Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2018 i The Gardener Magazine

There is a place that few know of, nestled at the end of a winding road, where grandkids run and play as the lush lawn tickles their feet, and family picnics are held regularly under the ancient oak tree. This is a family garden, a practical garden, created by a lover of nature and all that blooms. In 2004 Debbie and Roland Miller invested in the farm Dromore, just outside Kokstad in KZN. This beautiful farm was in no way habitable – the home needed to be repaired and renovated and there was not an inkling of a garden in sight. True to their dream, Debbie and Roland set out to create an oasis for themselves and a welcoming treat for all the family and friends that visit. Nature’s footprint…

Climbing garden plants are often deliberately overlooked for fear that they will grow rampant and take over the whole landscape. And while this may be true of some, the reality is that climbers and creepers fulfil a very specific role in the landscape. They grow where no other plants can perform, spreading their farreaching limbs to cover and hide, beautify and disguise. Imagine a spring garden without the blossoms of so many climbers – jasmines, honeysuckles, roses, petreas and bougainvilleas. It’s amazing just how many well-known garden plants are actually classified as climbers! Climbers can be broadly categorised into three main types based on their mode of attaching themselves. Self-clinging climbers have aerial roots (such as ivy) or adhesive tendril tips (Virginia creeper) that attach to walls or trees. Twining…

• 1 – 2 September Ludwig’s Star Roses, Assagay, KwaZulu-Natal at 14:00 (July 1) and 10:30 (July 2) Tel: 081 380 8496 • 8 September Ludwig’s Roses Egoli, 97 Lachlan Road, Glenferness, at 10:30 am Tel: 081 715 5110 • 9 September Ludwig’s Rose Farm, Wallmansthal, at 10:30 am Tel: 012 544 0144 • 9 September Ludwig’s Roses Pretoria East, Lynnwood Road, at 14:00 Tel: 012 941 9251 • 15 – 16 September Ludwig’s Roses Winelands, Stellenbosch/Klipheuwel at 10:00 (15 Sept) and 10:30 (16 Sept) Tel: 021 884 4552 • 15 September Ludwig’s Roses Cape Town, Klaasens Road, Wynberg Park, at 14:00 Tel: 071 640 9565. • 22 September Ludwig’s Roses Big Red Barn, M18 Glen Road, between Irene and Clayville, at 10:00 Tel: 081 410 0096…

Soil pest control In part one and two of this series on soil arthropods I emphasised the importance of the biodiversity of organisms found in the soil, and the role they have in shaping it. To finish the series I want to talk about controlling those organisms that have a disruptive influence on the plants we plant in the soil. In other words, soil pests. We spend a great deal of our time treating pests that are visible on plants, but plants are also susceptible to pests that live in the soil, such as some types of bacteria, fungi, rootworm, some species of nematodes, and the larvae of beetle and some moths, as well as cicada nymphs. Essentially, soil pests can be broken down into two groups: permanent residents and…

What you need: • 2 rolls of rope • 20 x 40cm-long sticks (wood or bamboo) • A couple of wooden beads for decoration…

1 MANY MORE CLIVIAS FOR YOU I’m always reassured that winter is finally over when the vivid orange blooms of clivias appear once again. These evergreen, shade-loving rhizomatous bulbs with their glossy strap-like leaves and huge flower heads will liven up the dullest shady corner if planted en masse. They are equally impressive in large containers on a shady patio. All you need to do to enjoy the beauty of these rewarding plants is supply heavily composted, well-draining soil and regular watering in summer – they prefer to be kept a little drier in winter. 2 SIX MUST-HAVE SPRING-FLOWERING PERENNIALS Spring is all about planting flowers and pretty plants, and you will see plenty of other ideas elsewhere in this issue. But don’t forget these old stalwart perennials for bold…

