JUNE 2018

SOUTH AFRICA On sale 21 May – 25 June 2018

Aloe inspiration

Mini trees Colourful coprosmas

10 tips for fishkeepers
to make a
IʝȾHVɢ
Even Iron Man needs mint
– herbs for Dad

Patterns in
pavers +
how to do it yourself Easy DIY
potting bench
R38 Other countries

Tropical thunder
INCL VAT 33.04

with plants and patio pots

Growing up veg z DIY composting z Conifers make a comeback
 Welcome

W
inter is at our doorstep, the days are
getting shorter and it’s harder to get
out of bed in the morning. That said,
we think we’ve got a couple of cracking articles
to get you inspired to get into your garden, no
matter how dark or cold it is outside.
But before we get into that I’d like to make
mention of the incredible success of our first
ever The Autumn Garden Show, held in the
spectacular gardens of Doonholm Nursery in
Midrand at the end of April.
This show was put together in record
time, because once we have an idea we like
to get things going! Despite this, it turned out
beautifully and we’ll definitely be making it an
annual event. I’d like to thank Doug and Louis
of Doonholm, as well as their willing staff, who
put their backs into making the gardens of the
herb farm look as good as they’ve ever looked.
What a magnificent venue it turned out to be!
My own team from The Gardener,
especially Adele, Wendy and Jonathan,
did a sterling job getting together such an
interesting and diverse group of exhibitors
dealing in everything from exotic plants and
gardening supplies to food and drinks, while
I thought the talks and garden tours were all
top notch. Well done team!
I’d also like to thank Mayford for
sponsoring the (very well attended!)
Gin Terrace, and Atlantic Fertilisers for
sponsoring the talks.
Finally, I’d like to thank every single one of
you who came out in support of our show, and
ensured that we’ll be back next year.
But back to the magazine! You’ll have
noticed that the magazine is looking better
than ever. That’s because we’ve changed to
perfect bound (a square spine) and a locally
manufactured South African Bond paper.
This paper, made by Mondi, is produced from
sustainably grown trees and significantly
reduces the carbon footprint of your favourite
reading matter! It also improves your reading
experience, so it’s a win-win!
Femma and Rick Hackland’s garden is a
wonderful example of how to garden with
aloes in a modern, all-encompassing way.
Check out the pics we got of this all-year-
round aloe garden!
We’ve also jazzed things up with our
regular herbs section, to give it more
relevance to your life. This month we focus on
Dad, and the herbs he can best make use of in
the home and garden (and even with beer!).
So please, don’t sit inside waiting for
winter to be over. Get out there, learn or
plant something new, knowing that we’re
doing the same in our gardens.
Till next month,
Happy gardening.

Tanya and Garth

clothed by:

2 I www.thegardener.co.za
4 l www.thegardener.co.za
 Contents
June 2018
in the garden
6 Trusty Trio
Three furry-leafed kalanchoes create
garden decor and DIY
8  A celebration of aloes
Rick and Femma Hackland’s garden
redefines what it means to garden 8
with aloes
52 Choosing a compost container
Decide what composter you need,

14 Conifers: timeless evergreens

Could conifers be making a strong
34 Your rose garden
Poppies and roses, and how to
best transplant rose plants
and make your own

comeback?
58 A pallet-able wall feature
This creative wall feature can be

18 Jungle fever
Of all known garden styles, a
37 Copious coprosma
Why we're fans of the mirror bush used as a decorative shelf or even a
functional potting bench
tropical garden best connects
you to the drama and serenity of
Mother Nature
40 Tree time for 'me time'
Create your own mini woodland
area for some 'forest bathing'

24 Tropical in a pot
Bring a touch of the tropics to your 44 Food gardening
• Herbs to keep Dad healthy and
extras
garden with this pot recipe happy
• Get creative with arbours,

26 Patterns in pavers
How to plan and install paving
effectively
obelisks, teepees and trellises
• Garden tasks for June
• June sowing guide
56 Subscribe to The Gardener
and save!

30 Getting to grips with paving

Here are some points to keep in 62 10 top tips for new fishkeepers
Pet healthcare is so important,
68 Events and open gardens

mind to make your paving job

perfect
and fish are no different
69 Lunar gardening guide

32 Proudly South African

Melinis repens: Beautiful Natal red
64 June in your garden
Here is a quick checklist to
remind you what to do in the 72 Stoep Stories with Anna Celliers
Am I okay?
top garden in June

Subscriptions Design Vincent Goode Editorial contributors

Celine van der Westhuizen Alice Spenser-Higgs, Angela Becks, Anna
Dinnie Gildenhuys Photography Geoff Redman Celliers, Gerald Schofield, Graham Duncan, Ilona
Tel 031 003 0940 Thorndyke, Ludwig Taschner, Stephen Smith, Tanya
DIY Expert Garth Demmer Visser, Wendy Moulton
Email subs@thegardener.co.za
Advertising
Publisher Lonehill Trading (Pty) Ltd Editorial Head Office
Jonathan Gouws 031 003 0940
64 Old Main Road, Botha’s Hill
Editor Tanya Visser jonathan@thegardener.co.za
PO Box 184, Botha’s Hill 3660
Assistant Editor Anna Celliers Advertising Telephone (031) 003 0940
Mokete Maepa 031 003 0940 Telefax 086 758 3105
Managing Editor (Editorial enquiries) mokete@thegardener.co.za e-mail: info@thegardener.co.za
Wendy Moulton 031 003 0940
Office Administrator (Enquiries)
Assistant to the Editor Nokuthula Zuma 031 003 0940
Cindy May Wang 031 003 0940 nokuthula@thegardener.co.za
Copy Editor Stephen Smith

Copyright subsists in all work published in this magazine. Any reproduction or adaptation, in whole or part, without written
permission is strictly prohibited. The Gardener will not be held responsible for any omissions or errors. Unsolicited material
will not be accepted.
TRUSTY TRIO

Three furry-leafed
kalanchoes
W
inter is very much succulent season, with many of the plants
looking their bright and colourful best during the cooler
weather. Most kalanchoe types are grown for their attractive
flowers, which usually appear during the short day lengths of winter, but
some are cultivated specifically for their interesting or unusual foliage.
Here are examples of three such kalanchoes, which all originate from
Madagascar. They are easy to grow and thrive in many gardens around
South Africa, especially in the drier areas.

