Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2023 i The Gardener Magazine

For Adene, the journey began with a love of gardening and a desire to share the beauty of flowers with others. Adene was inspired by her mother’s garden architecture hobby and her grandfather’s passion for gardening. Growing up, Adene spent countless hours in nurseries, initially dreading them but eventually developing an appreciation for the vibrant world of plants. “I used to dread going to nurseries when I was little, because I knew my mom would spend hours wondering through the plants,” says Adene. Fast forward to a few years ago when Adene asked her husband to create a small vegetable garden on their farm. Little did she know that this humble request would become the catalyst for her flower-filled future. Hearing about her husband’s grandparents’ expansive flower and vegetable garden,…

The unassuming but vigorous Viola odorata ‘The Czar’ is an evergreen, spreading groundcover with dark green, heart-shaped leaves that will grow happily in light shade in moist, richly composted soil. When spring arrives, it fills the air with its sweet fragrance wafting from a generous harvest of very pretty violet-blue flowers on thin wiry stems. All parts of this plant can be eaten as well as used medicinally. It is also used as a trap plant to lure insects away from cabbage, kale, lettuce and spinach. It can be easily propagated by runners.…

Few bulbs have the determination, strength, and beauty of amaryllis. They give you a great return for your outlay with a long lifespan and will multiply heartily if cared for correctly. Amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum hybrids) can be planted from September to December to manipulate continuous blooming. Although bulbs that have sprouted already (normally stimulated by warmer temperatures) should be planted immediately after buying them, those that are still dormant can be kept in brown paper packets in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator to keep them dormant for longer. These bulbs, if planted at the beginning of November, will flower at Christmas time – hence their other common name‘holiday flower’. Amongst the many hybrids you can expect those with huge blooms, double blooms and even miniatures. Some are single-stemmed which…

Known for their versatility, these plants – commonly known as coral bells – offer year-round interest with an array of colours ranging from burgundy to gold. Heucheras have long been a darling of the woodland garden thanks to their native North American habitats and popularity amongst the Victorians. Over the years, they’ve evolved at the hands of experienced growers from their green-leaved origins into cultivars showcasing a mass of colours, producing many options for gardeners of all kinds. Whether in containers, beds, or baskets, heucheras offer a vibrancy that lights up shady areas of your garden. These plants are a designer’s dream when it comes to landscaping. Their incredible range of leaf colours, textures, and forms, combined with their adaptability, makes them an excellent option in several scenarios. Their foliage…

White Maize ‘Nevada’ Just in time for summer sowing comes the new White Maize ‘Nevada’, a superb variety of seed. It has good disease resistance and good grain quality and is even suitable for small-scale farming. It is also perfectly suited for organic farming, and to respond to a frequently asked question especially with regard to maize; as is the case for all MayFord products, ‘Nevada’ is 100% non-GMO. www.mayford.co.za Become a garden designer Lifestyle College has been offering Landscape Design courses for 32 years by lecturers who are experts in their field and passionate about teaching. Here are some of the exciting courses coming up: • Landscape Design – 28 October• Growing Organic Fruit & Vegetables – 18 November• Landscape Design Drawing course – 18 November Call 011 792…

“My dream for our garden was to create a place of joy and peace in which to appreciate all the seasons, in which to linger and reflect, and which would be a safe haven for our grandchildren to play in”– Petro Meintjes. The Meintjes family could not have picked a better place to build their gracious home and garden than on one of South Africa’s renowned golf estates – the beautiful Fancourt sheltered by the Outeniqua Mountains on the Garden Route of the southern Cape. George and its environs has a temperate climate with no frost or extreme cold and enjoys a high winter and summer rainfall. The garden was originally designed by Mariénne Uys in 2015 when the house was built. She created an overall design plan which was…

Every garden has some shade Not only for spring, this colourful combo makes an impact on a patio or a shaded area of the garden. Choose two beautiful caladiums and a white-flowering begonia for a thriller, filler combination. Caladiums Known for their colourful leaves, caladiums come from the tropics and as such like warm weather and lots of humidity. But that is not to say that colder areas cannot grow these beauties. At a temperature under 13°C, they can be dug up and stored for the winter, before planting out for spring, or a lovely mixed pot like this one, can be taken indoors to sit out the cold weather. They like: • Constant moisture but not waterlogged.• Good drainage.• Extra humidity with misting.• Feeding every 4-6 weeks in spring…

There are several species of dianthus including the common carnation, sweet william or China pink and sometimes just called ‘pinks’. The reason for this is that they often come in the colour pink and some say that because they also have frilly petals like they have been cut with pinking shears, they have the name. These days they are available in a range of bright colours from pure white to dark and moody red and all the shades and bi-colours in between. Dianthus bedding plants can be the perfect annuals for a cottage-style garden and yet also a feature planted en masse in one colour. They also do very well in containers. Plant them close to the home to get the most of their spicy fragrance and they also make…

It’s time to embrace your inner floral artist and bring beautiful blooms from your own garden indoors. The best flowers to use as cut flowers are flowering perennials, shrubs and even trees that have flowers and foliage as they last long in water and provide all year round greenery. This is what you need to get started: ● A vase that has been cleaned with hot water and a little bleach ● Lukewarm water – this helps the flowers to drink more quickly ● Cut flower food ● A clean, sharp pair of secateurs ● A bucket of clean water ● Your flowers and greenery ● Floral tape, optional Let’s get creative • Fill your vase three-quarters full with lukewarm water. Add some cut flower food and give it a…