Cold-hardy evergreen shrubs are invaluable as the structural backbone in cold-climate gardens, lending year-round good looks to the landscape. Spring-flowering shrubs that fit this profile are few and far between. Here are three tried-and-tested plants that have proved successful in a wide range of local growing conditions. They’re evergreen, tough and resilient, and burst forth into bloom in spring and summer, and they can be equally useful in gardens in warmer areas. Rhaphiolepis x delacourii ‘Pretty Pink’ This form of the Indian hawthorn, which has clear-pink flowers, has proven to be a great success in gardens from the seashore into the cold hinterland. It is a robust shrub with tough leathery leaves that are dull green in summer turning shades of purple during cold winter weather. In spring the bushes…

Over the next few pages we will introduce you to the world’s top landscape designers and their creations at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Probably the highest accolade that any designer can aspire to is to have their design accepted by the RHS board as one of the gardens to be created along the coveted main avenue in the grounds of the Royal Hospital. Garden: O-mo-te-na-shi no NIWA – The Hospitality Garden Designer: Kazuyuki Ishihara This traditional garden was inspired by the treasured Japanese culture of omotenashi, the concept of wholehearted and sincere hospitality and the wish to invoke this feeling in guests coming into the garden. What impressed us The planting is based on Ikenobo, a type of Japanese flower arranging dating from the 15th century, with the placement…

In the March of issue of The Gardener we tried to tell you what we thought kids would love to have in a garden. This month we show you some wonderful ideas that the students at Lifestyle’s College had in mind for kid’s gardens at the Lifestyle Garden Design Show in 2018, and in previous years. They know how to design fantastic gardens in which we all would just love to play! Spaces of wonder and fascination A mystical labyrinth made up of flamboyantly coloured pavers. The spiral has a journey of fun and purpose – alphabet going in, numbers coming out. Scented plants are embroidered throughout the maze adding to the interest, variety and enjoyment. Ground-hugging mint is in abundance to throw up fresh scent underfoot. On the left…

Who wouldn't want to shop at an award-winning garden centre? Find the Garden Centre Association store in your area and know you are shopping at the best. Here are the winners of the GCA competition for 2018. Independent Garden Centres Garden Centre of the Year 2018 Greenside Kwekery Size Category Winners Large Greenside Kwekery Medium Greener Tidings Small Concrete Garden Creations Departmental Awards Regional Awards Most Improved Nursery Concrete Garden Creations Grading Awards Platinum Greener TidingsGreenside Kwekery Gold Concrete Garden CreationsGarden Pavilion EckardsHecker NurseryKeith Kirsten Garden CentrePlantland MenlynStodels Nurseries Bellville Silver Gilt Garden Pavilion BrandmullersGarden Pavilion MontanaPlantland The WildsPretty Gardens TuinsentrumStodels Nurseries SomersetWest Silver Plantland AkasiaPlantland ZambesiStodels Nurseries KenilworthStodels Nurseries Milnerton Bronze Countryside Garden CentreFloradale Port ElizabethGarden Pavilion PotchefstroomNinfa TuinsentrumSebenza Garden CentreStodels Nurseries ConstantiaPlantland Cornwall Hill Home Store Garden Department…

MAKING A SCENE Inspired by the terrarium trend and museum dioramas, there’s great fun to be had in planting up a clear container with succulents, moss and plastic wildlife. You will need • An assortment of glass or clear plastic/acrylic containers: terrariums, vases, medium to large mason jars as well as small fish bowls or tanks • Child-friendly, spike-free succulents • Spray-bottle filled with water • Small pebbles as well as decorative stones • Potting soil • Moss (available from nurseries) • Plastic animal toys Instructions • Place a generous layer of small stones or pebbles in the bottom of the container. • Top with soil, leaving a few inches of space at the top for plants (depending on their size) and small plastic toys. • Plant the succulents and…

