Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2019 i The Gardener Magazine

GET THE LOOK How well these climbing roses combine with the view beyond the garden. In one sense they act as a screen, but they’re not dense (unlike other creepers) and so they allow a tantalising glimpse of the scenery past the garden. Instead of blocking the view, they enhance it. The beauty of climbing roses is that they act as an accent, drawing attention to a beautiful archway or a pergola and also beautifying fences and walls. The climbers on this fence are ‘Gülilah’ and ‘Towering Rose Magic’, both highly perfumed, and they are complemented by ‘Perfumery’, ‘Knysna’ and ‘Clocolan’ planted in front of them. Rose tasks for February Watering tips February can be the hottest month of the year, and keeping water usage reasonable means that there is…

I have killed many trees through bad repotting techniques and I am not alone (at least that’s what I tell myself!). All bonsai trees need to be repotted at some point. They grow in relatively small pots, which means there is limited space for their roots to develop. This limited root space is the very aspect that creates a miniature tree, but eventually all the soil gets used up and the roots grow around the boundary of the pot. Once the plant has become pot-bound it needs to be repotted. Slower-growing trees need repotting a bit less often, but fast-growing trees sometimes need to be repotted once a year, especially when they are young. Older trees may only need to be repotted every five years or so. The single most…

Swiss chard Swiss chard is an almost year-round crop. Sowing a new batch now will take you through winter. Plant in fertile, well-composted soil that gets plenty of sun in winter and is sheltered. Plants are frost tolerant but tend to stand still in very cold areas. Try this Boost your metabolism by combining Swiss chard with one peeled orange and ½ cup of strawberries, almond milk or full-cream yoghurt. Health benefit A very good source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as dietary fibre and minerals. Research has found that chard is able to regulate blood sugar levels in the body. Baby spinach Baby spinach varieties produce small, tasty leaves within 35 – 40 days of sowing. The leaves have a more delicate flavour than mature spinach.…

The inspiration for this article came from the fantastic colours that appear on hydrangea flowers as they start to wind down after their flowering season. These are just perfect for bringing indoors to brighten up a dull corner and they last for ages. Here are some tips and ways to save summer through the art of drying. Choosing the right flowers to dry Some flowers, like hydrangeas, seem to dry themselves, while others, like succulents, are just too filled with moisture to dry completely. Some even sprout more plants when dried out a bit, which is usually good, but not in this case! The best way to check which flowers will work is to do some experimenting with flowers in your garden. Some will retain their vibrant colours while others…

Agaves originate from the Americas, their aloe-like appearance giving rise to various common names including American aloe. Some are aggressive plants that sucker prolifically, resulting in them having been declared alien invader plants. Others are amongst the most statuesque and beautiful architectural plants for the ornamental garden, especially since they are effective in hot, dry growing conditions and withstand winter cold. Agaves also make superb potted specimens in strategic places in the landscape. Their attraction is in the shape, form and colour of the foliage, which is often armed with prominent spines. Flower spikes are produced as the plants mature. After blooming the parent plant dies off leaving seedlings or suckers to continue. Agave vilmoriniana (octopus agave) A large plant with leaves in excess of 150cm long and 10cm wide…

We love to visit garden centres and design schools to see what brilliant ideas have been thought up during the year, and to see how fresh designs come from enthusiastic youngsters new to the industry, applying the knowledge they are absorbing from the old pros who are their mentors. On our recent visits to Garden World and Lifestyle Garden Centre we saw loads that we absolutely loved. Here are the ideas that we simply had to share with you, and which you can possibly apply to your own gardens. 1. Thoroughly modern We loved the clean, angular lines of this contemporary design, perfect for a townhouse garden or courtyard. The single colour, a thoroughly trendy shade of grey, ties the various elements together, while the more natural elements of raw…

Lewisia cotyledon ‘Elise Mix’ is a strikingly beautiful addition to the range of flowering succulents for low-water gardens and containers, as well as for indoors as a long-lasting decor plant. Originating from the USA’s Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains, it needs well-drained, moderately fertile, gritty soil that provides perfect drainage around the plant’s crown, especially in winter when it can rot from too much moisture. Lewisia ‘Elise Mix’ is a first-year-flowering perennial hybrid that is low-growing, compact (15 – 30cm high and wide) and ideal for rock gardens, in-between pavers and in mixed plantings with other succulents or plants with low water needs. Sprays of brightly coloured flowers in shades of pink to deep magenta, yellow, peach and orange appear from late spring to early winter (or the first…

