Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2023 i SA Garden and Home

ED'S LETTER Changes of seasons are typically a rather tangible thing to my brain, so it's no surprise that this autumn marks perhaps the biggest change of season for me - and my family. My husband and I are expecting our first child! Our baby girl arrives just in time for a biting coastal winter snuggled safely indoors. If ever there was a moment for me to lean into my deep, most insatiable penchant for nostalgia, this would be it. As this issue goes to shelf, I feel urged both to nest with greater haste and slow down all together to simply let things be. From our team (page 13) we are indeed cosy creatures with much in common, at least in the associations we hold with the season. And…

Roshaan Patel Wonderful Word Wizard; G&H Chief Copy Editor When not pushing to finish the next print deadline, Roshaan lives out her foodie dreams by experimenting with various types of cuisine. Three words that define autumn for you? Crisp, transition and colour! What's on your decor wish list right now? A comfy rocker for our baby nursery. Your go-to essential oil? It's got to be soothing Lavender! Favourite warm beverage: Give me a chai latte any day. Elle Franco DIY Goddess and G&H DIY contributor Elle spends her days building her online brand and presence with gorgeous projects done in style. Look out for more digital collaborations in 2023! Your autumn self-care moment? As the weather cools, I tend to end the night cosying on the couch with a honeydrizzled,…

HEAVENLY HOMES Pressing pause on the patio Peet and MJ Hunt with their children. Situated adjacent to their own home, the cottage is a perfectly proportioned sanctuary with a slew of thoughtful design details that embrace old and new. The cottage has a 100 m2 indoor footprint, so the partially covered outdoor patio creates welcome extra living space and an opportunity to maximise outdoor entertaining. The foldaway steel shutters provide both privacy and shade without the constraints of permanent walls or brickwork. The narrow workbench and worn garden chairs tap into a rustic sensibility that designer Charlotte Collins effortlessly combines with modern touches. The traditional red brickwork is another detail that embraces old-school design while used in a modern way. The small town of Stellenbosch is the second oldest in…

In March, South African gardens slowly transition from hot, sweltering summer to the cooler autumn and winter months. With this comes the unfortunate end of the flowering season for many popular garden plants, turning gardens from colourful kaleidoscopes to more muted landscapes. But one shrub begins the period of its prime this season and heading into winter - camellias. Species in the vast and impressive camellia genus are largely native to Asia. Their delicate blooms and vigorous flowering made them ideal for the home garden, leading to the development of more than 3 000 different cultivars gardeners have the pleasure of choosing from. Camellias are not usually the first choice for 21st-century gardeners, often viewed as ‘traditional’ or ‘outdated’. But, much like other golden oldies that have come back in…

The Essentials Strictly speaking March in South Africa is the beginning of autumn but the sun is still hot and high in the sky, and many plants in your garden are still flowering. Focus on feeding everything in March. Feed everything with an organic pelleted fertiliser, and then cover beds with compost. This will help strengthen plants for winter and ensure a jump-start for spring. Lift and divide agapanthus, dietes and other summer-flowering perennials. Sow sweet peas and winter-flowering annuals such as primulas, pansies, Namaqualand daisies and lobelias. Add end-of-season colour with colourful pots of Amaryllis belladonna, black-eyed Susan and as many plectranthus species as you have space for. Continue planting summer seedlings such as petunias and dianthus they will continue to provide colour well into winter. Deadhead summer annuals…

As the seasons change Portable fire pits are ideal for decks and paving around a pool or garden, and can be moved elsewhere when seasons change. Humans are drawn to the warmth of a fire, and luckily, it's quite easy these days to get a fire going in a fire pit with all the options that are available. Fire pit design has come a long way and more and more companies are manufacturing stylish stand-alone products that tick all the boxes. There are also built-in versions that become part of an architectural design, in styles ranging from super modern to simple and rustic. Design Unlike a campfire, a fire pit is designed to hold the fire within its boundaries, making it a bit safer and reducing the possibility of the…

SEASONALLY FRESH Jane's favourite things to do in autumn Autumn is a time for gathering walnuts, harvesting potatoes and raking up leaves to put in bags, ready to use as mulch on vegetable beds before winter. janesdeliciousshop.co.za What are Asian greens? Hardy Asian greens come in a wide selection of colours and textures. Most are from the cabbage family and do better during cooler weather. They grow all year round but do go to seed more quickly during hotter weather. Many produce miniature, tasty broccoli-like buds. Unlike lettuce, which turns bitter when it bolts, Asian greens’ leaves are edible when flowering. During hotter weather, they become tougher and more pungent, and are better cooked than raw. The bright yellow flowers attract bees and butterflies and, if left to mature, the…

More and more often, we are seeing people bring their pets to eating and drinking establishments. Hey, they are pretty good company! There is still a fair amount of controversy across SA as to whether or not pets should be allowed in places that serve food, but pet-friendly bars, cafes and restaurants generally have outdoor seating available so that everyone feels accommodated. While most pet-friendly establishments have water available so hounds can stay hydrated, some even have menus catering specifically to them! Before you decide to take your dog with you for treats, make sure they would be comfortable in the environment, which can be loud and busy. Nervous dogs might not enjoy the outing as much as outgoing ones. Every dog owner knows that most pooches will take any…

HOT TOPIC GET COSY Here are some tips to have your home ready for the change of season! - Launder your heavier curtains, bed linen and bathrobes. - Do a seasonal storage switch: Pack away and donate summer items and decor. Organise and take stock of your autumn/winter closet, home decor and entertainment inventory. - If you have a fireplace, have it serviced or cleaned, and prepare your wood supplies. - Focus on yoursenses! Add area rugs for extra warmth underfoot, softscatters for couch cuddles, and position a few scented candles around your home for cosy loadshedding sessions.…