events GAUTENG Sunday 16 September Organic vegetable growing courses Learn every aspect of growing vegetables organically, from mastering soil preparation to coping with water restrictions, companion planting, organic pest control and crop rotation. Venue: Inner City Farm, Sandown, Johannesburg Time: 08:30 – 16:30 Enquiries: 082 365 0050, www.soughtafterseedlings.co.za Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 September Orchid Show and Sale Hosted by the East Rand Orchid Society. Venue: Greenstone Shopping Centre, Edenvale Time: Saturday 09:00 – 17:00; Sunday 09:00 – 16:00 Enquiries: Andre 011 453 6888, info@eastrandorchids.co.za KWAZULU-NATAL Friday 25 January – Sunday 27 January 2019 Wild Orchids South Africa 4th National Conference The conference is on the Saturday, with field trips on the Friday and Sunday. The conference will appeal to beginners as well as more knowledgeable enthusiasts in wild orchid…

Our country is known as one that does things a little differently! We stood in long lines at voting stations in 1994 to vote for freedom after a lifetime of living under Apartheid. We didn’t line up in the sun that day as enemies, but rather chatted like old friends reunited. It amazed the rest of the world that the election could happen without bloodshed. Just before that momentous day, three South Africans, Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and Nelson Mandela, won the Nobel Peace Prize, and later our new president, Madiba, became a much-loved, revered and highly respected world icon. In 1995 we celebrated together in the streets after winning the Rugby World Cup after years of isolation. There were many fights about our national anthem, the national flag,…

1 Let bystanders know it’s spring at home! If you have a small, neglected strip of land on your pavement or close to your garden gate that needs upliftment with bright flower faces, invest in Cape daisies or Osteospermum hybrids, which burst into flower very early and keep flowering for ages. Beautiful ‘hell strip plants’ There can be no other genus that produces such happy daisies in such an array of the brightest colours on earth, and every year we see new varieties coming out. All they need is: • Hot, sunny spaces; • Medium to low water usage; • Cutting back in late summer to allow flowering in autumn again. 2 Dress up your driveway Driveways normally have straight and narrow beds alongside the large expanse of paving. Planting…

GET THE LOOK This long reflecting pool, reminiscent of a rill and edged with roses, is the ideal centrepiece for a rectangular formal garden, especially when used to link the house to the loggia or pavilion at the end of the garden. Water is a lively, mercurial element that complements and enhances the rose blooms as they tumble over themselves towards the pool’s edge. The roses that I would recommend for this effect are the dense, shrubby Fairytale roses, similar to floribunda roses but with full, old-fashioned blooms. In this category the low growers that would provide an abundance of blooms include ‘Blue Fairy’, ‘Golden Oldie’, ‘Rosafrica’, ‘Sylvie-joy’, ‘Threads and Crafts’, ‘Sunny Ayoba’, ‘Passion of St Peters’ and ‘Thank You’. Get ready for Spring! September is almost as exciting as…

Patio veggies… ‘Hansel’ and ‘Gretel’ eggplant produce clusters of glossy black and white elongated fruit (respectively) on determinate plants (90cm high) that generally don’t need supporting, making them suitable for growing in large patio pots or in the ground, in small vegetable gardens. Both plants are All-America Selections winners. The fruit is tender and not bitter. If eaten as baby vegetables fruit can be harvested when 8 – 10cm long or left to mature (10 – 15cm long). Both varieties are more productive and are quicker to harvest than open-pollinated varieties. www.ballstraathof.co.za Sweet stuff Two sweet peppers that are quite different to the traditional sweet peppers are ‘Candy Cane’, a snack pepper with fruit that ripens from green-striped to solid red, and ‘Mad Hatter’, a taller variety with bright red…

Spring is here and the gardener's favourite season. On Spring day (Sat 1st), set the tone for a bountiful summer garden and plant a perennial herb pot, or flower shrub. The days following are mostly barren but ideal to harvest, clear and make space for sowing and planting on fertile days after the New Moon. The two days after the Spring Equinox are ideal to plant edibles and flower varieties. In dry regions, deep watering then is water wise and lasting, ensuring successful seed germination and seedling establishment.…