Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i The Gardener Magazine

Never before have our gardens and homes been such an important part of our lives. The pandemic has changed us all, including our daily behaviour. Sometimes these changes have been forced upon us through lockdown, but mostly they are decisions made just to be safe and protect ourselves. These changes have seen a surge of home owners wandering into garden centres to become plant parents, to cover that bare bank, to dicky up the pots at the main entrance of their home or just to add a bit of colour to a garden bed that last received attention about a decade ago. All of us at The Gardener are, of course, delighted by this ‘new wave’ of gardeners, and it has certainly not been limited to the garden! I have…

It was the potential horticultural value of the indigenous large-flowered pelargonium (Pelargonium grandiflorum) that inspired plant breeders to develop many hybrid ranges of regal pelargoniums with superb garden performance. Grown since Victorian times, they are a great choice for magnificent spring and summer colour from plants that are not going to tax the gardener unnecessary. ‘Elegance’ in focus The ‘Elegance’ range is now available and comes highly recommended as offering bushy but compact evergreens with rippled dark green, tooth-edged leaves. The large and spectacular intricately patterned flowers are held on sturdy stems above the foliage and there is a varied range of lovely colours. Mature size is about 40cm high with a spread of 100cm. When does it bloom? These plants start flowering in August and will keep at it…

The natural habitat of the beautiful forest lily (Veltheimia bracteata) is the forests and coastal thickets of the Eastern Cape. The large bulbs produce dense racemes of tubular flowers on long stems up to 60cm tall from late winter to September. The colours of the blooms can be variable, ranging from greenish-yellow to soft pink and dark rose-pink (the latter is the more common variation). The tightly closed buds are green or marked with green spots, and become pendant as they open. At this stage the sunbirds come to feast. The bulbs grow actively in winter with glossy strap-like leaves with wavy margins. These die down temporarily in midsummer for a short period of dormancy, soon to be replaced with new foliage forming a wide and lush-looking rosette, making these…

✔ Damage control: How to save frost-bitten plants If plants have been damaged by frost and are showing blackened and dead bits, your first steps must be extreme patience… 1. Don’t dig up the plants and discard them. Woody stems lower down, as well as the root system, might still be in good shape. 2. Don’t be tempted to prune away the damaged parts yet. Spells of mild weather (possible in August), and pruning can stimulate new growth, which can be damaged again with late frost, and this will set the plants back even more. Wait until all danger of any further frost is over before making any cuts. In the mean-time, cover the damaged plants with frost cover at night if there is this danger lurking. https://www.vermontsales.co.za/ 3. Keep…

We picked three shrubs that will willingly allow you to shape and shear them into any form you fancy. Plant them, let them grow a bit, and then start guiding them into something individualistic – it is good therapy for the gardener! Chenopodium robertianum The berry saltbush, previously called Rhagodia hastata and later Einadia hastata, is one of the best and hardiest silver-leaved plants. This beautiful evergreen, with its silvery foliage sometimes tinged with rusty red and white stems, has become a very popular choice to use as low hedging plants for water-wise gardens as it can survive long periods of drought very successfully once established. It is well adapted to harsh climates, including coastal conditions, is a fast grower, and can be shaped into virtually any topiary form in…

It’s time to flower bomb your garden and patio with three homegrown picks! Cape daisies Osteospermum, also called Cape or African daisies, are very popular late winter and early spring bedding plants, although they are actually half-hardy perennials in temperate climates. They are made for full sun and will fill gaps in beds and rockeries beautifully with their cheerful flower faces, and are powerful and engaging colour in containers. They flower freely in the cooler months of spring, and after a cutback and a good feed will go for it again in autumn. Bedazzle your garden with the following series in an amazing range of colours: ‘FlowerPower’, ‘FlowerPower 3D’ (double flowers) and the ever popular ‘Serenity’. Twinspur The indigenous veldflower Diascia barberae is the proud parent of many delicate and…

When and what • Winter is the best time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs as it is the dormant season for them, and there is also less risk of pruned branches becoming infected. Try to leave a few berries for the birds when pruning fruiting shrubs. • It’s important to know that flowering shrubs should be pruned according to their flowering season to avoid the risk of removing branches that would bear blooms the next season, which would mean the shrub is unable to produce any flowers. Any shrub that flowers in the late winter to early spring should be pruned in late October, directly after flowering, allowing for plenty of new growth during the next summer season. Kerria japonica(Japanese kerria) and Chaenomeles speciosa (flowering quince) are examples of…

The species name ‘agavoides’ means ‘looking like an agave’, and this can be understood when studying this single-stemmed echeveria, which forms a large rosette about 12 x 30cm. Hailing from Mexico, it is commonly referred to as the lipstick or wax echeveria. The leaves are waxy and apple-green, and thick and triangular in shape ending in a sharp point (not really a spine), which can turn a blood-red shade in bright light. Leaf margins can also be rusty red, depending on the form you can lay your hands on and also influenced by growing conditions. It flowers in summer, with slender stems of pink, orange or red tubular flowers with petals tipped in dark yellow. This plant likes full sun or bright light and watering in summer, but a cold…

