Colour in the garden in autumn is always welcome, and when it comes from one of South Africa’s most reliable sub-shrubs, what more could you ask for? When it also offers refreshing and cooling blue flowers as a change from the traditional autumn colours of rust, copper, red and orange, it is an absolute essential plant for the garden. Read the rest of this entry »

The vividly coloured, glistening flowers of these succulents make them popular garden subjects, but their other attributes include interesting foliage, drought tolerance and adaptability to adverse conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

Candytuft brings drifts of lacy white blooms to the spring scene, often flowering from late winter for many months. Although grown as an annual, candytuft will last for several seasons, but does become leggy. This can be rectified with gentle pruning after flowering. Read the rest of this entry »

Mild winters are the saving grace when you live in a climate where summers are a little too long and often too hot for comfort. In some areas, winter is a season of ample rainfall and cool temperatures that can be enjoyed in the company of numerous garden plants. Although many plants slip into dormancy where winters are mild, there are plenty of evergreen trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as hardy annuals, that will keep the garden vibrantly alive with greenery and flowers through the slow season. Read the rest of this entry »

Every climate has its problems. In the interior and in mountainous regions, winter comes early and stays late, much to gardeners’ frustration. This may explain why gardeners in cold climates often create beautiful gardens. They may be the result of long winter nights spent planning and dreaming. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a gift that will delight youngsters who are keen to try their hand at growing flowers. Children can make the paper packets to give to their friends. Read the rest of this entry »

Using cheap timber, or even timber scraps, you can make this small window box in less than an hour. Present the window box with seeds or plants in small pots already in place. Read the rest of this entry »

Roses grown in containers require annual repotting to keep them healthy and obtain optimal blooms. Rootbound plants become stunted and produce limited foliage and flowers. If a larger container is not an option, prune the rose severely: remove about a third of its canes and selected roots. This will shock the plant to produce new roots and shoots. Follow these easy steps when repotting your favorite roses: Read the rest of this entry »

Seed pans, wicker baskets and basins make ideal homes for small plants. Choose these containers for succulents and seaside plants, which won’t mind if the shallow soil dries out from time to time on hot sunny days. Read the rest of this entry »

Create the impression of nature running wild to give your garden a relaxed, spontaneous look. Choose containers with worn finishes and plants with soft outlines for happy informality.

Whether you live in the town or country, you can create an exuberant and relaxed style of container gardening that gives an atmosphere of unrestrained nature. Read the rest of this entry »

A beautiful bonsai deserves a beautiful container. The container completes the image started many years before as a seed or cutting. The tree was acquired by the artist, designed, trained and nurtured until it was ready to be planted into its final show pot, resulting in a serenely beautiful image of a bonsai.

The container of a bonsai has been likened to the frame of a picture; it is the finishing touch that makes a good tree an exceptional bonsai. It is more than this, however, as it is also the home of the tree and so needs to provide an environment for the roots that will ensure healthy, vigorous growth to maintain the health of the top parts of the tree. Read the rest of this entry »

Many home gardeners do not grow melons because the plants need a great deal of growing space, particularly watermelons, whose plants can grow as long as 3 m. Melons also take quite a long time to mature and this means that the plants occupy the ground for lengthy periods, making them unsuitable for a small vegetable garden where space is limited. Read the rest of this entry »

Growing tomatoes

When is the right time to grow tomatoes and how should I go about preparing the ground for them?

Tomatoes are a warm-season crop and the main sowing period is from mid-September to November. But seed can be sown up to a month earlier if you have a greenhouse or some other protected place. Read the rest of this entry »

Before you start to plant up your asbestos pond, leave it filled with water for about 7-10 days so that any impurities can be leached out. Then empty the water out of the pond and begin planting. There are a number of water plants suitablefor a garden pond – just how many you use will depend on the size of your pond. Read the rest of this entry »

It is hardly surprising that the herbicides you have used on your lawn have not affected the winter grass, Poa annua, for if they had they would have killed off your lawn as well. Selective herbicides for the control of weeds on lawns are designed to kill off broad-leaved annual and perennial weeds, not grasses. Read the rest of this entry »

What steps should I take to keep my lawn free from weeds?

Correct planting and good lawn maintenance are the most important aspects of achieving a weed-free lawn. Read the rest of this entry »

Because there are so many orchid species and hybrids originating in diverse climatic regions, their growing conditions differ. Some, such as the indigenous tiger orchid (Ansellia gigantea), cattleyas, paphiopedilums and phalaenopsis, can be grown outdoors in the warm, humid conditions of the Natal coast and parts of the Transvaal lowveld where moisture can be applied. Others not suited to these conditions, such as cymbidiums, can be grown outdoors in cooler regions, if protected from frost. Most growers prefer to grow their plants either in shade houses where conditions are suitable or in greenhouses. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been told that spinach is easy to grow but mine is always a failure. What am I doing wrong?

You could be growing the wrong type (see ‘Spinach or spinach beet‘, right). Spinach beet is the best kind to grow. It tolerates most types of soil, although it does not like one which is very acid. It grows best in full sun. Read the rest of this entry »

Follow these ten straightforward rules to give any shrub you plant a flying start.

1 Always make the planting hole about 15 cm deeper and 30 cm broader than the roots of the shrub.

2 Cover the bottom of the hole with an 8-12 cm-thick layer of compost mixed with a little of the surrounding soil. Read the rest of this entry »

I have several half-full packets of vegetable seeds left over from last year. Can the seeds be used this season?

Stored in a dry place, most vegetable seeds remain good for two or three years, even though the packet has been opened. It’s best to keep the seeds in a fridge or an airtight jar in a cool, dry place such as a shed or garage. Read the rest of this entry »