Kalanchoe beharensis Kalanchoe orgyalis Kalanchoe tomentosa

(felt bush or donkey’s ears)
This kalanchoe grows into a large shrub
or small tree with stout branches that can
reach in excess of 5m tall over a period of
time, although garden specimens seldom
reach these large proportions as they are
usually pruned or cut back to keep them
neat and tidy. Leaves are thick and large,
triangular or oak-leaf shaped with wavy
margins. The upper surface is covered in
a thick layer of grey felt-like hairs. Green
to yellow urn-shaped flowers with purple
centres are produced in erect panicles high
above the foliage. Felt bushes are unusual
succulents that really make a profound
statement in the garden.
6 I www.thegardener.co.za
(copper spoons)
This is a small to medium-sized shrub with
round to elliptic fleshy leaves covered in
coppery-bronze hairs on the upper surface.
The unique colour and unusual texture of
the foliage makes this succulent stand out in
the garden or landscape. Flowers are golden
yellow and tubular in shape, produced
in terminal cymes. This plant contrasts
effectively with many other succulents and
combines well in mixed containers or rock
gardens, and also makes a fine individual
specimen in a larger pot. Most kalanchoes
propagate easily from cuttings broken off
the parent plant and stuck directly into the
garden.
(panda plant or pussy ears)
Of a lesser stature than the other members
of the trio, this furry-leafed succulent
is popular as an indoor plant for sunny
positions in colder climates. Locally it grows
well outdoors, forming low to medium-
sized shrubs in sun or dappled shade. The
furry grey leaves have grooved edges and
a prominent row of chocolate brown to
black spots along the margins, and yellow-
green flowers appear in bunches above
the foliage. Prune back plants that become
long and lanky. Many different cultivars are
reaching the market these days to add to
the allure of this attractive plant.
 There’s something for everyone at

7-9 September
The Royal Showgrounds, Pietermaritzburg
9am - 5pm daily
All the details on www.gardenshow.co.za
FEATURE GARDEN
Rick and Femma Hackland’s garden redefines
what it means to garden with aloes.

A celebration of

aloes
TEXT Stephen Smith
 A hybrid of Aloe thraskii and
another, unknown species.

Tip
To get rid of aloe cancer, cut the
affected areas out and paint the plant
with an aphicide. The disease is caused
by a mite.
Aloe chabaudii

S
even years ago Femma Hackland’s
garden was a conventional farm
garden – roses, some beds of
ornamentals, azaleas, hydrangeas – I’m sure
you can picture it. And she hated aloes.
Now her garden is a celebration of our
hardy succulents, an ode to their beauty
and an exultation of their diversity.
So how did this happen? What changed?
“I thought aloes were terrible plants,”
Femma laughs. “My husband, Rick, loved
them, but I wouldn’t let him have any in my
garden.”
She points to one aloe in particular.
“There’s a story to this one. Our son gave
it to Rick, but I told the gardener to plant
it where no one would see it. Later, when
I had been won over, we decided to move
it somewhere more prominent, and it is
our oldest aloe – even though it has never
flowered!”
And the moment that changed her
opinion of aloes?
“It wasn’t one particular moment. Rick
was always passionate about aloes and
encouraging me to plant some. And I
was getting tired of spraying my roses for
bugs and having to water them. I felt that
using poison in my garden wasn’t the right
thing to do, and we all know that we need
to be more responsible with how we use
water. So converting my garden seemed
the sensible thing to do. I didn’t do it all at
once though – I started with one area to
see how it would work.”

Aloe candelabra Aloe cryptopoda

www.thegardener.co.za I 9
 We walk to the first part of the garden that
Femma converted to aloes. It’s spectacular,
flowering in a haze of yellows and oranges,
and yet it is only five years old. Femma’s aloe
conversion is a work in progress, and another
section we walk past is only 10 months old,
but is already taking shape.
“Even after I had decided to give aloes a
One of the things that Femma likes
most about her new garden is that it is
almost maintenance free. She’s planted
groundcovers between the aloes to keep
weed growth down, and there are now
pathways and aloes where there were once
10 I www.thegardener.co.za
go, I didn’t want to create another typical,
old-fashioned aloe garden, a rocky hill dotted
with aloes. Instead I decided to garden as
though I was using hydrangeas and azaleas,
but with aloes. Aloes come in such a wide
variety and in such diverse growth forms that
you can use one for virtually every role in the
garden.”
lawns and flowerbeds. And she has also
come up with an innovative solution for her
pathways. “Our soil is quite clayey and turns
to slush in the rain. To solve this problem we
got ash from the local oil factory, which is
free and works brilliantly as a gravel path.”
Aloe spectabilis
Aloe spectabilis
 A female Encephalartos ferox Leucospermum ‘High Gold’
in cone.

Obviously Femma’s garden isn’t devoid of

plants other than aloes. She has kept mature
trees as features and planted more for the
Aloe dawei future, but all selected to complement the
theme. Fever trees (Vachellia xanthophloea)
work well, their yellow stems and yellow
flowers in spring blending in well with the
dominant colours, while cycads and agaves
give interesting variations on the aloes’
structural forms. Then there are pincushions
in the yellow section, Crassula ovata and
C. multicava adding pinky-white blushes,
and pink osteospermums for bright pops of
contrasting colour.

Tip
Aloe maculata

When we think of aloes we picture a late

You have to be very careful when
autumn or winter blaze of fiery colours, a
you’re planting cactuses – some of
spectacular riot of yellows, oranges and reds,
them are very invasive, so don’t plant
but limited to the cooler months. But Femma
any without first doing your research.
assures us that we’re not appreciating the
diversity of the genus. “In my garden there
is an aloe flowering every month of the
year. Yes, most of them flower in winter, and
most of them are shades of red or orange,
but there is colour all year round. Before I
changed over to aloes the sunbirds would
visit my garden for a couple of months a year.
Now the sunbirds haven’t left the garden for
the past two years, and it is always buzzing
with the sound of bees. And one of the great
things about aloes is even when they’re not
flowering they have such wonderful textures
and colours from their foliage.”

