are left on the plant in winter, the birds will come to feed on the seeds.
‘Purpurea White’
‘Double Delight Pink’
‘Sombrero’
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‘Cheyenne Spirit’
‘Paradoxa’
‘Denver Daisy’
‘Toto Gold’
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) A rudbeckia can be identified by golden-yellow daisy-like flower petals surrounding a prominent conical disc. These bushy plants, with their scratchy, hairy leaves, are regarded as annuals or, where conditions allow, short-lived perennials that produce masses of colourful flowers for months on end. You can ring the changes with different hybrids ranging from dwarf to intermediate to really tall, and enjoy flower colours varying from goldenyellow to russet and bronze. Plant your rudbeckias in full sun in well-composted soil. Water them regularly and preferably at soil level to prevent possible fungal disease on the leaves. Feed every couple of weeks with a liquid fertiliser and deadhead fading flowers to encourage more blooms, which last well in the vase.
‘Tiger’s Eye’
POT RECIPE
Detox in a pot We can thank the plant world for providing a cornucopia of herbs that deliver not only essential vitamins and minerals, but also antioxidants and immune boosters that help detoxify the body. Our combo is the perfect choice for January after the joys of the festive season have left us a little lacking in vooma.
What you need Large pot Potting soil Pebbles or piece of shadecloth 1 block palm peat Organic fertiliser
Plants we used •
Moss-curled parsley (Petroselinum crispum) – this plant is hight in antioxidants like vitamins C, A and E, which fight inflammation. It also helps to settle the stomach and aids in digestion. Parsley also acts as a natural breath freshener.
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Coneflower (Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’) – echinacea boosts the immune system and mental health. It also aids in maintaining overall gut health. Rocket (Eruca sativa) – this is a great detoxifying plant, filled with antioxidants. It also contains chlorophyll delivering vitamin K and calcium for healthy bones.
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Do this
In a salad: Roughly break up the rocket leaves and parsley. Pull the petals from the echinacea flowers and sprinkle them onto the salad greens. Add feta cheese and a dash of olive oil. Add salt to taste.
Place shade cloth over drainage hole. Add a mix of 80% potting soil to 20% palm peat and 2 handfuls of organic fertiliser and fill the pot half-way. Remove the plants from their pots and place them in the new pot to see if you need to add more soil. Always have your plants at the same soil depth as they were in the original growing bag. Fill in potting soil around plants and firm down. Place in a sun-filled spot and water well. Parsley and rocket are annuals and will have to be replaced seasonally. Echinacea is a perennial that will survive the colds of winter, die down and re-emerge in spring.
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Summer abundance
Plant a blast of colour!
What we plant now must give us the typical look of summer, and should continue with a striking floral performance until the end of autumn. It should also hold up to heat without needing to be continuously pampered with an open hosepipe.
Go for Salvias Salvias have a great reputation as a water-wise family that thrive in sunshine and dry soils with very little maintenance required. But some of them are not suited to smaller gardens. Salvia ‘Heatwave’ was introduced as a direct response to the hot and dry climate that faces local gardeners. It is a compact range in comparison to many other salvias that have a tendency to spread and become leggy. The overall package (about 60cm x 60cm) is neat with bright green foliage setting off masses of flowers. ‘Heatwave Sizzle’ has clear pink flowers, and ‘Heatwave Blast’ has lovely salmon flowers. Both are fantastic for borders and mass planting and thrive in hot and dry weather. They are also cold and frost hardy. Salvia ‘Wish’ has dark green foliage and maroon stems. ‘Ember’s Wish’ has lovely tubular flowers in bright coral and ‘Wendy’s Wish’ has vivid magenta pink flowers. Back up with cool blue.
‘Heatwave Sizzle’
‘Heatwave Blast’
Plant with What goes well in the background with the pretty and tough salvias, and has the same growth requirements? The vivid-blue phlox-like flowers of the alltime favourite Plumbago ‘Royal Cape’, of course! This is an excellent background or hedge plant with a compact growth form of about 1.5m x 1.5m. From spring to autumn, it is seldom not in flower.