Pots of pots Whether the woman in your life is a traditionalist or more Avant Garde, First Dutch Brands has a pot that will suit her and her gardening style. For the more traditional, the new range of terracotta pots will hit the brief, offering the classic appeal of terracotta without being boring. After all, a terracotta potis like a black dress – it goes with anything. Then there is the expansive new range of glazed pots in a variety of useful but beautiful shapes and sizes, and enough colours to match just about any room in your home. For more information see www.firstdutchbrands.co.za Think summer with Italian style The brand new De Luca eyewear collection has just been launched exclusively at Spec-Savers stores countrywide. The De Luca brand is…

Two species that are indigenous to the semi-arid regions of Western Australia have become the plant parents of magnificent hybrids of flowering shrubs supplying cut flowers that are loved and valued the world over. They are Chamelaucium uncinatum(Geraldton wax) and Chamelaucium megalopetalum (large wax flower). They are members of the Myrtaceae family, in which the well-loved bottle brushes, tea bushes and other melaleucas also find themselves. Whereas the species, with their hues of pink, white and purple flowers, require a Mediterranean type of climate with dry, hot summers and well-draining, relatively poor sandy soil, the modern hybrids sport a wider colour range and different flower shapes, and are also more tolerant of other climates. They are even frost-hardy and can cope with temperatures of down to -2°C, although in frosty…

Get it right first time, for you and your plants. If you’ve ever walked through a garden centre, you’ll know that containers come in all shapes and sizes. The options are endless, from the materials to the size and shape: you have almost as much variety in container choices as you do plants to fill them. Although design is a factor, choosing containers is not only about looks: they need to be the right size and have enough drainage to ensure your plants grow successfully. The materials you choose also have an impact, each with their own pros and cons. We break down the characteristics of containers so that you can decide what suits your taste best, and what will suit your plants. Materials Plastic Most next-generation gardeners would like…

You know spring has arrived when you wake up one morning and your taste buds fire off a message to your brain that says: “Enough of the comfort food, we want food that is light, fresh and green!” While it is still too early for home-grown basil, the herbs that can step up are parsley, mint, chives, coriander, marjoram and rosemary. Together with cool-season salad leaves, they can kickstart light and healthy spring meals. These can be as simple as a mixed herb platter or chopped fresh herbs dressed with lemon juice and olive oil, tossed through pasta or grains like quinoa for a light lunch or supper. Parsley – pairs with ever ything Starting your spring herb garden If the winter herb garden looks a little bleak, re-energise it…

Petunias are renowned for three reasons: they’ve been around forever (officially since the mid-1700’s at least), they’re generous bloomers and there’s a petunia to suit every need. The petunia’s trumpet-shaped blooms have a spicy scent and come in a variety of colours, including bi-coloured and double varieties. P. grandiflora has larger blooms, spread well and are best planted in garden beds. Petunia multiflora has blooms about half the size of those of grandiflora, but double the quantity, and the plant itself grows into a mound-like structure, which makes it perfect for filling in dips or as borders for a garden bed. Petunia milliflora has very small flowers but it is prolific in nature, and the smaller flowers are more tolerant of rainfall. It is a neat, compact plant, which makes…

Fern-lovers and general houseplant parents alike will quickly fall in love with the heart-leaf fern (Hemionitis arifolia). This plant gets its common name from the shape of the leaves, which are borne on top of tall, black stems. In other words, this does not look like your average fern. Native to warm regions of Southeast Asia, the heart-leaf fern requires high humidity and low light to thrive. If you’re missing those conditions in your home, it is an ideal candidate for a large terrarium or greenhouse. As an epiphyte, it can also grow attached to trees without any soil at all. This versatile houseplant may be a stickler for humidity, but with that condition met it will make an ideal addition to any houseplant lover’s home.…

You need: Cutting list: Reclaimed pine cut to: 2 x 320mm x 130mm x 35mm (short side pieces) 5 x 390mm x 130mm x 35mm (long side pieces and base pieces) 4 x pre-made tapered wooden legs 4 x leg plates Methylated spirits 150-grit sandpaper Woodoc Water-borne MARINE Woodoc Colours Clifton Grey 2.5-inch Kreg screws 16 x 35mm wood screws Steps NOTE: We used a Kreg jig to make the box, so that there were no screws visible from the exterior. You don’t have to do this – you could just screw the box together using normal screws in the normal way. 1. Start by using the Kreg jig and drilling holes in both ends of the two short side pieces.2. Make a square by screwing the short side pieces…

Being in lockdown once again, with a long fringe of hair hanging in my eyes, made me think back somewhat nostalgically to the first, very strict lockdown, when I decided to cut my hair myself with some very blunt kitchen scissors. It was a hack job that left me looking like a plucked chicken. Every time I walked past a mirror, I burst into tears! Fortunately, hair (if you are lucky enough to still have lots on your head) grows swiftly and soon bushes out again, diminishing the effects of a bad pruning job. It is also not a case where your whole appearance changes for the worst, and there are handy aids like sunhats and scarves that can be used to hide a head. Wearing a huge mask also…