Aloe spectabilis Encephalartos natalensis

www.thegardener.co.za I 11
 Femma isn’t afraid of being daring either, and has playfully used all
sorts of idiosyncratic items to add even more character to her garden.
Enamel mugs and bowls hang from a rusty bed frame alongside
tillandsias, while an old bicycle frame has been planted in a bed and
forms the basis of a unique shelf. A lovely bench has been placed at
the top of the hill for sundowners, and one can only imagine the sight
of thousands of aloes glowing in the afternoon light.

12 I www.thegardener.co.za

T—¹
Don’t plant too close together –
aloes get bigger than you expect,
and they can do it quickly!
Ashburton Aloe Festival
If you’d like to see this spectacular garden for yourself, visit the Ashburton Aloe
Festival (30 June – 1 July). For more information phone Femma on 083 636 0881.
Obviously when you wander around a
garden like this you start wondering about
the numbers. How many aloe plants? How
any species? “We know there are just over
80 different aloe species and hybrids in
the garden. We started counting individual
plants but we came unstuck. Lets just say
that there are plenty!” Femma laughs.
O¯¨‡
¯
‡ŋržÀ
rԯ˼—ƇÀš
Aloe dawei flowers up to four times a year and
comes in yellow or red.
Aloe striata is a stemless aloe with blue-grey
leaves with a pink margin, and lack spines. The
coral-red flowers are borne in winter. Femma
uses them in pots and gives them no water.
Aloe vanbalenii is a distinctive aloe with
twisty, sprawling leaves. Femma has a plant
that produces lime flowers, as opposed to the
normal shades of salmon, yellow, orange and
red.
Aloe greenii is an attractive plant even when
it’s not flowering, thanks to the spotted leaves
with pink-thorned edges. When it does flower,
in January to March, it produces impressive pink
racemes that are loved by sunbirds. This aloe
can be grown in the shade.
Aloe chaubaudii is a stemless aloe with greyish
leaves that form clumps of neat rosettes. The
complex racemes are red to pink in colour.
Aloe castanea flowers in the middle of winter,
its orange flowers an important source of nectar
and pollen for birds. It grows to up to 4m high,
a single stem starting at ground level and
dividing into a few stems.
Aloe globuligemma flowers in late winter and
into spring, the flowers starting red and turning
pinkish-white as they mature. The stemless
plant sometimes takes on a creeping habit, and
has blue-green leaves arranged in rosettes.
Aloe suprafoliata is also known as the book
aloe, after the page-like arrangement of
its leaves when it’s young. The leaves are a
beautiful shade of blue-green edged in sharp
brown thorns. It’s a great aloe for people who
don’t like orange, the pinkish flowers appearing
in May to July.
Aloe gerstneri is another aloe that flowers in
February, producing bight orange flower spikes.
Unfortunately it is quite rare in the wild and not
always easy to find at nurseries.
Aloe reitzii produces its red flower spikes in
summer, and is endemic to the grasslands
of Mpumalanga. It’s a lovely garden subject,
although can be tricky to find.
Aloe ‘Tangerine Tree’ is one of the spectacular
hybrids bred by Sunbird Aloes. It’s a very
large, stemmed aloe that produces incredibly
orange flowers on up to six well-branched
inflorescences flowering together in winter.
Femma advises that some aloe hybrids need
more water than their wild relatives.
www.thegardener.co.za I 13
 Conifers
PLANT FEATURE

timeless evergreens
Could conifers be making a strong comeback?

TEXT Gerald Schofield

Slender Juniperus scopulorum

‘Skyrocket’ in a formal garden.

14 I www.thegardener.co.za
C
onifers are an important group of
largely evergreen plants that grow
in many parts of the world, but are
most significant in cold climates. They are
vital to the global timber industry with
a variety of different pines, spruces, firs
and cypresses being grown and harvested
on vast scales in both the northern and
southern hemispheres. In the garden
they can be found as anything from large
trees to the tiniest of dwarf shrubs and
spreading groundcovers, and most sizes
and shapes in between. In nature some of
the oldest living plants (pines) are conifers,
while the largest living trees (giant
redwoods) are also part of this extensive
group of plants. Without conifers it’s safe
to say that life on earth would be very
different. Mature specimens of Cupressus sempervirens
‘Swane’s Gold’.

Cuprocyparis leylandii ‘Gold Rider’.

Multitudes of shapes, colours and

Platycladus orientalis with prominent ‘hooked
cone’ scales.
sizes
Ornamental garden conifers come in an
array of shapes and sizes as well as foliage
textures. Add to this a range of contrasting
colours from various shades of green to
gold and yellow, silver, grey and blue, and
even russet reds and browns, and you
have enough variety for endless different
planting combinations.
But to make the most of gardening with
conifers, you need to make sure that each
plant type is used in the right context, which
means you need to know which plant with
which tongue-twisting name comes in which Younger plant of Cupressus sempervirens
shapes, colours and sizes. Do this and you’ll ‘Swane’s Gold’ with pencil shape.
be able to create a lovely landscape using
predominantly conifers.

Juniperus scopulorum ‘Wichita Blue’ amongst

Flat growing Juniperus horizontalis ‘Prince of Wales’ with black mondo grass. low ornamental grasses.
www.thegardener.co.za I 15

Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ underplanted
with blue pansies.
Platycladus orientalis ‘Aurea Nana Com-
pacta’.
Cupressus sempervirens ‘Stricta’clipped to
shape.
16 I www.thegardener.co.za
Cemetry cypress growing against a wall.
Numerous garden uses
There is a conifer for virtually plant
application in gardens and landscapes, Platycladus orientalis ‘Aurea Nana Com-
from huge shade trees to low-spreading pacta’ underplanted with black mondo grass.
groundcovers, hedges and boundary
screens, to potted specimens around
the swimming pool. Leyland’s cypresses
are still planted extensively as large
windbreaks and boundary hedges.
They can be left to grow unchecked
or be clipped into well-manicured
hedges. Golden-foliaged conifers make
spectacular sculptured specimens in
borders or containers, their bright colour
and year-round good looks making them
much sought after. Dwarf conifers make
excellent rock garden subjects. Given their Thuja occidentalis ‘Rheingold’ as a low
cold tolerance and the fact that many informal border.
look their best in winter, conifers and cold
winter conditions are undoubtedly the
perfect match.
Cupressus sempervirens ‘Stricta’ (cemetry New growth tip of Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Gold
cypress) in a lawned area. Crest’ -foliage has a fresh lemon fragrance.