Hot and fiery finery in front When you load up your trolley with plumbago and salvias, think about finishing off in the foreground with colourful annuals and you will have a whole show-off garden in just one flower bed. Suggestions here are: •
Quick fact: It is also a great pick if you are looking for something nice and easy to care for in large containers on a patio that gets a little shade during the day. ‘Royal Cape’ won’t mind that at all, and for the short while when it is not in flower, you will enjoy a cascade of fresh green foliage. •
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‘Wendy’s Wish’
Plumbago ‘Royal Cape’
Marigold ‘Malanseuns Giant Yellow’, with the large butteryellow pompom flowers, will be perfect before the salvias. Scarlet sage is a bedding salvia grown as a long-flowering ‘Giant Yellow’ annual with upright spikes of brilliant scarlet flowers. More marigolds – next plant up a border of dwarf marigolds. Go for ‘Malanseuns Bi-colour’ with yellow-and-red bi-coloured flowers or ‘Malanseuns Sunshine Drops’ with small yellow flowers.
Plants available from Malanseuns and Plantland Nurseries, www.plantland.co.za
HERB OF THE MONTH
Flavoursome, fabulous, festive fennel
Festive fennel For summer entertaining, Florence fennel is a deliciously different salad vegetable that is also full of flavour when slowly roasted. Its large white edible bulb has a subtle anise flavour and crisp, crunchy texture when eaten raw. When roasted, the liquorice flavour mellows so that it is more savoury than sweet.
To use Cut off the tops and peel off the tough outer layers. Thinly slice or shave it into salads, along with leafy greens and other crunchy ingredients (celery, apple, carrots, baby marrow, nuts, cranberries). To roast, slice it into 3cm rounds and oven roast on its own or with other veggies as a side dish for chicken, pork or fish, or folded into pasta.
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Try these Combine fennel shavings with colourful leafy greens, tossed with this delicious cranberry vinaigrette: purée cranberries (plumped up in hot water) with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and sugar. Reserve a few cranberries to add when serving. To accompany a Sunday roast, top sliced fennel with garlic, salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons of orange zest, and roast until it softens and caramelises. Sprinkle with pomegranate pearls when serving.
To grow In order to develop plump, crisp bulbs, Florence fennel requires rich soil that should still drain well, and more regular watering than garden fennel.
As a stand-out foliage plant Bronze fennel has fine, feathery bronze leaves and yellow flowers in summer. Use it as a feature plant in flower gardens, especially in mixed borders. It thrives in the company of other sun-loving annuals and perennials like salvias, dahlias, zinnias, cosmos and gaura. No herb or vegetable garden should be without common fennel, which is a tallgrowing perennial. The feathery leaves and seeds have healing properties and can be used in cooking and baking. An invaluable companion plant, its yellow flowers attract butterflies and beneficial predator insects like hoverflies and wasps, as well as acting as a trap for aphids.
Did you know that there are three distinct types of fennel? The original garden fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a tough Mediterranean herb, and from it has come Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce), a superb gourmet vegetable, and bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Purpureum’), a showy foliage plant for gardens and landscapes.
To use Both common fennel and bronze fennel have anise-flavoured leaves for garnishing salads, pasta and vegetable dishes. A tea made from crushed fennel seeds or leaves acts as a mild appetite suppressant as well as a diuretic. Both help you to lose weight naturally. The dried seed is used as a spicy ingredient for biscuits, bread and cakes, or chewed to sweeten the breath.
To grow Both fennels grow in full sun, in ordinary garden soil that should drain well. Don’t plant fennel with beans, green peppers and tomatoes or dill, caraway and coriander. Dill and fennel are botanically close, and they tend to cross-pollinate with unsatisfactory results.
