Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i The Gardener Magazine

“Do what you please, follow your own star; be original if you want to be and don’t if you don’t want to be”, is a famous quote by Constance Spry, the colourful, rule breaker (love this) and creative who rocked the gardening world and high society in the 1920s and in my book, is still relevant today! Have a look at Gill’s article on page 75 about the legend – it is a great read! This month we also showcase a gem of a garden. If you are short on inspiration in your garden whether it be big or small, I guarantee that there will be take-home ideas for you in this feature. With 100% conviction, I can say that this is one of the best uses of space, plant…

Nerine bowdenii (large pink nerine) Among the 23 species indigenous to South Africa, Nerine bowdenii is the most widely cultivated as an ornamental. The leaves are light green and strap-like and tall flower stems carry lightly-scented bright pink flowers that resemble finely cut lilies from January to March. The bulbs are normally planted in September and October. Nerines prefer composted, well-drained soil and should be planted with the neck of the bulb just above soil level. Spacing between bulbs should be 15cm apart. A good position is in full sun to morning sun and afternoon shade. They do not perform well in very dry and very hot conditions. When actively growing, water every four days. Cover the bulbs with a thick dry mulch during winter dormancy and keep dry. Amaryllis…

Few plants are as bold and dramatic as agaves to add textural accents and focal points to a garden. As there are many different species of agave, it makes sense to choose the right ones for your garden. Mexico is home to over 270 types of agaves with many introduced locally every year. Some can grow into monster-sized plants that are better suited only to large gardens, while others have a compact growth habit suited to smaller spaces. A common characteristic of these succulents are the symmetric rosettes of fleshy fibrous leaves which can be long, thin, and grass-like, squat and finger-like, or very large, broad and heavy. The leaves of many species often end in sharp points (even extremely sharp terminal spines) while lots of them also have an…

Whether you have a space in the garden or a container vincas will fulfil a purpose. Glossy green leaves and a huge choice in flower colour. They also have a long flowering season right through summer until the end of autumn. What they need • Full sun to semi-shade. • Poor soil (there are not many times we say that) as long as it’s well-draining. Too rich a soil inhibits flower production. The drainage is important to prevent root rot – the very few problems they have with any type of pests or diseases. • Limited water (again not something we say a lot). Leave it to the rainfall or water once a week at the roots. • Pinch back the plants to encourage bushy growth. • They will do…

It is flowering time for one of the prettiest perennials around – Eriocapitella hupehensis (previously Anemone hupehensis). They are commonly called Japanese anemones (although native to China, but naturalized in Japan for centuries) and are members of the buttercup family. These graceful plants carry their single or double blooms with their silken petals on stems that can reach a height of one meter above dark green, maple-like leaves. With time, these plants will form thick clumps spreading via underground rhizomes or runners. Their soil preference is moist and compost enriched, and slightly alkaline, with an organic mulch on top to keep their root runs cool. They love to grow in partial shade and in woodland gardens where they will get some morning sun and will accept various conditions except extremely…

A variety of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, this plant is known for its compact growth and can be used both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, these great succulents are easy to grow in the right conditions. Lighting The best position in the home for ‘Else’ is one with bright light but not direct sunlight. If the plant starts to look thin, it’s probably not getting enough light. It can be moved to a less bright spot after it has finished flowering. Skewer test tip It’s a succulent, so be miserly when watering. Check if your plant needs water using a wooden skewer as a‘dipstick’ – stick it into the soil, wait a minute or two and remove it. If it comes out clean and dry, you need to water. Water the plant in…

What you need • Woodoc Gel Stain (Adriatic Blue) • Woodoc Water-Borne FLOOR (Clear, Matt) • Fine Sandpaper • Paint brush and tray • Clean old rags • Table legs (these are supplied with a M8 screw already embedded) • Furniture nuts • We drew a fish shape onto an offcut of 21mm laminated pine and cut it out using a jigsaw Tools Sanding machine with 180-grit sanding discs, drill with 9mm wood bit, hammer, die grinder* with an assortment of grinding stones. * A die grinder is a handheld power tool used for grinding, sanding and polishing. Die grinders spin at about 25 000 rpm, much faster than a drill, and there are numerous bits (grinding stones, polishing bits, etc) that can be changed. This tool needs to be…

I cannot remember which band sang this old song, but the words kept milling in my head like an earworm while a deep and dark sinking feeling descended into my heart and tummy. After intense hours of gathering belongings strewn all over the house and packing up, the family and I stood on the pavement to say our goodbyes, and not without some last-minute arguments. It was when I drove our old Chev which stood for nearly three weeks under somebody else’s shade tree back into its old spot in our driveway and noticed that the neighbours had left their holiday homes and the streets had become quiet again, that my tears started falling like rain. It was the end of another holiday and it was the last one for…

NEW! SUBSCRIPTION DEAL! Subscribe to The Gardener for 1 year, pay R49 monthly and SAVE 30% Subscribe for an entire year, but enjoy the convenience of monthly payments. This deal only applies when purchasing subscriptions online. www.thegardener.co.za How do we deliver your subscription? Delivery is done by a hand delivery service provider in the urban areas. Rural area subscriptions are sent via the South African Postal Service, or ask us for a quote to get your magazine delivered by courier every month. Subscribe NOW! SCAN ME Win 3 of these Sardinia pots from Valued at R1000 Subscribe or renew your annual subscription from 26 February – 25 March 2024 and you will be entered into the competition to win this prize. The winner will be contacted by telephone or email (14+ days after…