Platycladus orientalis cones contrast against
the flat frond-like sprays of scale leaves.
Conclusion
During the latter part of the last century
conifers were a fashionable component
of many gardens, especially in the colder
regions, but their popularity has waned.
Thankfully it now appears that conifers
are making a deserved comeback to the
garden scene, where their diversity of
range and numerous practical applications
Cultivation hints and tips
Conifers grow best in an open
and exposed position with ample
space for them to grow to maturity
unimpeded. Competition from
neighbouring plants is one of the
main reasons for conifers losing
condition in the garden. Full sun or
dappled shade is fine. They prefer
well-drained loamy soils but some
types adapt better to damp or dry soil
conditions than others. Applications
of general garden fertiliser at
recommended rates in spring and
summer keeps them in top condition
– don’t sprinkle any granular fertiliser
onto the foliage as it burns conifers
very easily. A thick layer of mulch
spread over the soil surface under
and between plants supresses
weed growth and reduces water
requirements (and also looks neat and
tidy). Check plants for any pests or
diseases on a regular basis and treat
accordingly. Most conifers are easy to
grow and require minimal care and
maintenance.
(BELOW) Conifers feature prominently
in a cold climate garden.
in the landscape are unsurpassed. There
are few substitutes for conifers and their
important role in the gardening scene.
Common sense will prevail and conifers
will once again offer the comfort of dense
boundary hedges, thick wide-spreading
groundcovers and stately specimens in the
landscape. Long live the conifer!
Questions and answers
Q: Do all conifers get attacked by
European cypress aphids – an insect
pest that has devastated some
conifers in recent times?
A: Not all conifer types are susceptible to
aphid damage. Cypresses (Cupressus
or Chamaecyparis) and some of the
junipers (Juniperus scopulorum) seem
to be the main targets. Aphids, which
are tiny and difficult to detect, are a
problem during autumn (April to June)
and conifers need to be treated during
this period. Preventative applications
of suitable systemic insecticides
need to be applied to vulnerable
conifers. Thuja and Platycladus are
not affected and don’t require any
treatment.
Q: Can large, overgrown conifers be
pruned back to keep them smaller
in stature?
A: As a general rule conifers can’t be cut
back too hard. Most of them do not
produce new growth from old hard
wood that has no foliage left. This
means that if the size and shape of
conifers need to be controlled it should
be done so with regular light pruning
or shearing during late winter. This
needs to be accomplished before new
spring growth emerges. Remove the
top 20 – 50mm of growth with hand or
mechanical pruning shears.
Q: How do you propagate conifers for
the garden?
A: In nature, most conifers self-propagate
by means of seeds. In horticulture
many ornamental conifers are
reproduced by means of tip cuttings
taken in mid-winter. Some hybrids or
cultivars don’t root easily from cutting
and therefore have to be grafted
in order to propagate true-to-type
progeny. Seed-grown plants don’t
always grow to be the same as their
parent.
Q: Do all conifers produce cones?
A: Conifers produce primitive flowers
called strobili. These are short and
catkin-like, with male and female
parts on separate strobili either on the
same plant, or in some instances on
separate plants. Pollination is done by
wind. Fruits then develop in the form
of a woody cone on some conifers like
pines, cedars and larches, while others
form berry-like fruits, as in junipers and
thujas.
www.thegardener.co.za I 17
GARDEN DESIGN

Of all known garden styles, a tropical garden best

connects you to the drama and serenity of Mother
Nature, and allows you to revel in all the exotic
colours and forms the botanical world has to offer.
T Note
he key features of a tropical garden are interwoven layers
of lush plants, and bold foliage and bright colour accents in It should be
exaggerated sizes. kept in mind that the
Elements of this relaxed garden style can be incorporated into shade from the ‘backbone’
any size garden and you don’t even have to live in the tropics at all – should never be allowed to
any temperate climate will do. So if you already have the following in grow too deep. Low branches
your garden, you’re ready to get started: should be regularly pruned
• Shady areas; away to allow in more
• A palm or two; light for other
• Flowering shrubs and vines; plants.
• A pool or pond.
And if we start identifying the design principles of a perfect
tropical garden further, the following points come to mind:

Alocasia Philodendron selloum

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rņ‡©Æ
¹£r©ÆÀ
Plants with bright or contrasting foliage colours and exotic
foliage forms are the sensual additions to the undergrowth of a
tropical garden. They can include fiery crotons, tough coprosmas,
brightly striped flaxes, Alocasia hybrids, gaudy caladiums
(elephant’s ears), the green drama of huge Philodendron selloum
and P. ‘Xanadu’ leaves and the gaily striped rainbow tree
(Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolour’).
Alocasia
The mystery of shade
The backbone of a tropical garden is high, slender, evergreen shade
trees with lacy dark green leaves and attractive bark. They provide
the jungle-like atmosphere and dappled shade for other tropical
plants beneath them.
Plants with an exotic look and large leaves (like palms, tree ferns
and Natal wild bananas) add to the tropical look. You can also include
special specimen trees or large shrubs with spectacular flowers like
coral trees, frangipanis, tibouchinas and hibiscus.

Philodendron ‘Xanadu’

¯~r£
¹¯—©ÆÀ
As tropical gardens are designed with long, curved, relaxed
planting beds cutting into a lush lawn, there will be eye-catching
spots to fill with strong and very architectural accent plants.
These can include those with sharp, sword-like leaves such as
cordylines, cycads (indigenous species) or Cycas thouarsii and
Cycas revoluta, which are of exotic origin but are easy to grow.
Don’t forget about the eye-catching soft succulence of Agave Cycas revoluta Agave attenuata
attenuata.
www.thegardener.co.za I 19
Background undergrowth
The stalwarts in the background of your tropical beds are solanums,
plumbagoes, star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides),
starry wild jasmine (Jasminum multipartitum) and white or
forest gardenia (Gardenia thunbergia), pistol bush (Duvernoia
adhatodoides) and forest bell bush (Mackaya bella) – all of these
fair well in dappled shade and are mostly indigenous and pretty
tough!

Trachelospermum jasminoides

Mackaya bella Duvernoia adhatodoides

20 I www.thegardener.co.za
 Colourful foreground
When working with strong patches of ‘colour-blocking’ in the
foreground, use perennials and annuals in shades of bright
yellow, luminescent orange, shocking pink, post-box red, and
deep purple. Plants like cannas, clivias, Plectranthus ‘Mona
Lavender’, bromeliads, sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas),
hostas, coleus, hen-and-chickens (Chlorophytum) and impatiens
are good choices.