Bronze fennel
FOOD GARDENING
Sowing Guide Highveld and KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Artichokes (globe), bush beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, spinach and Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips Middleveld (around Tshwane and other less frosty areas) Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard, squashes (bush and trailing), tomatoes, turnips Eastern Cape and Little Karoo Artichokes (globe), bush beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, Swiss chard, tomatoes
How to control whiteflies on veggies Whiteflies are a pest that every food gardener dreads. They infest the leaves of tomatoes, brinjals, cucumbers and squashes, stunting the plants and deforming new leaves. They also spread viral diseases. Two organic sprays that can be used to eradicate them are Ludwig’s Insect Spray and EcoBuz Pest Pro. Both are contact sprays, which means that the spray must make contact with the whiteflies.
Western Cape (and southern coast) Artichokes (globe), bush and runner beans, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce, bush and trailing squashes, Swiss chard, tomatoes Northern Cape and Great Karoo Artichoke (globe), bush beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal coast Artichokes (globe), brinjals, capsicums (sweet peppers and chillies), tomatoes
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Ludwig’s Insect Spray contains natural pyrethrum, which kills on contact, as well as canola oil, which has a smothering action. • Use a good pressurised spray pump or bottle and spray all the leaves, including the lower leaves of tomatoes, cucumbers and brinjals. Drench the underside of the leaves by spraying upwards. Also spray the top of the leaves for any whiteflies that settle there. • At the start of the spraying programme, spray 3 times within 10 days, which means spraying on day 1,
day 5 and day 10. Then spray once a week for at least 21 days, because that is the life cycle of adult whiteflies. EcoBuz Pest Pro is a biological contact insecticide that contains beneficial fungi (Beauvaria bassiana) that occur naturally in soils. The fungi penetrates the pest cuticle, growing and feeding until the pest dies. It also has the ability to reduce any of the stages of the life cycle. • Spray when whiteflies are first noticed and make sure to cover the plant, drenching the underside of the leaves where the pests rest. • Dilute 2g of Pest Pro in 1 litre of water, mix well and spray every seven days for at least 21 days. Good to know: Aphids will also be controlled with these sprays.
Garden tasks •
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Pull out weeds by hand. Make a point of clearing a patch whenever you visit the veggie garden. Remove veggies that are no longer productive. Fertilise fruiting crops and feed leafy crops after picking. Don’t leave crops to rot: remove mouldy, damaged or excessively diseased plants to prevent disease from spreading. Monitor crops for pests and spray with organic or biological pest controls as soon as you notice an infestation. Water at least twice a week in the absence of rain. Lightly mulch beds to keep the soil cool. Harvest regularly – this is peak harvest time and crops spoil if left for too long. In frost-free or moderately warm areas, consider sowing a last crop of tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans and Swiss chard. Start sowing winter veggies in seed trays.
We found
Try this:
A hand-held soft spray from Gardena that is perfect for watering seed trays, newly sown veggie seed beds and veggies in containers. The soft mist spray gently waters the plants and the soil. The water flow is adjustable, and the trigger has a lock mechanism to make watering easier. The Gardena Classic Soft Spray is available through hardware stores and selected garden centres. www.gardena.com/za
Garden Master has a fun range of baby vegetable seeds: Cabbage ‘Puma’, Carrot ‘Little Finger’, Squash ‘Barbara’, Squash ‘Sweet Dumpling’, and Tomato ‘Bite Size’. All can be sown in January, except tomato ‘Bite Size’ that is just suitable for sowing in the Lowveld and KwaZulu-Natal areas. Why not try Carrot ‘Little Finger’? Seed germinates within 10 to 14 days and carrots will be ready for pulling up from 90 days. Just make sure to sow them in a sunny spot, in well dug over soil that drains easily. www.gardenmaster.co.za
Here’s a carrot tip: Carrot seed should only be sown 1cm deep. Scatter the seed over the surface of the soil, then sprinkle a handful or so of potting soil lightly over the seed. Gently firm it down, so that it doesn’t get blown away, and water the soil just as gently with a watering can. Potting soil is lighter than garden soil, which allows the seed to germinate easily. Because January is such a hot month, water the soil every day, even twice a day, so that it doesn’t dry out while the seed is germinating.
