Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2020 i The Gardener Magazine

Some of you may have seen that I went on a plant and garden adventure last month to the East to visit the great Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, the impressive Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and a whole lot of other gardens. We also made sure to visit plant markets that made me drool and displays of plants at airports and other random places that made me think there was a national flower competition running. But no, it’s just how they roll. Around every second corner in Singapore we were forced to stop and stare – not because we had discovered another open garden or park but simply because there are plants everywhere. Giant Staghorn ferns, Platycerium grande, that hugged trees, made us stop in our tracks and take…

The greenest thing a food gardener can do (apart from planting the green stuff) is to make compost. It ticks each box for all the four ‘R’s’: Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose and Reduce. All the garden and organic household waste (scraps, paper, cardboard, dog hair) that would have gone to the landfill goes into the compost. Then there is the fifth ‘R’, Regenerate, which is the effect that compost has on the soil. Compost is not only free nutrition, it is the easiest and cheapest way to condition the soil, improve drainage and aid water retention. Anyone with a garden, even just a few pots, can make compost. The method you use depends on space and affordability. TRADITIONAL COMPOST HEAP This is the most cost-effective option but needs space. It is…

More than enough carrots Glazed, roasted or pickled are just some of the ways you can enjoy versatile carrots. My favourite, though, is the sweet and totally delicious carrot mousse that goes so well with roasted meat and potatoes. Steamed carrots are blended with cream and butter for a smooth, ultra-rich and tasty side dish that always goes down well at a dinner party. With Easter coming up, I thought it may be useful to use puréed carrots for something a little sweet that is perfect for kids and adults alike, for an Easter breakfast or afternoon tea. These crumpets have all the spice of carrot cake with the tang of cream cheese icing, and are very easy to make. Give them a try and use any left-over carrot purée…

Layering combinations For the bottom layer you could use daffodils, narcissus, Dutch irises and tulips (remember to order your tulips directly from the bulb supplier, who will deliver them to you in May). For the middle layer you can use freesias, hyacinths, dwarf daffodils, ranunculus and anemones. For the top layer you can use grape hyacinths (Muscari) and snowflakes (Leucojum). Planting time is April and May, but how can you maximise on spring-flowering bulb colour if you can’t afford to plant swathes of them, or if you only have a balcony garden? The answer is by layering different types of bulbs in the same pot or pots, to get an explosive succession of blooms. Questions that might arise… Q: Will the bulbs not smother each other or rot? A: No.…

Ripening strawberries often lie on the soil around the plants and start rotting because insects chow them or they become covered in mud. To prevent this, plant strawberries through holes in a porous membrane like Weed Gard, which will allow water, air and fertiliser through but will prevent weeds and keep the fruit clean and unscathed. Do this: Prepare the planting area in full sun or dappled shade well by digging in some compost. Earth up the soil to form neat rows about 75cm apart. Unroll the weed barrier over the area and bury the edges or keep them in place with stones or bricks. Use a sharp craft knife or penknife to cut crosses in the weed barrier. Space the cuts about 30cm apart. Fold open the membrane flaps…

Falling leaves Leave the falling autumn leaves in shrub beds as mulch but take care not to spread the layers of dead leaves too thickly and do not let them heap up around the stems of plants, as this can cause rot. Sweep them up from pathways, pavements and drains, and place them on the compost heap or shred them to make leaf mould in black plastic bags. Shredding the leaves will accelerate the process of breaking them down into a rich humus that can be used when more mulching is needed again in summer. Get on top of weeds Annual and perennial weeds can harbour pests and scatter their seeds far and wide, only to lie dormant while waiting for favourable conditions to germinate. Remember that mulching or sowing…

For long-lasting hot-pink in the garden you can’t go wrong with ‘Wendy’s Wish’. This clump-forming perennial with large glossy leaves produces masses of magenta-pink blooms from spring into autumn. It’s an easy and fast-growing plant that attracts birds and butterflies and grows equally well as a border plant or in containers. Choose a sunny spot and plant in well-draining soil. It has medium water needs. Pick off spent flowers to prolong flowering.…

The hexagon or honeycomb shelf is great, especially when used creatively in a group. YOU NEED PAR (planed all round) pine timber in the following dimensions: 6 pieces of 185mm x 94mm x 22mm Wood filler Masking tape Wood glue Paint/wood stain Tools: Pencil, tape measure, mitre saw, sander…