Few plants can rival vinca (Catharanthus roseus) for its ability to thrive in hot and dry weather. And now this trusty plant has had a glamorous makeover. Vinca ‘Tattoo’ is a new series featuring noticeably different flowers with dark eyes and dark shading that looks as if it has been airbrushed onto the petals. The colours are also noticeably different from the run-of the-mill vinca colours. hasadarkeyethat swirls onto the petals, giving it that exotic tattoo appearance. hasvibrantdeeprose-pinkpetals with a dark eye. haspinkish-orangeflowerswitha purple eye that blends over the petals. isasmokyorangewith a dark eye. Plants are bushy and well branched, resulting in more flowers, and grow to a garden height of 25 – 36cm. Plant in full sun to bring out the intensity of the flower…

Make your own flower press by following these steps: What you need 3 x 300mm x 300mm x 18mm wooden boards 4 x 100mm x 8mm bolts 4 x 8mm wing nuts 8 x 8mm galvanised washers Tools needed Cordless drill with 8mm drill bit for wood, tape measure, pencil, sand paper 1. Clamp the three boards together, the edges flush. Mark 40mm from each edge on all the corners. 2. While still clamped, drill a hole in each corner. Sand all the edges of the planks. 3. Slide a washer onto a bolt and insert through the holes. Slide on another washer and then the wing nuts. Repeat for all corners. This press enables you to press two layers of flowers at a time, but you could add more…

A menacing little invader has arrived on our shores and is making its unwelcome presence known through the death of countless trees. The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB for short), which gets its name from the shotgun blast of holes it can make in a tree’s surface, is originally from Asia and measures only 2.5mm in length, but it can be a carrier of a number of funguses. Fusarium euwallaceae, with which the beetle has a symbiotic relationship, is particularly devastating, cutting off the trees’ vascular systems and leading to limb die-off or even the death of the trees. PSHB infests a number of exotic trees, including plane trees (in which it was first discovered locally, in the Pietermaritzburg Botanical Garden in 2017), Japanese and Chinese maples, kapoks, English oaks,…

Trim your hedges The Husqvarna 115iHD45 hedge trimmer is easy to use, easy to handle, and quiet enough for seasonal use in residential areas. Comfortable and durable, it offers powerful performance with no direct emissions. It is a great choice for homeowners due to safe, convenient starting via the intuitive keypad, an efficient brushless motor with savE™ function for extra runtime and a long-lasting Li-ion battery. www.husqvarna.co.za Perfect petunias ‘Lightning Sky’ is the next instalment in our spotted petunia range, following ‘Night Sky’ and ‘Baby Doll’. This stunning petunia is a deep burgundy colour with creamy yellow spots that can also develop into stripes. The flowers change their colour pattern depending on the temperature and positioning, which means it is always the talk of the town. It is available at…

Die luggie is koel, ’n fris oggendbriesie, bome is vol goudkleurige en rooibruin blare – die herfs is hier. Glo dit as jy wil, dit is nou planttyd omdat wonderlike tuine in die herfs begin. Daar is kwalik ’n beter manier om hierdie inspirerende seisoen te vier as om Die Herfstuinskou te besoek wat vanjaar van 5 tot 7 April 2019 die tweede keer by The Herb Farm, Summitweg, Midrand, gehou word. The Herb Farm, Summitweg 264 (R562), Bridle Park, Midrand, 1685 Hekke is daagliks van 9 vm. tot 5 nm. oop. (Laatste inkoms om 4 nm.) Loketkaartjies: R80 Volwassenes, R65 Pensionarisse en Kinders (Kinders wat onder die Reusemadeliefie inpas slegs R10) Afslagkaartjies aanlyn beskikbaar by www.webtickets.co.za Gaan stap ’n entjie deur die skilderagtige kruietuin, ’n lewendige viering van die…

