Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2016 i The Gardener Magazine

While some of our country has been blessed with relieving rain, there are still areas battling this tragic drought. We need to keep this in mind, and keep practising the good habits we learned trying to save water over the past few months. Keeping the environment in focus, Stephen visited a phenomenal garden in Durban this month, where the owner has gone to great lengths to create a sustainable, eco-friendly sanctuary in the heart of the suburbs, and all on a regular-sized plot. That she has created so much diversity in her garden is an inspiration to all of us at the magazine, but the real highlights of her garden are a spectacular living roof and vertical garden. Reading this could well inspire you to think a little differently, as…

BACKGROUND Location: Durban KwaZulu-Natal Climate: Subtropical Soil: Sandy Age: Under 2 years Photographed: June 2015 January 2016 Designer: Jane Troughton Vertical Garden: James Hallé When you pull up to the driveway of this fascinating house you get an inkling of what’s to come. Aloes flank the driveway, but it’s the mosaic sign on the wall that gives you the best clues – an owl, a bat, a snake, a frog and a spider, all celebrated and welcomed. Jane Troughton, along with husband Greg Courtney, is the energetic dynamo behind this garden and home, both of which are a celebration of sustainability and diversity. As you approach the house a vertical garden rises in front of you, resplendent with indigenous plants, many of which you’d be amazed at seeing growing in…

All our hopes are pinned on a cooler, moist autumn that will renew the garden and our energy for gardening after one of the hottest summers on record. By planting smart one can make up for the losses of summer by having an abundance of flowers right through to winter and beyond, especially if winter is as warm as it was last year in many areas. Tips for a super autumn garden • March is still too early to plant winter flowers, but hardy annuals like verbena, lobelia, alyssum, dianthus and petunia (in dry winter areas) are able to straddle the last heat of summer and the cool of autumn. • Timing is very important when planting primulas. If planted too early they don’t grow well, and if planted too…

WHAT YOU NEED 12 mm plywood cut to the dimensions on the diagram 360 x 250 mm flower arrangement tray (available from florists) 13 mm dowel Universal undercoat Paint 4 mm x 40 mm cut screws TOOLS Drill, 60 mm holesaw, pilot/countersink bit, 13 mm speed bit, jigsaw, paint brush WHAT YOU DO 1 Cut out all the pieces of the bird house, as per the diagram below. 2 Drill a 60 mm hole in the centre of the front panel. 3 Assemble the bird house using the 4 mm x 40 mm cut screws, but drill and countersink pilot holes before inserting the screws, for a neat finish. Attach the front panel to the 230 mm edge of the side panels. Attach the base and then attach the back…

READY- TO-USE SEASOL Throughout history, seaweed and its effect on plant growth has been well documented. Seasol seaweed concentrate is a complete garden health treatment that contains plant nutrients, trace elements, alginic acids and other bioactive compounds. It promotes healthy roots, encourages beneficial soil microorganisms, stimulates flowering and fruiting, and helps plants to cope with stresses like heat, drought, frost and attacks by pests and diseases. The RTU Seasol bottles are simply attached to your hosepipe so you can feed plants while watering. Available at local nurseries and garden centres. www.seasol.com.au JUST ORGANIC PREMIUM POTTING SOIL Just Organic Premium Potting Soil consists of well-composted organic matter, with added Just Organic Cattle Fertilizer to nourish the plant with all the nutrients it requires. Comprehensive tests have been run on this potting…

Autumn is often touted as a ‘second spring’ on account of all the plants that bloom as the days start to shorten significantly. These may be strong words, but autumn is special in its own rights with so many flowering plants performing to perfection in the glorious weather that graces this gentle time of the year. These are some of the many flowers that contribute spectacularly to the occasion. Bougainvillea x buttiana hybrids The recent dry weather conditions have proven just how tough and resilient bougainvilleas really are. They have flourished in the drought and heat, putting on a bright show with their colourful bracts. Although they’re technically classified as climbers, most garden bougainvilleas are kept pruned as shrubs or large bushes. Multitudes of different hybrids are cultivated, offering variations…

