Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2017 i The Gardener Magazine

Gardening in a small space can be quite a challenge, especially if you have downsized from a bigger garden, but with careful planning it is possible to create a new garden that is both exciting and fulfilling. The key to designing any garden is, of course, to decide how you intend to use your outside space. Mistakes are far more obvious in a small area so it is crucial to plot the dimensions of your property accurately, as well as the hard surfacing, garden furniture, accessories and the plants you intend to grow. There is nothing more rewarding than a garden that flourishes without having to be constantly tamed. SHAPING THE GARDEN Geometric shapes lend themselves to small areas as they do not encroach on limited space as much as…

T he genus Pelargonium consists of some 230 different species, many of which are of southern African origin. For the past three centuries they have been extensively bred, resulting in an array of flowering plants that are grown globally for their brightly coloured blooms borne over a long period. The common name ‘geranium’ causes some confusion in the plant world, but most gardeners use the term with familiarity and affection. Everybody knows a geranium but few realise that pelargonium is the correct name from a botanical point of view. Classification Despite the fact that there are so many different pelargoniums, those used in the garden are usually classified into four main groups depending on their lineage and growth habit. This makes it easy to identify the plants and to be…

Although flowering bonsai are very popular in some regions of the world, particularly in Japan and the USA, beautiful flowering bonsai in South Africa are fairly rare. Most our indigenous trees do not produce huge masses of flowers like many of the trees in Japan, and the few that do are not really suited for bonsai. One of the most commonly used exotic species is the bougainvillea, while azaleas are also quite popular. To grow bonsai that produce flowers or fruit you need to understand the growth patterns of the species you are using. Also, be aware that although you can reduce the size of the leaves and branches of a tree, the flowers and fruit will remain the same size. The trick is to select a species that has…

1 TURNING FOLIAGE Conifers come into their own in winter. Plant Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Gold Crest’, which has a neat conical shape and bright yellowgreen foliage, in winter in the garden, and fill empty pots with the compact Platycladus ‘Aurea Nana Compacta’, which will turn rich bronze in winter. They grow best in full sun in an area with good air circulation. 2 ALOE TIMES! Compact aloe hybrids bred by South African aloe experts produce wonderful winter colour and fit into even the smallest garden. Look out for ‘Bushwhacker’, ‘Little Joker’, ‘Peri-Peri’, ‘Porcupine’ and ‘Hedgehog’ at your local nurseries. 3 PRETTY LITTLE PETUNIAS Calibrachoas are close relatives of the petunia, with small, trumpet-shaped flowers in a stunning array of bright colours. The claim to fame of these ‘new age’ hybrids is…

Compact or low-growing conifers are invaluable in cold winter gardens, where they lend colour and texture to landscapes that are often devoid of foliage. So many coldhardy plants are deciduous and become mere bare stems and branches during winter, which makes evergreens, and conifers in particular, so effective and useful. We have selected three different Thuja occidentalis cultivars, commonly known as American arborvitae, that grow well in local conditions and are pest and disease resistant compared with other conifers. Use them for filling in gaps and spaces in mixed borders or in rock gardens, or as great pot or container plants. Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ or ‘Emerald’ This is a narrow, conical shrub or small tree that can grow to 3m tall, although it takes its time getting there. The glossy,…

GET THE LOOK This elegant container, planted with a cascading ‘My Granny’ with ‘Winter Sun’ or ‘Lemonessence’ for height, perfectly harmonises with the Euphorbia tirucalli behind it, which is developing its red, yellow and bronze winter ‘fingers’. Schefflera arboricola, normally an indoor plant, adds a softer touch around the base of the container. This is a beautiful and unusual combination of plants (put together by landscaper Karen Gardelli), showing the versatility of the rose, which is of course the star of the show! So many more gardeners are growing their roses in containers now. For some it’s the only way to cope with the overflow (of yet another impulse purchase), while for other gardeners containers solve a whole host of problems: root competition, poor soil, and trees changing a once-sunny…

