Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i The Gardener Magazine

It’s not often that you get to experience a garden of the magnitude and magnificence of Cavalli Estate. There’s a sense of wonder as you drive through the gates past the Equestrian Indoor Arena, up the hill along the main avenue, soaking up the magnificent fields of lavender, citrus trees and vineyards, all set against the perfect background of wildflowers and fynbos that seem so wild they might have been there forever. It looks completely natural, and that – as any good designer will tell you – is the sign of good design, especially when achieved on this scale. Designers Keith Kirsten and Raymond Hudson took on this challenge in consultation with the owners, who wanted to make a substantial contribution to the botanic biodiversity of the Cape by planting…

Water restrictions don’t necessarily mean it’s all doom and gloom, writes Duncan Henderson, a wholesale grower of ornamental perennials, grasses, and shrubs. I’m confident that we’ll get good rains this winter to bring the dam levels up to the magical 85% levels again, but what if we don’t? Cape Town and other areas in the Western Cape have been under tough water restrictions since November 2016, and we know that local nurseries have been severely affected (sales have been significantly down) and we only have to look at friends’ and family’s gardens to see the impact of drought. Will we ever return to what we used to call ‘normal’ gardening again? Reduced water consumption is going to become a way of life for everybody. For those fortunate enough to have…

Many other succulent-type plants combine effectively with aloes in the garden. Some have contrasting foliage both in terms of colour and texture, adding interest to the landscape and enhancing year-round good looks. These three indigenous plants are ideal companion plants for aloes of every shape and size – they have colourful foliage and attractive flowers that add to their appeal. Use them in gardens or plant them in mixed succulent pots for a lovely display that requires very little water. Kleinia galpinii (coral senecio) This low-growing succulent forms a bushy base comprised of rosettes of waxy grey foliage. Flower stalks with smaller leaves along the length produce round flowers comprised of many orange florets, as the plant is a member of the daisy family. The striking contrast between the pale…

A loes continue to be fashionable plants with their low water requirements, brightly coloured flowers and true African landscape look gaining popularity as a distinctive garden style. Many of them are easy to grow, require minimal care and maintenance, and yet they still make for a pleasing display, especially during times when water is scarce. New hybrids and cultivars are continuously being added to the comprehensive range available commercially. They’re being bred and selected according to various criteria, including smaller size, attractive or interesting foliage, and repeat flowering performance along with their overall garden performance. The modern hybrid aloe is a far cry from the aloes seen growing wild in the African bushveld in terms of the impact they make in the garden. The interest shown in miniature or dwarf…

Midwinter is a quiet time in the garden, so why not green up the home instead, by using plants as interior decor? Green is the interior colour of the year and decorating with plants couldn’t be more natural or trendy. Indoor plants are making a huge comeback, for many good reasons. They purify and improve air quality, energise a dull room, and are easy to move around or mix and match. Best of all, plants are an affordable way to revamp a room without disruption. Here are five ways to decorate with houseplants MAKE A STATEMENT Use a large, graceful or spiky plant to fill an empty space or a dull corner in the living room, and put it in a container that also enhances it. Let the plant fill…

Good to know Use a germination mix (not a seedling mix), which is available from garden centres, or make your own (equal quantities of sifted compost, river sand and vermiculite). Seeds need oxygen to germinate, so the seed mix should not be too fine. Over-watering also drives out the oxygen, which is why seeds rot. After filling up trays, tap the soil down with your finger to get rid of air pockets. This improves germination. There’s a reason why July is a quiet time in the garden – it gives us time to plan for the next season. • Review the past season: jot down your successes and failures, problems with pests and diseases, oversupply or undersupply, which veggies you would like to plant more of, others that you can…

1 CLEAN UP’S A (SILENT) BREEZE WITH HUSQVARNA’S BATTERY BLOWERS Husqvarna’s battery-operated blowers offer gardeners and landscapers all the power of petrol performance but with the benefits and convenience of cordless battery technology. Quiet, clean, convenient operation, long-lasting lithium-ion batteries – and guaranteed professional results. The 536LiB handheld blower is powerful, lightweight and easy-to-use, making it the ideal partner for cleaning larger gardens, estates and other demanding locations. Because Husqvarna’s battery blowers are quiet and don’t require fuel, they are suitable for tough, commercial use indoors and in noise-regulated outside areas such as hotels, hospitals and schools. www.husqvarna.co.za 2 GARDEN GLORY NOZZLE SET Garden Glory’s beautiful adjustable nozzles offer three settings – jet, soft shower and mist – and come in a range of funky colours. For extra flair, they’re…

