Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i The Gardener Magazine

There are many reasons to have a fence or wall around your property – to keep the dogs in or out, for privacy, to provide shade for plants, or, most relevant in South Africa, to prevent crime. The problem is that walls and fences can be ugly and imposing, so how do we get them to blend into the garden and look pretty? Here are some ideas: Paint it This may sound obvious, but a new colour or fresh coat of paint will make all the difference to the garden. You may also want to consider a mural – murals are great conversation starters and can be effective focal points, and you could paint garden scenes or a doorway to visually extend the boundary walls. If you’re not artistically inclined,…

If you’re a gardener and a mother, chances are you’ll receive an indoor flowering plant for Mother’s Day. The timing is good, because it doesn’t take much effort to keep the flowers going through winter, and who knows what this winter will bring? What’s to like? Indoor flowers keep us cheerful and they liven up a room, making it feel much warmer! But there is more to it than that. Virginia Lohr, professor of horticulture ofWashington State University, makes some interesting claims; that plants improve mental functioning in children, and reduce domestic violence, probably because of their known ability to reduce stress and calm us down.“In short,” she says, “plants makes us better, more civil people.” Be colour wise Lighter-coloured flowers show up better indoors than deep reds and purples.…

Although commonly called the cobra lily due to its hooded upper petal, Chasmanthe aethiopica is actually a member of the iris family (Iridaceae). There are two other members of this genus, the robust orange or bright yellow C. floribunda with strongly branched inflorescences up to 1m high, and the medium-sized C. bicolor up to 90cm high with reddish-orange flowers striped with green. Both of these flower in late winter and spring (July to September). C. aethiopica differs in its smaller stature (25-70cm high) and in its shorter, reddish-orange or rarely light yellow flowers that bloom earlier in the season, from mid-autumn to winter (April to July). The cobra lily is a mainly coastal species, occurring from Darling on the CapeWest Coast to Kentani in the Eastern Cape. It grows in…

What are microgreens? Any leafy winter vegetable can be grown as a microgreen. They can be cut when the first true leaves appear or left to form three or four leaves. The smaller the leaves, the better the flavour. Microgreens can be treated as a cut-and-come-again crop or harvested at once and a new batch sown. Their benefits • Green cover crops replenish the soil with nitrogen, which gets leached out during the season. Mustard and other brassicas act as a biofumigant that is used for the suppression of soil-borne pests and diseases. The plants produce inhibitory chemicals, also known as secondary metabolites, that are released when the plants are tilled into the soil. • By adding organic content to the soil, green manures stimulate microorganisms, which digest organic matter…

What you need Timber cutting list (we used laminated saligna board) 3 x (450mm x 225mm x 22mm) 2 x (225mm x 22mm x 22mm supports) 4 x (5mm x 50mm) cut screws 12 x (4mm x 35mm) cut screws Wood glue Wood sealant 4 x large cup hooks Foam cut to 450mm x 225mm (we used 40mm thick foam, but use what you can find) Material to cover the foam Tools Pencil, tape measure, combination square, cordless drill driver, 22mm wood speed bit, jigsaw, paint brush What you do 1 Measure and cut all your timber to size. Two of the 450mm pieces will be the legs. At one end of each, find the centre and make a mark 20mm up from the base. Measure and mark two points…

1 There’s still time to plant a few hyacinth bulbs for indoor aroma and colour. Plant the bulbs in moist, good-quality potting soil in a shallow bowl and place in a dark cupboard until the flower spikes break ground. 2 Iceland poppies (Papaver nudicaule) are wonderful companions for pansies, violas and calendulas, as well as fillers-in between pruned roses in winter. Buy seedlings that are ‘green’ (not in flower) to get the most out of them. Plant poppies in full sun, in well-composted soil. For great flowers, fertilise once a month and water regularly – they shouldn’t dry out or be overwatered. 3 Pansies (Viola x wittrockiana) can easily claim to be the happiest plants in the garden, especially the classic pansy – those with black faces and bright yellow…

