Nuts Add crunch and texture

For an eye-catching display in your garden, plant a large group of cannas (hybrids of Canna indica) together – either in a bed, on your pavement or along the driveway. These dependable plants bloom from November to March in red, orange, yellow, salmon, rose-pink, apricot and even cream. They look good in a mixed bed; plant at least three to five of them with flowering shrubs and perennials.

The plant’s leaves are just as striking as its flowers. Some are bronze-brown in colour, some are bright green or a more subtle dark green, while others have variegated foliage with attractive stripes.

The height of the respective hybrids varies. Check with your local nursery to find out how tall the canna you have chosen will grow.

Cannas grow easily but like well-prepared, compost-rich soil and thrive if fertilised regularly. Any balanced fertiliser such as 2:3:2, 3:1:5 or Atlantic Fertilisers’ Bio Ganic All Purpose is suitable; apply as indicated on the packaging. Give the plant sufficient water, especially in summer in the winter rainfall regions or during dry spells. It prefers a warm, sunny spot and should be protected from strong winds.

Cannas can quickly become overgrown. Lift and divide every two to three years in spring: cut the stems down to soil level, lift the rhizomes out of the soil with a fork and divide them into 10–15cm pieces. Make sure each piece of the rhizome has a growth bud and plant it elsewhere in your garden. Trim off spent blooms regularly to encourage flower formation and keep the plant neat. Also cut off the old flower stalks down to soil level to encourage new growth.

In warmer regions, cannas are evergreen but in colder parts they go dormant in winter. They will grow almost anywhere in the country, except in areas that experience heavy frosts or in arid regions.

P L A N T G U I D E Canna (Canna indica hybrids)

Full sun to semi-shade

Needs lots of water

Perennial

Fairly frost-resistant

Flowers in summer

Grows 60cm–1.5m tall

[I N VA S I V E C A N N A] Be careful of planting Indian shot (Canna indica), which is classified as a Category 1b invasive alien plant. This means it must be taken out and destroyed. This canna’s flowers are much smaller than those of the showy, colourful and sterile Canna indica hybrids and cultivars, which are not invasive.

Sources

Gardening with Keith Kirsten by Keith Kirsten; The South African What Flower is That? by Kristo Pienaar; Reader’s Digest A South African Garden for All Seasons with chief contributor Jennifer Godbold-Simpson

Walnut loaf w ith honey and oatmeal Serve the freshly baked loaf with butter and honey, and taste the wholesomeness! This bread also makes delicious toast.

Makes 2 loaves Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus rising time Baking time: 30–45 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C

• 700g (4½ cups) brown bread flour • 250ml rolled oats • 2 x 10g sachets instant yeast • 10ml salt • 20ml brown sugar • 100g walnuts, coarsely chopped • 125g butter, melted • 200ml lukewarm milk • 200ml lukewarm water • 45ml honey

1 Mix the flour, oatmeal, yeast, salt, sugar and nuts in a large mixing bowl. Mix the butter, milk, water and honey and stir until the honey has dissolved. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead vigorously for about 5–10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Shape the dough into a neat ball and place in a clean mixing bowl greased with a little olive oil. Let the bowl stand in a warm place so the dough rises to double the volume. The oatmeal, bran and nuts make the dough ‘heavy’, so it will take a few hours. Be patient, or you’ll end up with a dense loaf. 2 Knead the dough as soon as it has doubled in volume; divide in half and shape each half into an oval-shaped loaf. Place on a greased baking tray and cover with a clean tea towel. Allow to rise again until double the volume – this time it will take between 30–45 minutes. 3 Preheat the oven and place a deep metal oven dish in the bottom of it to warm up. Using a sharp knife, score the top of each loaf diagonally. Place the loaves on the middle oven rack; pour boiling water into the oven dish at the bottom (the water makes steam which helps the loaves to form a nice crust). Close the oven door immediately and bake the loaves for about 30 minutes or until cooked and risen – they should sound hollow when you tap on the bottom. Tip When it comes to measuring flour, it’s difficult to reconcile the millilitre and gram quantities because brands differ. Usually, 150g brown bread flour equals 250ml (1 cup). If you’re measuring with cups and your dough feels slightly dry, simply add an extra dash of milk or water to help bring the dough together. >>