Verbena (hybrids) Kick-start your autumn garden by planting verbenas as an edging, or massed together for a splash of low-growing colour. Verbenas do best in the sunniest, best-drained part of the garden. Flowers range in colour from soft mauve and pink to vivid cerise, deep purple, burgundy and red, with some varieties having a white eye that gives them extra sparkle. There are two types. Bedding verbenas are mounded plants (25 cm high and 30 cm wide) that remain compact, which makes them suitable for edgings and borders as well as between stepping stones. They make an excellent non-invasive border for rose beds. Spreading verbenas (25 cm high with a spread of up to 50 cm) are hardier and will most likely go through winter and come back if pruned.…

Broccoli and other brassicas Gardening is often a toss-up between going with your gut feeling and following the experts. But if your gut tells you to delay sowing broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage up until now because of the heat, it could very well be right. Except in cold Highveld areas, seed sown in early March will still have enough time to develop into strong enough plants before the first frost, which generally arrives at the end of May. That said, last year it didn’t and June was very mild. Another option is to buy seedlings from the garden centres, which means that by winter plants will be well on their way. All brassicas are long crops that need the cold to develop good heads. Growing broccoli Fertile soil…

Make autumn and winter gardening easier by following the bestdays icons. These activities are determined by the moon's phase and "influence" in regard to specific garden activities. In the last quarter: clear beds, harvest, weed and apply pest control. The barren days of the New Moon phase are ideal to prepare the soil for autumn bedding colour; and plant out on semi-fertile and fertile days after the full moon. The last weekend is perfect for winter bulb and root veg planting, followed by the hot veg days to plant garlic.…

We should have guessed at the end of last year, even long before Christmas, that 2016 wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. In times like these, with drought, terrible heat, social unrest, cold-hearted creditors, renewed suspicion about certain exotic trees (which are doomed for being thirstier than others), the scourge of pyromaniacs who set the mountains around farms alight, and the sudden changes of bean counters unsuccessful at keeping the fiscal situation of our country in check, it is us ordinary folk who have to come up with clever money-saving ideas. There must be hundreds of ways to save our pennies, but I have come up with a few of my own. One of them was to buy three large sweet potatoes on special, instead of just…

Many sweetly scented plants are commonly referred to as ‘jasmine’. Some are closely related to the true jasmines of the plant genus Jasminum, while others belong to very different families. Interestingly, many of these plants are climbers that are grown extensively for their ornamental value and rich, heady fragrances. Jasminum polyanthum (Chinese jasmine) is a vigorous, twining creeper with compound leaves that produces an abundance of blooms in early spring. The plants are smothered with intensely fragrant white flowers that emerge from rose-coloured buds. This gives the impression of two-tone flowers borne in drooping panicles, which is always a spectacular sight to behold. Unfortunately, plants left to grow unchecked can become invasive and a nuisance in the garden. Chinese jasmine is best grown in containers and kept trimmed to…

This is a great vegetarian choice with all the flavours of Mexico in a soft, crunchy tortilla wrap. 250 g broccoli florets4-6 small tortilla wraps2 tablespoons self-raising flourSparkling waterSaltVegetable oil for frying½ a bunch of fresh coriander1 egg yolkJuice of 2 limes1 garlic clove, sliced½ cup of vegetable oil½ cup of mild olive oil Serve with Lettuce, shredded Radishes, sliced Corn, cooked and removed from the husk Avocado, in blocks Red onion, thinly sliced Lime wedges Toasted cashews Make the mayonnaise by adding the coriander, egg yolk, lime juice and garlic to a food processor. Mix the ½ cup of vegetable oil and olive oil together. Start the food processor and slowly pour in a thin stream of the oil mix. If the mixture is too thick, add a few…

Is an annual poster-size calendar, produced by well-known moon-gardening specialist, IlonaThorndike. Moonlight 2016 is the eleventh edition of this popular and practical full colour printed moon calendar, and is set for SA time zone. Moonlight Calendar includes: • a photo of the daily moon shape. • the exact times of the four main moon phases. • the exact times that the moon changes zodiac signs. • colour coding showing the 'fertility" rating of everyday. • void-of-course times (the no-action periods) before a zodiac sign changes. • a brief description for gardening activities for each zodiac sign in both the waxing and waning phases. • the mood-energy of the moon in each zodiac sign Moonlight 2016 Calendar poster is available to The Gardener / Die Tuinier readers for x 1@R130, or SPECIAL OFFER…