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PLANT NOW
Cuphea mexicana ‘White Wonder’ has glossy dark green leaves and pure white flowers.
Nifty bordering Cupheas (false heather), hailing from Mexico, are simply special as they grow without fuss, are totally free of pests and disease, and are always covered in their masses of dainty, star-shaped flowers (except in the coldest winter months). They are perfect to use as a very neat and uniform border to a mixed bed with their evergreen, rounded and bushy growth form
with dense stems covered in small, dark green leaves. A compact size of about 30 x 40cm makes cupheas ideal for low hedges, small gardens, balconies, patios and window boxes. They flower from spring to late autumn and will grow anywhere except in extremely cold and frosty climates.
Growth notes • • •
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Cuphea mexicana ‘Lilac Wonder’ has glossy dark green leaves and magenta flowers. 62 l www.thegardener.co.za
Suitable for full sun. Tolerates all well-draining soils enriched with compost. Medium water usage, and will tolerate temporary water restrictions if mulched well to protect their fine and shallow root systems. Feed cupheas in spring and summer with a slow-release fertiliser. Trim them lightly in early spring to encourage fresh new growth.
Cuphea hyssopifolia ‘Lemon and Ice’ has interesting lime-yellow leaves and white flowers.
YOUR ROSE GARDEN
FOR DRY SHADE
‘Sympa de Bellevue’ is a powerful shrub rose that just keeps on growing and flowering, producing clusters of large red blooms with a rounded, full-petalled and old-fashioned appearance. It can stand on its own as a specimen shrub, be planted close together as a sturdy, impenetrable hedge or trained up a pillar. The diseaseresistant leaves stay fresh and green deep into winter.
Renga renga
lily
The rienga lily, renga renga lily or New Zealand rock lily (Arthropodium cirratum) is a herbaceous, clump-forming perennial lily with soft, lime green foliage that adds lushness to any garden bed. The strap-like leaves surround masses of delicate starry flowers that are produced on a flower spike approximately 60cm in height. The lily-white flowers appear in abundance in late spring and continue popping up into summer. This is a maintenance-free plant that only needs to be kept looking tidy, which is done by removing the previous season’s bottom leaves every now and again. Arthropodium cirratum performs best in a fertile, welldrained soil. It can tolerate both sun or partial shade, but its strongest attribute is that it is an ideal plant for a dry and shady position, even in wind-blown coastal gardens. Once planted, water well to encourage the plant to establish itself in the soil. It will then have the ability to tolerate periods of dryness, making it a water-wise alternative for South African gardens. Should your New Zealand rock lily require fertilising, this is best done in spring. Be sure to watch out for snails and slugs as they tend to be attracted to the lush leaves.