If you have areas with dappled shade amongst trees, or spots with morning sun and afternoon shade, you can plant these three to give you flowers at ground level from now until spring. Helleborus hybrids (Lenten rose) They may have a delicate look when in flower from June to September, depending on the hybrid, but hellebores are actually one of the toughest perennials for very cold and frosty winter gardens. The leaves are palm-like and very attractive, and the lovely flowers, which are mostly in shades of pink, cream or creamy-green (again depending on the species or hybrid), appear on sturdy stems above the foliage. They like deep, loamy, moist soil with a little added lime, and a layer of organic mulch around them. Plant them in a semi-shaded spot…

Calatheas make for great indoor plants, and even garden plants providing you are in a sub-tropical area. These plants originate from the South American tropics and are related to Maranta or prayer plant. The flowers of some species are quite spectacular, but most of these plants are grown for their foliage rather than the flowers. Plants that are able to tolerate very low light conditions in the home or office are limited, but the wide range of colours you can expect from calatheas more than makes up for this. HOW TO GROW Some people might find it a bit tricky to grow Calathea varieties well, but they are mostly rather easy providing they are given the right conditions. Big, broad leaves are a clear indication that these plants prefer shady…

Rauvolfia caffra The quinine tree or kinaboom occurs throughout the summer-rainfall parts of South Africa from the Eastern Cape to Limpopo, and extends into tropical Africa. Growing to 30m high with a straight trunk, it forms an impressive spreading or rounded, densely branched canopy, and its drooping, bright green, lance-shaped leaves usually remain on the tree for most of the year, dropping off for a short period in winter. The trunk has an attractive cracked, light brown corky bark, and all parts of the tree exude a milky latex when injured, which is used in traditional medicine in the treatment of various conditions such as stomach ailments and high blood pressure. The quinine tree is fast-growing and likes a position in full sun, planted in rich, loamy soil, and needs…

Leeks that were sown in February should be ready for blanching. That is the term used for pushing soil up against the stems so that the vegetable develops white stems. This improves the flavour, making it milder, and is done in stages. For leeks grown in a normal garden bed, simply push up the soil around the stems by about 5cm each time. But before you do that, place a collar around the leeks to prevent the soil from getting in. The collar is placed around the leek up to the base of the leaves. A collar can be a piece of plastic piping or strong brown paper secured with string or rubber bands. The collar must not strangle the plant. Fit another collar above the first one as the…

In warm gardens the crotons will be bright and colourful. If not, and if they have become woody, cut them back to renew them. Use the clippings to root new plants. Feed them with a general fertiliser for foliage. Start planting spring-flowering bulbs in the garden as soon as the soil and night temperatures have cooled down. Do it in batches from now to the end of May to stagger the flowering period. Transplant trees and shrubs that are in the wrong spot. Water azaleas and camellias once a week to ensure good flowering in late winter. Sow Namaqualand daisies and onyourpavementandin other sunny spots now, in order to enjoy their flowers in June and July. Plant more annuals for winter and spring – especially petunias, which will enjoy the…

Any good Carex (sedge grass), of which there are a huge variety to choose from, can do it on its own if simply planted in a mass. But they also go with just about anything else, be it other grass-like plants, perennials, annuals, succulents, or even between conifers. Most sedges grow naturally in wetlands, marshes, bogs and along ponds and streams in moist and fertile but well-draining soil. The biggest advantage of sedges for the home gardener is that they will grow in sun as well as light shade. Two new hybrids in particular can be used to brighten drab shady areas. Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ has glossy, narrow, dark-green leaves with fine, silvery-white edges. Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’ has lime-green leaves that gradually revert to golden-yellow during summer. In a nutshell:…

One option when establishing a new lawn is to plant lawn plugs. These are little lawn plants that are sold in trays of 200, and they are quite cheap, light and so easy to transport that you can bring your new lawn home in the boot of your car. Coverage per type of grass in a tray will differ slightly, but on average you can bargain on an area of 6m2 per tray. After preparing the area (which we discussed in the March issue) it is simply a matter of popping the plugs out of the tray and into rows of planting holes of about 5cm deep, followed by a light tamping down and watering, which should be kept up with for a few days until they have settled and…

Peperomias (radiator plants) are popular and easy-to-grow houseplants, and there are many cute hybrids to try out. Although they produce a good show of small candle-like flower spikes, they are rather loved for their interesting, fleshy foliage. Our choice this month is Peperomia ‘Zorro’ with dark green, ridged and pointed leaves tinged with red on their undersides and pale green flower spikes. This slow-growing little plant has a neat and symmetrical look and should look pretty in medium to even low light conditions. Peperomias are not fussy at all, as long as they are not overwatered (water only when the top layer of soil feels dry). Take care to allow the pot to drain well before displaying it again if using a decorative cover pot. As they are tropical plants…