Divide air plants Loosen the clump from its perch on a piece of wood and gently pull the rosettes apart. If needed, use secateurs to cut them loose from each other. Remove old, dried growth to clean them up. Cut old stockings up in strips to tie your divisions onto new pieces of wood to keep them in place. Tie thin wire to the wood with a handy loop to be able to hang them up on a structure or in a tree again. DIY decor Take your decor to the next level by displaying your air plants as art pieces. These work both indoors and outdoors. This easy DIY takes about an hour. Take a few bits of scrap wood, paint and make it into a frame. Cut a…

If the edges near your water feature, the eco pool’s water filtration bed, or any boggy area needs some colour, come aboard with ‘Starship’. The tall and stately Lobelia x speciosa is a garden cultivar bred from two veld flower species L. cardinalis and L. siphilitica. This cultivar loves to grow in natural or constructed wetland areas producing a mass of terminal racemes of many two-lipped flowers (usually deep red) from mid-summer to late autumn. It is a deciduous, clump-forming perennial with a very erect growth habit with narrow leaves. The ‘Starship’ range offers more flower colours from royal blue, deep rose and scarlet red with either green or rich bronze leaves with maroon stems. These plants have a columnar growth habit up to 60cm high, and a well-branching spread…

A ceramic pot like this one is a tricky one to come by, so I went to my ceramic mentor and asked her to design one for me so I could cascade a selection of succulents and make a pot that is different and interesting. What you need • Carved ceramic pot or broken pot without sides 45cm high • 2 wooden sticks at least the height of the pot • Cotton twine or string • Potting soil • Stones or bits of broken clay • Plants. We used Sedeveria ‘Lulu’ Echeveria ‘San Carlos’ Sempervivum tectorum Pachyphytum amethystinum Aloe aristata Delosperma repens Sedum ‘Golden Acre’ Planting Cover the hole at the bottom of the pot with stones or broken clay, to stop the potting soil from draining out. Fill the…

Among the never-ending number of salvias that love our warm climate, don’t forget to include the chivalrous and very attractive hybrid Canary Island sage Salvia canariensis ‘Lancelot’. Many salvias grow into robust and large plants, but ‘Lancelot’ has a more courteous habit and size of about 1m x 70cm. The growth habit is upright, with silvery-white, felted leaves and flowers which appear from mid-summer to early winter are lavender blue surrounded by rosy-lavender bracts. Both leaves and flowers have a pleasant sage fragrance. Perfect as a… • pollinator plant for birds, bees, and butterflies. • filler perennial in mixed floral borders or combined with grasses in a wild or prairie garden. • coastal plant as it is quite wind-resistant. Growing tips • Very well-draining soil. • Full sun. • Sensitive…

Lunar gardeners report that the Last Quarter phase suitsclearing and weeding, as these are easier and more effective then, particularly near the Dark moon as the "soil prep" days follow. Thereafter, note the semi-fertile days to plant leafy brassicas, and the"flower" days to plant broccoli, cau liflower, bedding annuals and flower shrubs. Plant garlic on the root days after Ful l moon, particu larly the two "hot veg" days. If you m iss t he "flower" days at 1st Quarter to sow/plant Sweet Peas, then use the semi fertile days at Full moon. BEST DAYS FOR MARCH…

ON TREND Philodendron x Egoli According to The Garden Media Trends Report 2024, the colour of the year is Cyber Lime: “A punchy near-neon that exerts and energises the body and mind”. Well, the golden pothos or sweetheart vine, a trailing houseplant with heart-shaped leaves in bright neon lime epitomises what was predicted. It is available at nurseries and home stores now. • Keep it in bright, indirect sunlight indoors. • Water well, but only when the top layer of the soil feels dry.…

‘Fragonard’ is an early flowering variety that has won several awards for the best-perfumed rose. The deep-cupped pink flowers produce a perfume with a top note of grapefruit and heart notes of intense apricot on a base note of mango. The sturdy, shoulder-high plant has shiny, dark green leaves and is disease-resistant. Rose care for March From March onwards the climatic differences from region to region dictate the kind of care that roses need: • In the Highveld and summer rainfall areas the cooler nights and heavier dew create the right conditions for black spot. In a large rose garden, it is cost-effective to use the fungicide Chronos mixed with Ludwig’s Insect Spray or just spray on its own. For smaller gardens, Rose Protector is a good remedy for black…

Seen at selected nurseries recently is a new photinia with colourful markings and variegation. Photinia x fraseri ‘Louise’ is a large evergreen shrub with a dense habit and glossy, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves. The very striking young shoots are initially pink, turning variegated with pink and rosy red markings that mature to an olive green and cream variegation. As this lovely shrub naturally produces two to three flushes of new growth per year, plus panicles of creamy white flowers in spring, a constant interest and a changing palette is ensured. Use it as a background shrub in a mixed planting, as a screen or hedge plant or grow it as a specimen in a pot. It can even be trained into a small, specimen tree. Exposure: Full sun to partial…

Indigenous Streptocarpus or Cape primroses are very pretty houseplants and easy-to-grow flowering plants for dappled shade areas in the garden. It takes just a leaf or two from a healthy plant to propagate more of these rewarding plants. Signs of new growth from the cuttings can be seen in just 6 weeks, with perfectly formed tiny new plants developing along the cut edges of the leaf. 6 Easy steps Before starting make sure your tools and the pots you are going to use are clean and sterilised. Cut a young fresh leaf from the centre of the mother plant from the base. Do not remove more than one or two leaves as it may weaken the plant. Place the leaf on a clean board. Using a sharp non-serrated knife and…