KWAZULU-NATAL Saturday 29 – Sunday 30 Annual Queensburgh Orchid Club Show Come and admire orchids of all sizes, shapes and colours. Plants will be on sale and refreshments available. Kloof Town Hall, Old Main Road, Kloof Time: 10:00 – 16:00 Entrance: Adults R15, scholars R10 Enquiries: Jimmy 082 809 1572 GAUTENG Wednesday 12 July The Horticultural Society Talk: Landscaped gardens, by John Cowen. Roosevelt Recreation Centre, Preller Drive, Roosevelt Park Time: 19:30 Entrance: Members R20, visitors R30, including refreshments. Enquiries: 082 951 1432 Wednesday 26 July The Horticultural Society Talk: The latest drone technology used in Johannesburg City Parks, by Alan Buff. The Floreum, Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, Olifants Road, Emmarentia Time: 19:30 Entrance: Members R20, visitors R30, including refreshments. Enquiries: 082 951 1432…

This year The Gardener Pavilion has some exciting new additions to our mix of exhibitors. Food gardening is the rage at the moment, which is why Just Berries, who will be selling a range of berry trees, are sure to be a major attraction, as are The Orchard, who sell a variety of fruit trees. Also very pertinent at the moment is Roto-Tank, who will be on the show for the first time offering some great water-saving solutions. But the show isn’t just about being sensible. Legacy will be putting on a spectacular bonsai display in conjunction with Garden Décor. And if you’re in the mood for some shopping, Husqvarna will also be joining us this year and will be launching some amazing new products. Efekto will also be at…

It might sound surprising, but there are quite a few orchids that can be grown in the garden, planted in normal garden soil. While most of us think of orchids as epiphytic, there are many terrestrial (growing in soil) orchid species around the world as well, and in South Africa there are more of the indigenous terrestrial orchids than epiphytes. How to grow orchids in garden beds First, select a good spot for the specific plants that you would like to grow. Certain ground orchids prefer more shade, while others require bright light and even full sun to grow well and prosper. It’s best to plant ground orchids in soil that is reasonably well drained (although Bletilla striata will grow in clay soil). Prepare the soil by digging it over,…

GET THE LOOK There’s something to be said for massing a single rose variety, like ‘Alec’s Red’, to produce a swathe of colour that leads the eye further into the garden. The clipped buxus hedges here perfectly frame these classic hybrid tea blooms, while keeping the roots cool and hiding bare lower stems. For a show like this, regular monthly feeding and watering is necessary, as well as winter pruning this month and regeneration of the soil. With all the different types of garden roses, from low groundcovers to tall hedging roses, you would imagine that winter pruning has become more complicated. Not at all. The same principles apply, irrespective of the rose. We prune to neaten and shape the bushes, and to reduce the height of tall growers. By…

Why prune? To rejuvenate: Pruning encourages new, healthy growth, which naturally means more leaves, flowers and fruit. To tame space eaters: Plants like bougainvilleas and other wild creepers need to be pruned to stop them from growing into gutters or over telephone and power cables. For shape and damage control: Trees and large shrubs that have been damaged can be pruned to get them back into shape. Young trees need to be pruned regularly to maintain a straight main stem and to produce a neat crown, and the low side branches of overgrown shrubs can be cut away to allow space for other plants to be grown beneath them. For pest and disease control: If there is a crisis situation of some sort, you can prune away dead and heavily…

A new slant on an old classic What you do WHAT YOU NEED Cutting list SA pine cut to the following dimensions: 4 x 600mm x 94mm x 22mm (box sides) 4 x 440mm x 94mm x 22mm (box ends) 2 x 640mm x 94mm x 22mm (box base) 4 x 240mm x 200mm x 22mm (legs) 2 x 720mm x 94mm x 22mm (Top frame sides) x 520mm x 94mm x 22mm (Top frame ends) 1 x plastic box (about 550mm x 400mm x 180mm, to fit into the planter box) 32 x 34mm Kreg screws 12 x 40mm cut screws Howard SunShield wax TOOLS Festool Track Saw and Multi-Function Table, Festool Jigsaw, Triton Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, Triton Geared Eccentric Sander, Kreg K4 Pocket Hole Jig, tape…

1 GO GREEN INDOORS Fill your house and patio with lacy ferns, which are once again very fashionable. It’s also said that ferns of all kinds clean the air, and being surrounded by them leaves you with a sense of calm and well-being. Stock up on your fern collection by adding the following easy-to-grow species: maidenhair (Adiantum), rabbit’s foot (Davallia), holly fern (Cyrtomium) and Boston fern (Nephrolepis). Display them in bright light away from cold drafts, keep their roots just moist, and feed regularly with a water-soluble fertiliser. 2 COLOURFUL FILLERS Every garden has ‘gaps’ – patches of bare soil between plants that can be filled in with pretty little winter-hardy plants like sea thrift (Armeria maritima), candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) and wild carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus). 3 FLOWERS IN THE HOUSE…

Reality programmes can sometimes be very informative and entertaining. I’ve watched most of the series of a programme on KykNET called Boer soek ‘n vrou – which basically means that single farmers on lonely farms somewhere in our huge country are looking for wives, and one possible chance of success is by inviting ladies who might be interested to write to them. The farmers receive huge sacks of letters, and after reading them all (with the help of their smirking friends and sometimes shocked mothers!) they decide on about ten ladies who they would like to meet for a date. I’m always super curious to know what the winning letter writers wrote to grab the attention of the farmers. So I decided to try my own hand at writing a…