Coleus ‘Campfire’

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r©ƒ
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À¹¯ÆÀ
Where there is darker shade and a moist atmosphere, you can
use dainty ferns like the pretty maidenhair (Adiantum capillus-
veneris) or the hardy Knysna fern (Rumohra adiantiformis). The
hardy holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) is equally suitable with
its glossy, green, leathery leaves.

Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’ Vriesea psittacina hybrid

www.thegardener.co.za I 21
H£rېˣ©‡Ő
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Highlights and playfulness can be added in the form
of hanging baskets filled with bright foliage and
flowering plants. You can also use the branches and
main stems of trees and palms as places to grow
epiphytes like orchids, bromeliads and staghorn ferns
(Platycerium).
Bromeliads
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Plants alone do not make a garden –
you can add the following elements to
complete the picture.
Water
A peaceful pond, softly gurgling fountain
in a pot, or a running stream is at home in
a tropical garden. In a large garden, first
prize would be a natural-looking pond
filled with a selection of water plants like
cyperus, irises, water lilies and reeds.
Owners of smaller tropical paradises
need not feel left out at all, as garden
centres are stocked with a wide selection
of portable water features that will not
take up a huge amount of space and are
easy to assemble. They can be placed in a
focal spot and finished of with swathes of
colourful ornamental grasses like Carex
hachijoensis ‘Evergold’ or Japanese rush
(Acorus gramineus) and smooth river
pebbles.
Pathways
Use natural materials like railway sleepers,
22 I www.thegardener.co.za
Bromeliad
Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’
Bromeliad Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet
Caroline Light Green’
Top tip
Too many beds with lots of curves
wooden rings, wooden decks, river
and awkward corners cause lots of
pebbles, gravel and rough-hewn stepping-
maintenance, especially if they are cut
stones to create a network of pathways
into a lawn. To lay out planting beds
through the garden and densely planted
with relaxed curves, use your hosepipe
beds. If you have access to lovely old tree
that has been warmed by the sun.
stumps or characterful rocks, add them
Move the hosepipe around until you
too and plant lush groundcovers like
are satisfied with the bed’s shape and
ajugas, bergenias and creeping foxgloves
then dust a line of cake flour all along
(Asystasia) around and amongst them.
the hosepipe. Once done, remove the
pipe and study your white markers for
Temptation requires preparation a day or two to see if you would like
Before planting, dig in copious amounts to make any changes before you start
of compost and bonemeal. A proper digging out the beds.
irrigation system, which can be a
You can do this with:
combination of seeping hoses and mist
• A leafy canopy – high and green;
sprayers, is recommended for a tropical
• Large, dramatic leaves;
garden, as the plants require regular
• Accent plants with strong
watering to become established. Some
architectural forms;
plants already mentioned, such as ferns,
• Spots of bright colour;
will benefit from humidity around them,
• Calming water;
and constantly moist, but not sopping
• Natural pathways;
wet, soil. Also use a mulch of compost, leaf
• Dense groundcovers and lush ferns;
mould or bark nuggets to keep the soil
• A comfortable place to sit and enjoy
moist for longer between waterings, and
it all.
to combat pesky weeds.
POT GARDENING

Tropical
in a pot
I
f you love tropical plants but the area
you live in is not conducive to them
thriving, you can get the look by
planting your tropical gems in a pot and
sheltering them on a warm patio.
When choosing the plants, use a
combination of large and smaller leaves of
differing shapes to get the best results.

The plants
Codiaeum variegatum (crotons) come
with vibrant leaves in various colours, and
are often grown as indoor pot plants that
grow in semi-shade or in the garden in
dappled sun to semi-shade. The colours
darken in autumn. Don’t overwater, and be
aware that they may drop their leaves in
very cold weather, so keep them sheltered.
Monstera deliciosa
Monstera deliciosa (delicious monster)
has wonderful broad, dark green leaves
and is a common indoor and patio plant.
It is sensitive to overwatering but does
like its roots to be kept moist. Plants like
nutrient-rich soil and need to be sheltered
from the cold and wind. Philodendron
selloum is a very similar tropical plant.

Crotons

Neoregelia is the largest genus of

bromeliads with around 90 species, each
in varying colours and combinations of
colours. They don’t have the towering
flower bracts of other bromeliad species,
but their foliage colours make up for
that, while the plants are very hardy Philodendron scandens
and forgiving. They don’t like to be
overwatered though, and prefer moderate Strelitzia nicolai Philodendron scandens (heart-leafed
shade and a shot of liquid fertiliser during philodendron) has smaller leaves than the
the growing season. delicious monster that are in the shape of
a heart. They like similar conditions to the
other plants in this pot and are very easy to
grow, not being particularly fussy at all.

You can’t beat Strelitzia nicolai (Natal wild

banana) for drama and height in a tropical
pot. They are not true bananas, but their
leaves are similar and their impressive
crane flowers are typical of strelitzia
species. These are fairly drought tolerant,
but don’t handle severe frost. They will
survive in a large pot for several years.

The potting mixture

Use potting soil with a couple of handfuls
of bonemeal or superphosphate, a couple
of handfuls of organic pellets, and a block
Neoregelia of palm peat that has been reconstituted
in water. Mix well.
www.thegardener.co.za I 25
GARDEN DESIGN

Hrő‡¼©À
in pavers
L
aying pavers seems so easy and fun
that anyone could do it. While that
is somewhat true, there’s more to
laying paving than ‘putting the pieces
together’. If you’re redesigning or adding
paving around your home, first you have
to pick a pattern. There are plenty of
options, and each has its own defining
characteristics and challenges. You just
need to pick the right finish for your
property.