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Rose tasks for January •
Cut back tall growers with flowers towering over your head. When cutting back a stem, make sure there are still leaves below the cut. Don’t undercut all the stems at once but do it in two or three stages a week apart. • Thin out dense bushes to allow air and light into the middle of the bush. • Rejuvenate neglected or defoliated rose bushes by lightly trimming the top growth and increasing watering. Spray with Ludwig’s Insect Spray. Do not fertilise at this stage. • Water deeply 2 - 3 times a week in the absence of good rainfall. • Fertilise leafy rose bushes with Vigorosa towards the middle of January. Well-fed roses are more resistant to disease and pest damage. • Renew mulch on the rose beds but keep a space open around the rose stems for water to penetrate. • Spray once a week with organic Ludwig’s Insect Spray and once a month with Chronos to prevent black spot. • Cut off dead blooms to keep the bushes looking neat and to encourage new stems to sprout. www.ludwigsroses.co.za
January CHECKLIST
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Remove old flower stalks and dead material around the base of spent perennials to curb mildew, rust and red spider mite. Watch out for hawkmoth caterpillars feeding at night on impatiens, arum lilies and fuchsias – remove them by hand. Lawns will need slowrelease nitrogen-rich fertiliser to maintain their lush green summer colour. Garden containers, young seedlings and indoor plants should be fed with liquid fertiliser every two weeks. Azaleas and camellias will need an acidic fertiliser to help them set buds for winter. Don’t allow evergreen hedges and topiaries to grow out of shape. Keep them neat with regular light trims. Feed fruit trees like mangoes, avocados, lemons and granadilla vines. Apply specialised fertilisers for roots, foliage and future fruit production – use slow-release fertilisers at this time of the year.
Remove fallen fruit to discourage pests from breeding in them. Plant seedlings of celosias, annual salvias, petunias, impatiens, vincas, begonias and marigolds. Problems with scale and aphids? Spray against ants, as they are attracted by the sweet honeydew the sucking insects excrete and will spread the eggs of these pests everywhere.
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Use your hose to flush stagnant water from bromeliads to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching in there. Tame overgrown shrubs, except those that will flower and produce berries in winter and spring. Thin out vigorous deciduous climbers like wisterias, Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) and ornamental grape vines (Vitis coignetiae). Cut back rambling roses to remove branches that have finished flowering – new growth will bring new flowers. Turn indoor and shady patio plants and hanging baskets regularly towards the light to ensure even leaf growth. Pull out the old flowering stems of Inca lilies with a firm tug. You can dig up some roots and new shoots and replant them in other parts of the garden. Divide overgrown clumps of bearded irises and replant. Cut spent lilium flowers, leaving the leafy stems to produce enough food for next season. Keep them well-watered and well-fed until they die down. Treat grapevines against downy mildew. If you left your clivia seeds on, they should be a good shade of red by now. Sow them while fresh, into seed trays.
DIY
Rock on!
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This beautiful seesaw doesn’t take long to make, will provide hours of fun for the kids, and will be protected against the weather thanks to the Woodoc Water-Borne MARINE.
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What you need Timber in the following dimensions (we used reclaimed pine): 2 x 1500mm x 175mm x 38mm (rocker top) 2 x 1200mm x 175mm x 38mm (rocker middle) 2 x 900mm x 175mm x 38mm (rocker bottom) 4 x 750mm x 90mm x 38mm (uprights) 2 x 600mm x 140mm x 38mm (footwell supports) 2 x 900mm x 175mm x 25mm (seats) 2 x 825mm x 140mm x 38mm (seat supports) 3 x 825mm x 175mm x 25mm (footwell) 2 x 825mm x 25mm dowel (handle bar) 8 x 6mm x 75mm coach screws 20 x 4mm x 50mm wood screws Methylated spirits 150-grit sandpaper 2 x 1L Woodoc Water-Borne MARINE 2 x 20ml Woodoc Colours, 1 in Full Moon and 1 in Teak