The drought across the country has taken (and is still taking) its toll on gardens, which will need revamping into more eco-friendly places. New housing developments continue to shoot up all over the place, and to get planning permission from ‘the powers that be’ you now require a proposed landscape plan. So no matter what the future climatic conditions bring, the fact of the matter is that a garden of some sort will always remain part of suburban living, which means you either have to make a plan yourself or get help from an outside source. The most difficult part of creating a new garden, or revamping an old one, is not the physical toil, but dealing with the clients and getting them to agree on the design. Often there’s…

Growing plants add a special dimension to the interiors of homes and offices. Usually those with plain green or sometimes variegated leaves are the easiest to grow in the low light and less humid conditions found indoors. We’ve selected three of the easiest and simplest indoor plants that perform admirably in a wide range of conditions. All they need is regular watering when the soil is dry to the touch and a splash of plant food every 4-6 weeks, and they’re styling. Epipremnum aureum (devil’s ivy or golden pothos) is a tropical climber cultivated in its juvenile form as an indoor plant. It’s often sold under a prior name ofScindapsus aureus. The glossy, light- to mid-green leaves are heart-shaped with a tapered point and sport a golden variegation in the…

Ornamental grasses that grow into clumps and continue growing as a perennial plant bring a completely different dimension to the landscape from a number of perspectives: they emphasise the seasonal growth cycle by having distinctive growth phases for every season; their mystical flower plumes in summer and autumn add a surreal or dreamlike aura to the garden, while in winter the dry or dying foliage accentuates the cold emptiness associated with this time of the year. And in spite of the seeming lack of life, the brownness adds that special something to frosty mornings. In spring the lush new leaves have a strong sense of a new beginning for the garden. Throughout the year, grasses add a sense of movement to gardens as they sway with the wind and shimmer…

Freesias The nose-pleasing blooms we’re able to plant today hale from a genus of 14-16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, all of which are native to Africa, and many from the Cape region. Freesias lay dormant during the hot, dry summers, are nurtured by the cooler weather and ample rains of autumn and winter, and then bloom fragrantly and beautifully in spring. Freesias are beautiful additions to any garden, whether you cluster them in beds or create a colourful display in containers. They can also make gorgeous houseplants and are very popular commercial cut flowers. If you plant the bulbs at intervals, then successions of blooms will grace your garden, which is ideal for cutting. Tulips Tulips require ‘cold treatment’ or‘forcing’ to grow and flower successfully in…

1. Potted roses are available in the indoor section of most good nurseries. They can be enjoyed inside and then planted into the garden later. 2. Buy a gift that lasts all year: a subscription to The Gardener orDie Tuinier magazines. Contact Noks on 031 003 0940 or visit www.thegardener.co.za for details. 3. Defenders has a range of garden protection items, like this wind-action owl with a rotating head and reflective eyes to deter nuisance pests in the garden.They are available online fromwww.tanyavisser.com 4. This gift pack consists of a book (Home Grown Garden Design) signed by Tanya Visser, rose floral printed gloves, a Moulton Mill stainless steel trowel and a weed knife. It’s a great combination for any gardener. www.tanyavisser.com…

WHAT YOU NEED Cutting list 3 x 420mm x 90mm x 20mm uprights 2 x 135mm x 90mm x 20mm side glass holders 1 x 94mm x 90mm x 20mm base 1 x 420mm x 55mm x 20mm spike 1 x 180mm x 20mm dowel 2 x 132mm x 20mm x 7mm side fences 10 x 32mm Kreg pocket screws 4 x 20mm cut screws Howard SunShield wax TOOLS Kreg K4 Pocket Hole Jig, Kreg Right Angle Clamp, Kreg 32mm Screws, Festool Track Saw and Multi-Function Table, Festool Jigsaw, Triton Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, Triton Geared Eccentric Sander, Triton Belt Sander, Triton WX7 with Router Table module, Pro-Tech flush-trim router bit, Alpen 20mm and 35mm Forstner wood drill bits, Tork Craft Sanding Glove with 120, 180, 240 and 400…