£r‘ÀƯ©‡
With a flagstone pattern you can include
rÀ¡‡Æ
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designs that are created using irregular-
shaped stones arranged randomly. Stones
can range in size, and you have a lot of
freedom in this design because there are
no defined patterns or shapes to follow.
Opt for a flagstone walkway if you want
to create an authentic and beautiful look.
This design works best in rustic settings
because of the inconsistent styling.
The flagstone and grass combination is
popular and always beautiful. The downside
is that you have to constantly care for the
grass and to make sure it stays healthy and
trimmed, which is not easy during droughts!
The plus side is that grassed areas help to
define the shape and beauty of stone.
—¼~Ë£r¼
¹rő ‡¼©À
You will have seen this pattern on large
driveways or patios. To create this pattern
you layer the paver in a circular pattern,
starting from the centre. You can even
combine this pattern with a herringbone
finish or basket weave.
Go for a circular pattern if you have a
round seating area in the garden, or you can
even use your circular paving as a starting
point before you design the rest of your
outside spaces.
This is ideal for those who want to create a
vintage or historic look, and is also easy to
get right as it is a simple pattern where you
alternate the pavers between vertical and
horizontal pairs.
When using the basket weave pattern
you can get creative and use different
colours, or stick with one colour to achieve
an old, worn look.

T•‡
˼¯¹‡r©
r©
Popular across Europe, this pattern is one
of the most challenging, although a kit can
be used when laying this pattern for an
easier approach. Despite its challenging
design it offers some flexibility in terms of
fan size and colour.
www.thegardener.co.za I 27
Checkered
This is a classic and very popular pattern,
usually created using large square-shaped
stones, and most often with two different
colours to highlight the pattern.
An interesting idea is to combine pavers
with artificial grass squares to obtain a
simple pattern with a modern twist. You
can also try using different sized and
shaped pavers for an alternative finish.

%‡ŏ—©‘}¯©‡
In this design, which originates from old
English landscapes, pavers are organised
in alternate directions to form a V shape.
Herringbone is known for being durable
and has therefore become a classic paving
style.
The herringbone pattern has a strong
visual impact and is most often seen in
driveways, patios and walkways. When
creating a herringbone pattern the pavers
can be laid at either 45° or 90° . The
angle you choose will determine the overall
pattern and design.

28 I www.thegardener.co.za
KËŌ—©‘
}¯©ƒ
The running bond pattern is the most
commonly used, simply because it’s really
easy to lay. In addition, it’s also the most
efficient one, producing the least amount
of waste compared to other designs.
This is a pattern that is ideal for small
patios and which can make a small area seem
bigger thanks to its simple, linear lines.
¯}}£‡ÀƯ©‡
Originally cobblestones were small stones
rounded by the flow of water, gathered
from streambeds and used to pave the
streets of old England. Today setts are also
often referred to as cobbles, even though
they have a regular shape.
Given the irregularities and organic
shapes, you can use cobblestones with
flagstone finishes and similar designs.
Information from SmartStone Port Elizabeth,
www.smartstone.co.za
www.thegardener.co.za I 29
DIY H£rŌ—©‘
Before you start shopping for pavers it’s best to
mark in the garden where you are planning to

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Paving an area can transform it, and it’s quite simple to do
yourself. Here are some points to keep in mind to make your
paving job perfect.
put the paving. A can of spray paint is good for
this. Have a look at the surroundings and make
sure you are happy with the layout, as it is likely to
be a permanent part of the garden design. Make
plans for the surrounds: the flowerbeds, hedging,
a selection of pots, an arch, or whatever you’re
planning on using.

•ōÀ—©‘
¹rԇ¼À
Consider the following when choosing your
pavers:
• Pavers that are less than 40mm thick should be
laid on a bed of mortar to give a total thickness
of 40mm or more. Thicker pavers can be laid on
a bed of sand.
• You can choose to butt the pavers up against
each other or leave gaps between them for
pebbles, grouting or plants.
• Stones, bricks and concrete pavers can all
be used to great effect. These products are
available from companies that specialise in
paving.
• Think about colour. The available range
is extensive, and there is the option to
chequerboard the pavers in contrasting colours.
• Decide on the size of the pavers. Large pavers
require less effort than smaller ones, but they
may not fit in with the scale of the surroundings.
Thicker paving can carry a greater load.

H¼‡¹
Paving needs to be completely level to avoid
tripping, especially in high-traffic areas. Get the
site level and firm, even if you have to dig down
to a firm and solid base. The biggest and most
common mistake people make is to skip the prep
and dump the pavers on top of the ground so
that you have to step up onto them. Keep the
paving level with the surrounding garden to avoid
accidents. Use a builder’s line and pegs to keep
the pavers straight – there is nothing worse than
completing a job to find the whole thing is skew.
Level the surface and pack it down before adding
a layer of river sand, which also needs to be
levelled. The ground below paving must be firm
and stable, compacted and have the same slope
as the finished paving. Check that the thickness
of the compacted river sand and the pavers
together will make it all level to the surrounding
area. Paving must slope away from buildings (at a
minimum gradient of 1 in 50) for proper drainage.
Don’t rush this part: preparation is the key to a
successful result.
A layer of river sand can be added when the
paving is complete to fill the gaps between the
pavers. Spread thinly and brush into the joints with
a broom.

30 I www.thegardener.co.za
%—‘•ŷÆ ¼rʼn—~
r¼‡rÀ
The best solution for permanent paving is
to lay the pavers on mortar and to grout
the paving so that it’s perfectly smooth
and trip-free.
The mortar required for beneath pavers
requires one part cement and six parts sand,
mixed to the consistency of toothpaste. Lay
the pavers, tap them firmly into place with a
wooden mallet, and keep checking the levels
and lining up the pavers.
If you choose to grout the pavers, use
three parts plaster sand to one part cement,
and enough water to form a mixture that
is the consistency of ‘runny’ yoghurt. Use a
trowel to pack the mixture into the gaps and
use a squeegee to smooth it. Do a maximum
of four linear metres at a time, then use a
trowel to remove the excess grouting and
use a sponge and water to clean off the
pavers, otherwise they may be permanently
stained. Once completed, leave for 48 hours
to dry. If it is very hot during this time then
wet the grouting occasionally, using a hose
with a fine spray, to help prevent cracks from
forming.