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Start by cutting all the wood. For the rockers, lay them out on a flat surface in order from longest to shortest and with the centres aligned. Draw a curve on them, using a pencil and a piece of string 585cm long. Cut this curve with a jigsaw. Cut a curve into the ends of the top rockers, as shown, for decoration and to round the ends. Cut one end of each upright into a semi-circle. In the centre of each semi-circle, drill a 25mm hole. Sand all the wood until smooth. Wipe down the wood with a cloth that has been dampened with methylated spirits. Leave to dry. Open the Woodoc Water-Borne MARINE and stir well with a flat spatula. Shake the Woodoc Colours (Full Moon) well and pour into the Woodoc Water-Borne MARINE and stir well with a flat spatula. Also stir during application. Repeat with the other Woodoc MARINE and Woodoc Colours (Teak). Apply three coats of the tinted Woodoc Water-Borne MARINE. Paint the seats, handle bar and footwell planks in Teak, and the rest in Full Moon. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying the next coat. Sand lightly with fine sandpaper wool after the first and second coats have dried. Once sanded, wipe down the surface of the wood with a clean, dry cloth to remove all dust then wipe down the surface with a cloth dampened with methylated spirits
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and allow to dry. Do not sand after the third coat has dried. Screw one set of three rocker planks to two uprights and the footwell support, so that there is 330mm of the upright protruding from the top. (If you want to make the rockers stronger, you can glue the planks together or use a Kreg jig to join them.) The uprights must be flush with the footwell support plank, and equally spaced from the centre of the rockers. Lay one rocker down flat. Hammer the handle bars so that they go onto the holes in the uprights. Place the two seat supports in place at the ends of the top rocker plank. Place the second rocker on top of the seat supports, and align the handle bars so that they go into the holes. You will probably need help with this. Drill 3mm pilot holes and attach the rocker to the seat supports with coach screws. Repeat on the other end. Flip the structure over and attach the other rocker to the seat supports, and hammer in the other ends of the handles.
9.
Position the seesaw on its rockers, upright. Screw the three footwell planks to the two footwell supports. 10. Screw the seats to the rockers, flush with the seat supports.
Tools Paintbrushes, cordless drill, driver bit, tape measure, clean rag, flat spatula, sander, jigsaw, string and pencil, 3mm drill bit, 25mm drill bit/ hole saw, mallet
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The team Editor Tanya Visser Assistant Editor Anna Celliers Managing Editor Wendy Moulton Process and Operations Manager Cindy May Wang Copy Editor Stephen Smith Design Gillian O’Donoghue, Wendy Moulton Photography and Styling Izolda van der Merwe Digital Platforms Manager Stephani Green Office Administrator Nokuthula Zuma Garden Shows Adele de Welzen Video and Digital Megan van der Merwe Bulb pics: ibulb.org Editorial Contributors Alice Spenser-Higgs, Anna Celliers, Ilona Thorndyke, Izolda van der Merwe, Madison Moulton, Stephen Smith, Tanya Visser, Wendy Moulton
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STOEP STORY By Anna Celliers
Slowly turning into gardeners Apparently the world gained 18.3 million new gardeners lately – it’s just my luck to have to play nursemaid to two of them! When they first moved into their little house with its medium-sized yard there was great excitement and visions of a vegetable garden surrounded by a lush hedge of lavender. I remarked that they should maybe think of baby steps first, just trying to keep their potted Ficus alive. I could see this house-warming gift was standing with its roots in water in a dark living room, with the blinds drawn tightly all day long. I told them that the Ficus should be watered sparingly and should receive more light, upon which I was asked how much is ‘sparse watering’ and how high should the light intensity be, in ‘lux’. My answer was that thefinger-in-the-soil touch to check if it is wet or dry would work, and just rolling up the blinds would make all the difference. They did not agree, since the boundary wall was a low one made of cement slabs shaped like ox wagon wheels (a very retro style of fencing), which allowed every passer-by to look into the house, which is in a dodgy part of the suburb. This thought scared them. So the little Ficus was moved every day to give it light, which I warned against, as this neurotic plant is well-known for hating being trekked around. It predictably succumbed and is now in plant heaven. Against all warnings that the chosen spot for a veggie garden might not be ideal without a lot of levelling, additional topsoil and proper soil conditioning in the form of a bulk load of compost, they spent weekends trying to rid the patch of weeds and attempting to dig over the cementhard clay soil. One of them had to visit a chiropractor for quite a while afterwards to get his back realigned. I mentioned the word ‘patience’ and dished out broad-spectrum herbicides to kill off the persistent weeds, but was told that they are not environmentally friendly. The vegetable seedlings that were planted gave a short-lived harvest of about three salad leaves, and the ailing lavenders died