Shared treasures The kitchen and dining room is an interactive space where cooking, homework and connecting as a family happens naturally. The ceilings are supported with a roughly hewn poplar beam sourced from Knysna, and the hybrid construction with steel creates a strikingly contrasting feature. The table and chairs are from Weylandts; rug, a vintage find in Cape Town; Cambodian artisanal vase on the kitchen island, from The Storer; table in the foreground, Voortrekker Monument Antiques & Collectables; glass box with statue, picked up at a charity show. ‘It was time to shift gears,’ says Lisa Storer, who turned her back on city life in Johannesburg to build a new home with a strong connection with the land. Lisa had worked for years as a retail buyer and chose to…

CONVERSATION Shortlisted for the Oxford Dictionaries’ ‘Word of the Year’ in 2016, the term hygge only recently became recognisable around the world. But for Danish speakers, both the word and the concept have been around far longer. Pronounced ‘hoo-guh’, hygge is defined as ‘a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)’. In practice, it involves small pleasures, the comfort of loved ones, and ultimate forms of relaxation. Once this Scandinavian concept went international, it became an instant hit in all forms of design - particularly in interiors. But the general tenets of hygge can apply to your garden too, along with plenty of benefits. A hygge garden is an intentional space with a focus…

Install a bird feeder in the garden if you do not already have one. It is a long hungry winter for our feathered friends! Even better, plant some indigenous shrubs that flower in winter for the nectar feeders. Give your birdbath a good clean-out before the rains. Clean out water features and check that pumps are in good shape before the cold weather sets in. Clean and oil all pruning shears and have your lawnmower serviced as it will not be needed too often now. Aerate lawn by spiking with a garden fork or a lawn spiker. Rake up fallen leaves regularly and place them on the compost heap. If you do not have a compost heap, put the leaves in black rubbish bags and keep them in a warm…

PHILODENDRON ‘PRINCE OF ORANGE’ Plants in the philodendron genus are incredibly popular houseplants. Philodendron hederaceum, the heartleaf philodendron, is one of the most common, but stroll through your local nursery and you will find plenty of different species to choose from - each with their own unique look. For a touch of warmth, look out for the relatively new cultivar to the South African market ‘Prince of Orange’. The leaves perfectly complement the autumn season, starting with a warm yellow and transitioning to bright orange before turning a final green. CROTON SPP. Crotons are instantly recognisable for their intense fiery colours and contrasting veins. The visually chaotic look is certainly not for everyone, but if you are after some living autumn decor, crotons will do the job. They grow quite…

• Pak choi has white stems and spoonshaped green leaves. It is a delicately flavoured green and is good in stirfries or added to soups. • Mustard (both red and green) grows quickly and has a lovely hot bite. Young leaves brighten up a salad, while older, more pungent leaves are delicious in stirfries. Young buds and flowers can be scattered on salads or added to soups and seeds can be ground to make a spicy rub. • Gai Ian. also known as Chinese broccoli, bears succulent buds on long, edible stalks. To extend the harvest, cut the buds before they flower. Gai Ian has a mustardy flavour and adds texture to stirfries. It only needs to be cooked for a short time and is delicious with oyster sauce and…

EXPLORE The soft life Vhembe's splash pool has an unbeatable view of the surrounding valley. Objects of meaning A replica of the famous golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe is housed at the park's Interpretation Centre. For untold millennia, since life itself sprung up on Earth, all manner of creatures have sought warmth and the life-giving comfort it gives. We see it in the migration of birds, which are often observed to head ‘southward’ for winter. In reality, many bird species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere migrate southward to ‘Winter’ in warmer climates. In some cases, this involves mind-boggling distances - the Arctic tern travels between the Arctic and Antarctic twice a year, covering around 38 000 km in that time. But then again, there are many birds that are completely sedentary, also…

STYLE MAKER As autumn creeps in, I'm turning to cosiness and nostalgia - and reminding myself not to take decor too seriously Autumn has always been a favourite of mine. The refreshing breeze soothes summer skin without viciously biting or triggering the blues. When I think of autumn, rich orange hues swirl between my thoughts - the colours of the wind if you will. Thoughts of bulking salads up with warm pulses, layered spices and the cinnamon bark I simply must get from a kind uncle at the spice shop. I envision long walks through parks and forests with the crunch of leaves beneath my feet and make a quick mental note to resole my leather boots before winter bites at my heels. More so, I remember the singular worst…

If you're a cocktail connoisseur, StrangeLove Cocktail Lounge in Salt River lends a distinctive offering of small-batch hand-distilled vodka, gin, agave spirit, rhum agricole (sugarcane-juice rum), and campari-style African Amaro. They boast a unique menu of curated cocktails and mini-food pairings that together tickle your taste buds just so. Leigh Lisk and Lucy Beard, co-founders of Hope Distillery, offer an intimate experience that elevates the tipple and bites with a warm, person-centred hospitality. And if, like me, you're pregnant or simply not a drinker, joining your partner or friends is made delicious with a select offering of truly thoughtful mocktail options in a space that is all palate and minimal party. What stood out to my husband was how Leigh crouched down right to our level and spoke right into…

Not too long ago, our pets were more or less confined to our homes. The world, however, is gradually becoming more pet-friendly, with more spaces opening up to allow access to our four-legged friends. This can mean more quality time together, but that doesn't mean that taking your animal out and about is always a smooth ride. Here are some things to consider so that you can enjoy outings with your furry family members. In the Park Aside from the rare cat sporting a harness, the most common domestic animal you'll find at any park are dogs. Our canine companions live in closed quarters (unlike cats who can climb and explore) so rely on us to get their fix of the outside world. While they are required to be on…