These acidic yet aromatic fruits are indispensable for culinary and household purposes, and a well-tended lemon tree provides an abundance of fruit for months on end, many of them upholding the term ‘ever-bearing’ perfectly. They flower and fruit sporadically through the seasons, although spring is the main flowering period. The fragrant blossom is just another virtue of these attractive evergreen trees that are as much at home in the ornamental garden as the orchard in the back of many old gardens. Make sure that your garden is complete by having a happy and healthy lemon tree conveniently at hand. Here’s all the advice that you need to accomplish this. Selecting the right tree Most citrus trees, including lemons, are propagated by the process of budding the required cultivar onto a…

The blue squill or blouberglelie is one of South Africa’s most striking blue-flowered bulbs. A member of the hyacinth family (Hyacinthaceae), it is widespread across the eastern summer-rainfall parts of the country, from the Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga, and also occurs in Lesotho and Swaziland. This extremely variable species ranges from dwarf forms just 15cm high to robust plants up to 1m or more in full flower. Its habitat is variable, and it is usually found in moist conditions on cliff ledges, near waterfalls, along riverbanks and on wetland margins, but also occurs on relatively dry rocky hill slopes in grassland, from close to the coast up to 2500m. The plant has a complicated taxonomic history. It was originally described as Scilla plumbea by the English botanist John Lindley in…

Check out the sowing guide for February and you’ll notice that it is mainly greens. There is a saying that nature gives us what we need when we need it, and it seems that greens are what we need in winter. That’s because most greens are rich in vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system in winter, contain antioxidants that help protect the body from free radicals (which cause cancer) and have a detoxifying effect on the body. One way to get in the requisite daily amount of number of greens (and fruit) is by making green smoothies, especially in winter when salads aren’t as appealing. Green smoothies are a combination of raw leafy greens and fruit, thinned with water, almond milk or yoghurt. It is a quick-to-make power drink…

www.bureaux.co.za LET’S BE FRONDS You say potato, I say beautiful indoor plant… The trailing, vine-like leaves of a sweet potato make for a whimsical and unusual addition to your collection of indoor plants. Kids will take pride in knowing that they have grown something so unusual and, quite frankly, cool. You will need A few healthy, wrinkle-free sweet potatoes – even better if little sprouts are beginning to shoot out of the sweet potato ‘eyes’. Clean glass jars and bottles with wide enough necks to place the potatoes into. Instructions Fill the jars almost to the top with water and place the bottom of the sweet potato into it so that it is resting in the water. Keep at least the top third of the potato out of the water.…

1 Salvias in colour Replace tired bedding plants with seedlings of annual, heat-loving Salvia splendens ‘Blaze of Fire’ or ‘Flare Bright Red’. Complement the bright red upright flower spikes with silvery-grey Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’ – they like it hot and dry and will give you a flower- and foliage-filled transition into late autumn. Perennial Salvia greggii hybrids are constantly in bloom from summer into autumn, so go all out with the ‘Heatwave’ series – compact salvias guaranteed to add heart-warming colour in hot and dry climates. You will enjoy lots of flowers for minimal water, minimal feeding and minimal pruning! 2 More primetime perennials If you choose modern hybrids of tough favourites you will be rewarded with greater flower power for less hassle in a flowery late-summer border. Top…

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The advantange of home gardening is to pick produce as needed, and the best lunar ‘harvest’ days are are marked on the save-and-store principle used for farms crops. Edibles picked on these days have minimun spoilage, and produce picked at full moon is usually plump and juicy. But the advice for the last month of summer’s full moon phase is to harvest what can be dried, frozen or preserved. ‘Harvest’ days are also ideal to maintain, clear and cut back; and around this full moon this will make removal of unwanted growth easy.…

Although we have a brand-new mall with all the ‘key’ home stores quite close by, I still prefer doing my shopping in town. Going for a haircut, visiting the bank (I don’t trust my online banking skills!) and going for a little shopping spree at my favourite store have always been part of my monthly ritual. The other reason that I go into town is to visit the broad-leaved coral trees growing in a store’s parking lot. Within just a few years the Erythrina latissima trees have grown to a stately size, casting cool shade over the parked cars in summer. In late winter to spring they are covered in masses of striking orange-red flowers – a sight to behold against the blue sky, and one that warms the cockles…