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after a very heavy winter storm flooded the whole area. I tried my best to be supportive, giving them a free copy of our gardening magazine every month, telling them that all they needed to know was in there. They had the temerity to tell me that our magazine (the only completely gardeningdedicated magazine still in print) seems a bit old-fashioned, maybe not catering to a younger, with-it crowd. While having this conversation, which got me very hot under the collar, I could see that they looked at me with a sort of pity, like they were watching a dying breed of old and muddy aunties who still cherish print. All their gardening woes up to then had not discouraged them, but they kept preaching to me to become more technologically advanced and to use plant-identifying apps, as they are forever asking me about plants they see that I don’t know about. They do not get it: if I don’t know about it, it probably means that it is not available commercially in this country, or will not survive in the harsh climate of Strand in the Western Cape! I still do the old-fashioned thing and go out and see what local nurseries stock, read local gardening books, and often scour through the availability lists of wholesale plant growers. I also scoffed at them as most of the plants that I want to know I can already identify with my eyes closed, so I have never seen the use for any botanical apps. What good does it do anyway, when your prized hoya is bleaker than a cadaver and smothered in white stuff? They hesitantly touched it and shivered, immediately plucking out their cell phones to take pictures to compare to similar goggas they could find on the internet, even though I told them it’s okay; I would just use a systemic insecticide as an eco-friendly soil drench, water the poor plant more, and even feed it. Maybe my gut feel would also tell me to move it to a different location where it can get better air circulation, rather than keeping it stuck in a dusty and hot corner near the braai. Reading and following a very informative article about hoyas in this very magazine would have prevented my plant from losing condition, I admonished myself quietly. You have to applaud the discipline of the young, though, as they scrimped and saved to have a high-security fence installed around the property, which meant that they could now enjoy their small front garden in privacy and without being endangered or pestered by street criminals. They put down gravel to create a dry
succulent garden from all the cuttings I gave them, but had to pick it up again as they used plastic instead of weed matting underneath, as I told them to. In old gardens, you often find brick pathways edged with upright bricks that were placed on their sides to create a diamond pattern, which keeps the pathway (painted in either red or green stoep paint) sturdy. My advice was to leave the upright bricks, but to paint them charcoal and live with it until they can afford a modern pathway. Aikôna! The edge was dug up, and the pathway of course disintegrated… So I redrew the garden plan, getting rid of the bloody pathway altogether, and the bricks were carted away. The old weed-infested lawn, which was on a level much higher than curvy old borders containing nothing but an ancient shrub or two and a battling pear tree (which they planted when they moved in), was dug up to soon be replaced with new instant lawn sods. I was WhatsApped pictures of the bare soil, and then received a phone call to find out what to do next. “Compost,” I shouted, “and lots of it!” Many more phone calls later, and after multiple complaints about compost being so expensive, I broke through a barrier and a bulk load was delivered after me finding a supplier. After being spread and levelled, it had to be raked up again as I could see the layer of compost was way too thick to be under the lawn and not thick enough for my liking in the areas demarcated for new planting beds. I was asked to recommend plants and referred them to an article I recently wrote about resilient perennials that can cope with the summer heat and wind, and which would not require a lot of water once established. Although it was not said to my face, I heard via the grapevine that they are not really partial to my suggestions, although they did fall in love with a modern hybrid of the tough old Mexican sage … The latest in this saga are daily phone calls to enquire whether I think their new lawn has ‘taken’ yet, and also to tell me that the two-year old pincushion (planted on a whim), which I told them to leave well alone and not to dig up and move as fynbos don’t like their roots to be disturbed, has apparently produced two new leaves and is still greenish. The question they actually wanted an answered was whether I thought it would survive its ordeal. How the dickens would I know? You can build a garden in a day, but there is more pleasure in doing it over years…
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