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Dear Tanya… You refer to Supertunias in recent editions. Can you please help us with information about finding the seed? Not one of the wellknown seed suppliers like Kirchhoffs or MayFord supply it. Waiting to hear from you. Phillip Hi Phillip, This is a very good question indeed. So, Supertunias are literally petunias on steroids. Through good crossing of parent plants, the Supertunia was created. The reason they are so rewarding for the garden is because of several factors, probably the most important being is that they are ‘self cleaning’– the spent flower simply drops off and they don’t need deadheading. Like most petunias the plant’s entire life mission is to flower and follow by setting seed in order to secure the next generation. And this is where the answer…

In previous issues of The Gardener we’ve talked about the fantastic Agapanthus ‘Blackjack’ that won the prestigious Plant of the Year 2023, which must surely go on the list of good buys this year. But, don’t forget to add two more from plant breeders Andy De Wet and Quinton Bean from De Wet Breeders (Hartbeespoort) – Agapanthus ‘Great White’ and Agapanthus ‘Everpanthus Midnight Sky’. ‘Great White’ With super large flower heads, this agapanthus is as a great white shark is in the sea – impressive, majestic and powerful. It has compact foliage and grows to around 50cm x 50cm in ideal conditions. They can be planted in full sun or semi-shade and are cold-hardy, but just need to be protected from frost. ‘Midnight Sky’ Part of the ‘Everpanthus’ range of…

October is the month of abundance when it’s possible to sow or plant every summer veggie that your heart desires. Being human, the heart also desires something new and interesting and veggie gardeners are no different. We checked with our local seed companies and found some intriguing veggies and herbs, as well as the return of some popular varieties that were Covid casualties because seed production was interrupted. Veggies… WHAT’S NEW Mini Squash ‘Colinky’ is a mini hybrid squash, shaped like a small hubbard squash with a sweet nutty flavour and a thin edible skin that is also easily peeled. It was developed in Japan by the Sakata Seed Company. The fruit matures to a golden orange, just 15cm in diameter and weighing 1 – 2kg. The raw squash can…

Ficus microcarpa in its potted form is often referred to as Ficus ‘Ginseng’ and is a popular houseplant known for ease in growing and unique shape. Ginseng is the Chinese word for roots and because of this plant’s unique roots, the name has been adopted. Interestingly, this tree can grow up to 20m in the wilds of China and Malaysia, but will remain compact by restricting the roots in a container. The size then depends on the size of the container. From its root forms, it is easy to see how it would thrive in humid tropical mangroves and swamps. Ficus ‘Ginseng’ makes a great gift for beginner bonsai enthusiasts due to its low-maintenance and forgiveness when practising the art. The right conditions Use this guide to keep your plants…

The crested form of the brain cactus called Mammillaria elongata ‘Cristata’ is not a natural phenomenon, but rather a mutation due to physical damage caused to its apical meristem present in root tips and tips of new shoots. If chewed by an insect or damaged on purpose by the hand of man, it results in a craze of cells forming convoluted and sinuous growth with lots of stems and kinks in a tight clump. This relatively small plant (about 15cm high) is covered in fine, hair-like thorns giving it a bleak, greenish-grey colour resembling a brain. Display it in a shallow bowl with a diameter not much wider than the plants. Some collectors with a taste for the weird and the bizarre would perhaps find a scull-shaped pot to put…

It is ridiculously easy to grow Rudbeckia hirta ‘Denver Daisy’ with its large golden yellow daisy-like flower petals splashed with mahogany brush strokes surrounding a prominent chocolate brown conical disc. This hybrid of a well-loved American veld flower was bred to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the City of Denver. It is classified as a heat tolerant bi-annual or short-lived perennial which is well-branched, with slightly hairy leaves and sturdy flower stems. Mature size about 60cm x 50cm. Great reason to plant it: You will have an endless harvest of pretty cut flowers well into autumn, and if some blown stems are left on the plant, good winter interest when the cones become dry. Growth notes • Full sun.• Well-composted soil and clay tolerant.• Water at soil level to prevent…

The first and last weekends of the month have the same recommended activities, as there is a whole lunar cycle in between; this makes t he last weekend ideal for succession planting of root veg and tubers. Flowering edibles and shrubs grow well when planted now. Cuttings on these days from soft wood herbs root easily; those taken at the first weekend can be potted at the last weekend. ''Hot veg" days after New Moon are ideal for leaf varieties like mustard; and days marked just before Full Moon are for fruit types like peppers. BEST DAYS FOR OCTOBER…

We had a long day behind us and travelled heavily laden. Apart from a big cheesecake, two trays of bokbaaivygie seedlings, bags of bottled water and snacks, a tin of Frisco coffee, promotional banners, and thick winter coats, we also had backpacks and huge suitcases. The booking into a rambling old guesthouse was fairly swift, but what the receptionist neglected to tell us was that the rooms were sort of 40 days by horse away from the reception via another gate. Unfortunately, we had already unpacked the car before hearing this. Being the women who we are, we checked out the rough gravelled areas and shouted bugger it – we are not repacking the car. We would take a shortcut and just haul our baggage over it. We soon learnt…