Jan Smuts Avenue is one of Joburg’ s longest, most illustrious avenues, threading its way through suburbs rich in history and bypassing residences of former mining magnates that are still shaded by stately jacaranda trees, silver oaks and date palms, almost as old as the city itself. Many homes have become businesses, the gardens paved over for parking and former grandeur gone to seed. But there are also pockets of restoration and beauty, such as can be found at number 107. Once the residence of the French consul-general, it’s now owned by a digital marketing company, whose visionary owner has reclaimed the style and grace of this 1930’s mansion and given landscaper Karen Gardelli virtually carte blanche with the garden. “Like many old Joburg properties, it was completely overgrown and…

GET THE LOOK One of the most difficult spots for roses is against a west-facing wall. The wall bakes in the sun, and if watering is inadequate the roses succumb to red spider. This west-facing rose bed, filled with ‘Double Delight’, avoids all these pitfalls. A silver birch planted in the rose bed provides dappled shade that reduces the heat of the wall. Instead of planting the roses directly against the wall, a shrub has been used as a buffer. Finally, the bases of the roses, which are often woody and sometimes leafless, are protected from the sun by a small, clipped buxus hedge. What you can’t see is that an irrigation system is installed in the bed. All of these factors, together with regular spraying and monthly fertilising, contribute…

A window box can be a whole lot of garden in a very confined space! Did you know that some container gardening books are dedicated specifically to the rectangular container known as a window box?This is easy to understand, as there is something endearing and heart-warming about a window box spilling colourful flowers, or a window box containing complementing combinations of interesting foliage and textured grasses. Planting up as many window boxes as you can in autumn is a real joy, as nurseries are filled with cold-season annuals in flower, cooking herbs, pretty ornamental grasses and the cutest succulents. And remember: a window box does not necessarily need a window as a backdrop. Custom-made window boxes can be fitted to balcony railings or simply displayed in a row on a…

To determine how many koi your pond can hold, you need to take into consideration a number of factors. You firstly have to work out the total volume of water in your pond. To do this, multiply the length by the width by the depth, and then multiply the answer by 1000. For example, a pond of 6m long, 3 m wide and 1.2m deep will have a volume of 21 600 litres. A rule of thumb says that a pond can support one large koi per 1000 litres of water, which means that the pond mentioned above could hold 21 large koi in its 21 600 litres. But many factors can influence the number of koi your pond can actually support. Filtration is one of the primary determiners –…

1 NEW ON THE BLOCK The Makita UR3501 Electric Grass Trimmer is lightweight and cost effective, and has a 1000W motor with a no-load speed of 7500 r/min. The UR3501 is ideal for maintaining an average size garden. It features an aluminium bent shaft with a soft-grip handle and is supplied with a shoulder strap, providing the user with more comfort and less fatigue during operation. www.makita.co.za 2 NEW IN GREY-WATER SYSTEMS The Ecogator GreyWater System is designed for easy and efficient recycling of household water. It’s simple to use and very cost-effective, with the filter unit inside the tank making for easier installation.The 120-litre system is designed to be a collection point for recycled water only, and not a storage tank, so there is no build up of bacterial…

The three days before this cycle’s fertile Full Moon phase is the best period for all types of planting and seed sowing -from early spring annuals, flowering bulbs, fynbos shrubs, bedding plants and above- and below-ground edibles. The semi-fertile days in mid-month are ideal to plant or transplant fruit trees, and to divide perennials and shrubs. Note that ‘repot’ days are the next best days for this. ‘Harvest’ days have a dry quality, so they’re ideal for lasting produce and suit clearing spent autumn annuals and beds.…