K‡~¯ŋ‡©ƒ‡ƒ
Consider the following when choosing
your pavers:
• If you are laying paving with gaps, lay it
on weed-control fabric to prevent weeds
from popping up in the gaps.
• Use wooden blocks or spacers to keep
the gaps even.
• Soften the paving with plants around the
edges or between the individual pavers.
• Have fun with the design.

www.thegardener.co.za I 31
PROUDLY SOUTH AFRICAN
Beautiful
Natal
red top
T
he Natal red top, also known as
Natal grass or Natalse rooipluim, is
a very striking annual or biennial
in the grass family Poaceae. The genus
Melinis, which is derived from the Latin
‘mel’, meaning honey, is descriptive of the
sweet, syrup-like scent given off by certain
members of this genus, and the specific
name ‘repens’, meaning creeping, refers
to the creeping nature of the base of the
stems, which root when they touch the
ground.
The Natal red top is widespread in
KwaZulu-Natal and also occurs in the
other provinces of South Africa including
the Western Cape, where it has become
naturalised. It is also found in Lesotho,
Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana and
Mozambique, and further north and east
to the Arabian Peninsula, the Seychelles
and India. In South Africa it is a very
familiar pioneer plant in grassland and
is most frequently seen along roadsides
in disturbed soil, as well as on rocky
outcrops.
32 I www.thegardener.co.za
Reaching up to 600mm high when in
flower, the plant forms a tuft of intense,
bluish-grey leaves with maroonish-pink,
fluffy plumes held on flimsy grey stems
just above the tuft. Flowering takes place
from late spring to early autumn (October
to March) and a wonderful show ensues
for months, the plants even remaining
attractive after flowering. The individual
spikelets that form the flower head are
deep maroonish-pink when in bud and
once freshly open, maturing to light
pink and white. The plants are especially
attractive in bright sunlight, forming a
shiny pink mass.
The Natal red top is frost-hardy,
meaning that it easily survives winter
temperatures down to freezing, and can
therefore be grown in all but the coldest
parts of South Africa. It can be planted
out from nursery bags at any time of year,
or alternatively grown from seed sown
in deep seed trays. It requires watering
for the first few weeks after planting, but
once established is very waterwise. It is
Melinis repens
TEXT and PHOTOGRAPH Graham Duncan
fast-growing, performs best in a sunny
position, and likes any well-drained soil
containing some organic matter, especially
well-rotted compost, and grows equally
well in acidic or alkaline media. The
plants are very well suited to rock garden
pockets, planted in drifts in large beds,
or grown as borders to taller perennials.
They also make decorative subjects for
containers, and are excellent for stabilising
disturbed soil on steep banks.
These clump-forming plants form
striking colour combinations when
interplanted with summer-flowering
bulbs such as dwarf forms of the flame
lily (Gloriosa superba), pineapple flower
(Eucomis autumnalis) and the perennial
Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii).
Natal red tops are available in the
horticultural trade, usually from nurseries that
specialise in wild flowers, such as Random
Harvest Nursery (082 553 0598) or The
Indigenous Nursery at the Pietermaritzburg
Botanical Gardens (083 293 0249).
 YOUR ROSE GARDEN

GET THE LOOK

Roses and poppies are wonderful
winter and spring companions.
Plant the poppies between the Moving roses – this is
roses, and after pruning the poppies
will fill the bare space. What’s nice
about poppies is that the slender
the month to do it!
stems and low leafy growth doesn’t
TEXT Ludwig Taschner

compete with the new rose growth

or shade it from the sun. By October
the poppies are past their best and
can be pulled out, leaving the roses
to steal the show.
 Good to know
If you can’t transplant the rose immediately, put it
in the shade or in a shed covered by wet sacking.
G
arden plants always seem to find
themselves in the wrong place, and
roses are no exception.
Not only do gardens change as they
grow, we also like to change them and
that usually has a ripple effect throughout
the garden. This is the month to make the
big moves. That’s because the roses are
no longer actively growing so there is less
stress when the roots are disturbed.
Even so, the less one disturbs the
roots the more successful the relocation
will be. Here is my step-by step guide to
transplanting roses:
• Water the rose bed the day before so that
the soil is soft, making it easier to remove
the rose.
• If you are moving many roses, tag each
bush with its name. It’s easy to get
confused when the roses have been
cut back and are no longer in their old
position.
• Prepare the new rose bed, digging to a
depth of 50cm. Take out the topsoil and
mix it with compost and organic matter,
as well as 30g Vigorosa or Vigolonger
slow-release fertiliser. Alternatively, use
a quarter of a bag of Ludwig’s planting
mix per rose – it contains organics and
slow-release fertiliser. Loosen the soil in
the bottom of the hole, return the mixed
topsoil, and water well.
• The next day cut down the rose by a
half. Removing the growth reduces the
Rose care for June
• Water once a week if necessary.
• Transplant or plant out new roses.
• There is no need to fertilise or spray in
summer-rainfall areas. If the roses in
winter-rainfall areas are flowering and
are full of leaves, spray fortnightly with
Chronos or Rose Protector for black spot
and rust. If they are defoliated, don’t
worry to spray or water – just let them
go dormant.
• In subtropical areas fertilise with
Vigorosa in mid-June and spray with
Ludwig’s cocktail of Insect Spray and
Chronos twice a month.
demand on the roots.
• Push the blade of the spade into the
ground in a full circle around the bush,
about 20cm from the centre of the bush.
Once the ground is loosened and the
roots have been cut, slide in the spade,
push down, and carefully prise the rose
out of the ground.
• If there is serious resistance it means
some of the major roots have not been
cut. Don’t pull the bush out; rather use
the spade to cleanly cut the roots.
• Replant in the new position, making sure
the bud union is just below soil level,
and once planted the rose should be well
watered, followed by weekly watering.
I
’ve been a closet fan of the mirror
bush all my life, and still harbour in my PLANT FOCUS
garden the old shiny, green Coprosma
repens with its polished leaves. It keeps

Copious
on outgrowing its allocated space, casting
deep shade over other plants because it
does not really want to be the small tree
that I keep trying to train it into.
But such is the main characteristic of
this large shrub from the coastal areas of

Coprosma
New Zealand, which is part of the coffee
plant family: it will just keep on growing
and re-shaping itself, despite very sandy
and dry soil and strong and salty sea
winds, to screen other plants. In countries
like Australia this coprosma is a declared
weed and it should probably have the
same status in South Africa, as I have
seen specimens of it growing in the most
unexpected places, like in a milkwood
forest.
This coprosma species has been
hybridised with other ground-hugging
species, giving birth to many bulky garden
varieties with different kinds of variegated
foliage with cream, yellow, and later pink
tinges. These have become very popular
foliage plants over the years and are not
invasive.
Apart from the colourful, glossy leaves,
which intensify in colour and variegation
in cool seasons, gardeners love these
plants for their ease to cultivate and year-
long good looks, their adaptability to
many climates (apart from the coldest and
frostiest), and high resistance to pests and
diseases (nothing ever seems to eat or
plague them!).
They’re not water guzzlers either, once
established. I have watched with interest
how a low hedge of ‘Pacific Night’, which
has lime green leaves tinted with deep
shades of purple, held its own through one
of the worst droughts in the Western Cape!