The fertile days around the Full Moon are suited for all planting; especially cool season growing brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower. Plant out just before the full phase to encourage flowering heads or just after to promote strong root growth. After the Full Moon, p lanting on the fertile days also suits root veg, flowering bulbs, trees and perennial shrubs. This autumn month has two periods for planting "hot veg': both in the waning phase. In the first plant out garlic, and in the second plant leeks and onion varieties. BEST DAYS FOR APRIL…

Is there any culinary herb that doesn’t go well with chicken? Some of the all-time favourites are rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, oregano and garlic. But why not try something different? If French cuisine is your thing, anise-flavoured tarragon would be on the list, but it is still one of those lesser-known gourmet herbs. It is as good a companion as rosemary for chicken. The mushroom herb is a new kid on the block. It has a strong mushroom flavour, and as most chefs know, chicken and mushrooms are another classic combination. For people who find that mushrooms disagree with them, this is the flavourful and safe alternative. Using mushroom herb also helps a few mushrooms go a long way. Rocket is a salad herb and its peppery leaves are a…

Layer your bulbs The grace of sedges Blanching leeks Begonia leaf cuttings Poor man’s orchid Carrot crumpets Fairy primrose from seed Feeding in Autumn Lawns from plugs Peppy little peperomias Rose care for April Spray with Chronos or Rose Protector if there is heavy dew. Fertilise for the last time this month. Spray with Plant Care or Garden Ripcord if thrips is still a problem. Gradually reduce watering to once a week. Plant a ‘Nelson Mandela’ rose Plant it this month and it will probably still be flowering on his birthday, 18 July. After that you can prune it. It produces loads of fiery-orange semi-double blooms, and if you want a rose that stands out, this is it. Like Madiba, it will probably be head and shoulders above everything else.…

Schizanthus may be called the ‘poor man’s orchid’ but that doesn’t mean it is any less beautiful. With flowers resembling orchids, it has earned its name for being an easy-to-grow indoor or outdoor plant. It flowers non-stop during the cooler months and if grown indoors needs bright, indirect light and regular watering. The new compact and bushy varieties (20cm high and wide) are attractive as a table arrangement. Be careful of over or under-watering and don’t let the plant sit in water. Feed twice a month with a liquid plant to extend the flowering period. If planted into the garden, it will do best in fertile, compost-rich soil in semi-shade.…

This year if you plant only one annual that flowers in late winter and spring, make it a colour cloud of lots of Primula malacoides (fairy primrose). These cool-weather beauties have a delicate appearance, with their furry and textured leaf rosettes and slender flower stalks bearing tiers of flowers with heart-shaped petals in shades of white, rose, pink, lavender, purple and burgundy, but they are surprisingly tough and quite easy to propagate from seed. How to use your fairies The fairy primrose is one of the first little flowering plants to sniff that spring might be in the air, and will start flowering even in midwinter depending on the time they were planted. They can flower from May to October. The best way to show them off is to plant…

This new range of annual verbenas will knock your socks off, with its wide range of large flower clusters in red, burgundy, grape, pink and purple. The plants are compact (height 20 – 25cm) and mounded (spread 45 – 55cm) with excellent tolerance of heat and powdery mildew. Plant them in full sun in hanging baskets and containers for strong colour accents. Water moderately.…

Not all succulents are water camels, liking it hot and dry all the time! Some, like Sedum morganiamum (donkey’s tail), grow naturally in trees in dappled shade and in fairly humid conditions. This lovely plant, which grows naturally in Mexico and Honduras, has trailing stems that can easily reach a length of 60cm. Tear-shaped, fleshy blue-green leaves are packed in dense overlapping rows on wiry, ever-elongating stems. Cool winter temperatures may initiate small pink or red flowers, which appear on the stem tips in spring. A hanging basket suspended under a polycarbonate roof, which are a common feature on our local verandas, would be the ideal microclimate to let your sedum flourish and cascade over the edges. It will also do very well indoors if kept in a spot with…

Delicious new herb book Jane’s Delicious A–Z of herbs: A guide to growing herbs organically in South Africa by Jane Griffiths is now available. With a detailed and richly illustrated A - Z reference of 80 plus herbs, the book covers planting and growing, culinary uses, as well as the plants’ many healing properties. Jane also shows you how to design and maintain your own herb garden, and provides practical advice on how to propagate, harvest and preserve herbs, as well as useful tips on how to grow them in containers. The book is published by Jonathan Ball Publishers and is available in book stores countrywide or online. www.janesdeliciousgarden.com GIVEAWAY Win a copy of the book! Look out for the competition on Facebook: @TheGardenerMag. Spiral hose This elegant spiral hose…