The Japanese word ‘kokedama’ literally means moss ball, and a collection of these moss balls suspended from the ceiling or some other structure is called a string garden. Creating a string garden with your own kokekama is a lovely way to spend a wintry afternoon and is not very difficult to do (except for the moments when you wish you had more than two hands!). You need • Newspaper • Twine • Dried moss or coir (the coir used to line hanging baskets also works) • Vermiculite • Water-retention granules • Potting medium • A few metres of thin steel cable (available per meter at hardware shops) • Metal lugs • Stainless steel cup hooks • Side cutters • Pliers or a crimping tool • Scissors • Plants of choice…

What you need An old wire gate 2 metal stakes 8 plastic pots 14 cable ties A selection of herbs A potting mix (¾ potting soil, ¼ palm coir and a handful of organic fertiliser pellets) Tools Hammer, cordless drill and 4mm drill bit What you do 1 Position the gate where you want it in the garden, then knock the stakes firmly into the ground. Attach the gate to the stakes using three cable ties on each side. 2 Drill two holes in the side of each pot, about ¾ of the way up. Insert a cable tie through the two holes. Pot up the pots, using the potting mix and herbs. Secure the pots to the gate using the cable tie.…

A s we always see orchids being sold in pots, we often forget that many of then, in fact most, grow as epiphytes in nature. This simply means that they grow with their roots not in soil, but attached to the bark of trees and shrubs. Epiphytes should not be confused with parasites, as their roots don’t penetrate the bark of the tree to draw moisture, nutrients or sugar from its host. The plant merely uses the host to get more light or better air movement than would be available on the forest floor. Quite a few orchids can be successfully grown mounted on trees in our South African gardens. Consider one of the following for your garden: Vanda coerulea This species hales from the Indian Himalayas and can withstand…

What you need • An old wooden chair, with the seat removed • Organic fertiliser pellets • Palm peat block (reconstituted in water) • Potting soil • Bonemeal or superphosphate • A selection of succulents from large to small • Weed-control fabric • Staple gun • Scissors • Paintbrush What you do 1. Make a soil mix with ½ potting soil, ½ palm peat, a handful of organic fertiliser pellets and a handful of bonemeal or superphosphate. 2. Cut a piece of fabric bigger than the cavity of the seat and press it into the cavity, to create a planting hole. 3. Don’t trim the fabric, but first staple it to the inside of the frame. Cut away the excess once you are sure it’s secure. 4. Fill the cavity…

With South Africa downgraded to ‘junk status’, who knows what the future holds and how that will affect the basics, like food on the table, and at what cost? Survival vegetable gardening is a hot topic in the United States (not surprisingly) and it may just become a trend here too. It’s all about selfsufficiency, and hopefully producing enough to share as well. Be prepared The key to survival is preparation, and in cold Highveld and winter-rainfall areas, June is the perfect month for planning so that planting can start in July. In the frost-free areas (Lowveld, Limpopo and along the KwaZulu-Natal coast), planning and planting needs to happen in quick succession as this is the best time for growing vegetables. Work out the family’s needs Sit the family down…

This is the second in our Working with Wood series presented by Greg de Villiers. Throughout the series we will introduce you to some amazing new tools on the market that take the ‘work’ out of wood work. Create your own nifty tabletop planters following these easy steps! WHAT YOU NEED For a single planter: 90mm x 90mm x 140mm For a double planter: 90mm x 90mm x 280mm TOOLS Quick clamps, pencil, combination square, masking tape, spraypaint, Festool Multi-Function Table, Festool Jigsaw, Triton Belt Sander, Triton Geared Eccentric Sander, Triton Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, 50mm Forstner bit. What you do 1 Cut your timber to length then measure up 45mm and draw a 45° line and transfer the line around the block as in the diagram. (You can…

It’s happened folks! The guys who‘ve been observing our country from their lofty seats on far off continents have unanimously decided that we are dirty buggers and mere rubble, bordering on the vermin of the first world! In Monopoly they say, “Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200”, and that’s what it feels like to me. It basically means we’re not going to get anybody’s money anymore. The financiers distrust our laughing president with his multiple wives, our members of parliament who shout and fight with each other like naughty toddlers in the ball pen at Spur, and our corrupt ministers who are intent on selling off our birthrights to a foreign family or the Russians! I also think that these rating agencies made their…