TEXT Anna Celliers

Small gardens have dictated the need
for dwarf hybrids, and the new kids on the
block have compact and bushy growth
habits, and foliage tinted in extremely
flashy colours. Their smaller size makes
them perfect candidates as filler plants for
small gardens, to use as dense low hedges,
and also to grow in pots as specimen
plants.

Coprosmas in a nutshell
ours that glow
• Gorgeous foliage col
in winter.
willing to grow
• Evergreen, neat and
in most climate s.
• Pest and disease free. ‘Pacific Night’
• Tough and enduring.
What they need
Location: Full sun is best, but they will also
grow in partial shade where they receive
ample morning sun and afternoon shade.
If the shade is too deep and dark, the fiery
foliage colours will fade.
Soil: Any soil type enriched with compost
is acceptable, but drainage in heavy
clay soil has to be improved with coarse
organic material and river sand.
Water: Being drought tolerant, mature
plants can survive for long periods without
water, but regular watering will keep
the foliage glossy and healthy and will
ensure luxuriant growth. Too much water
distresses the plants and they will begin to
drop leaves.
Fertilising and pruning: A light feed
of a balanced fertiliser in spring keeps
the leaves healthy. For potted plants you
should also do additional foliar feeding
on a regular basis. Coprosmas react very
well to pruning for shape and size when
needed. You can also use the pretty
hybrids with their smaller leaves for
‘Scarlet O’Hara’ ‘Tequila Sunrise’
topiary-like spheres and cubes.

A gallery of dwarf coprosmas

‘Tequila Sunrise’ is just like a cocktail,
with different shades and layers of colour.
The summer foliage has rich orange and
golden yellow tints slowly deepening to
a rich sunset orange and finally to a deep
reddish burgundy in winter. Size 1m x 1m.
‘Pina Colada’ has golden yellow
foliage with hints of bronze and orange
intensifying to a rich copper and bronze in
winter. Size 70cm x 50cm.
‘Pina Colada’ ‘Lemon & Lime’ has foliage marked with
shades of lemon and lime near the centre
of each leaf. This gives the plant a bright
and uplifting look in the garden. The leaves
become tinged with orange in winter. Size
1m x 1m.
‘Scarlet O’Hara’ has small, curly, nearly
cylindrical leaves with red and orange
variegation. It changes into a fireball in
winter. Size 1m x 1m.
‘Pacific Sunset’ has glossy, wave-shaped
leaves with vivid red centres set against a
burgundy/chocolate-brown margin that
intensifies in cool months.

‘Pacific Sunset’ ‘Lemon & Lime’

38 I www.thegardener.co.za
PLANT FOCUS

If you can’t get into the Tree time

for
healing environment of a
real forest to do some ’forest

‘me time’
bathing’ you can go for plan
B, which is to create your
own mini woodland area.

TEXT Anna Celliers

I
n many cultures across the world trees
are often planted to commemorate
births or marriages, or given as house-
warming gifts. But sometimes trees are
also planted in loving memory of someone
lost. When I was asked by a friend to
recommend a tree for a mini-forest of
nineteen small trees to plant in memory
of her son’s life, I delved into the treasure
chest of rewarding trees that we can plant
in ordinary suburban gardens to create a
cool woodland – even in small gardens.
I also read that our lunar gardening
expert, Ilona Thorndike, reckons that the
best tree planting days of the year will be
the last fertile days at the end of June when
it is full moon. So let’s make the most of
this great opportunity and all plant some
small trees to create a perfect mini-forest.
The trees under discussion are all
indigenous, hailing from fairly widespread
habitats, and all can be planted close to
paving or other structures as none of them
have aggressive root systems. But let’s look
at a few mini-forest points before we plant:
Size
The dimensions of some of the trees
highlighted might scare you, which is why
they’re not mentioned here. Outside of
their natural habitat they will seldom grow
as tall and wide as their official maximum
sizes. Be assured that most will seldom
grow higher that about 5 – 7m in a garden
(unless your garden is called Eden!).
Spacing
How to space the trees for a mini forest
look is a difficult question. The best thing
is to close your eyes and to visualise the
effect you would like to achieve.
Forest floor
Mini forests can be planted in an existing
lawn, which will give them a very serene
‘green’ effect. If the shade becomes too
dense, causing bald spots in the lawn,
simply overseed it with a lawn type that
grows well in shade. If you plan to plant
your mini forest where nothing else is
growing at the moment, you have a wide
scope of options to use as the forest floor.
You can spread gravel around the trees
and add a few attractive rocks between
them, or you can cover the whole area with
groundcovers and ornamental grasses
that love to grow in shade. If you choose
deciduous trees you can plant dainty
spring-flowering bulbs that will naturalise
over the years, like bluebells, daffodils and
snowflakes. A simple option can also be
to just cover the area with a thick mulch of
bark nuggets, peach pips or old autumn
leaves.

Shape
Many small trees are actually large shrubs
that will grow into a wild bush if not
tamed. It is vitally important to train most
of them into the shape of a tree with a
single main stem right from the start. This
means that you will have to keep pruning
off all lower branches until you are happy
with the height and character of the main
stem. Only then can they be allowed to
grow a bulkier crown and shade canopy.
www.thegardener.co.za I 41
The following small trees can also be used as screening plants or to create large hedges.
White pear Pompom tree
(Apodytes dimidiata) (Dais cotinifolia)
The white pear is a very glamorous Possibly one of the prettiest flowering
and neat little tree, and also one of our indigenous trees that is suitable for every
protected indigenous tree species. garden. It can be trained into a neat
Features standard too.
• Evergreen with dense, glossy bright to Features
dark green foliage. • Grey bark that tears in long strips, and
• Loose heads of sweetly scented white which is often used as rope.
flowers in September to April. • Light green leaves in opposite pairs.
• Fruit is a black flattened drupe with a red • Pink to mauve flowers in dense spherical
fleshy appendage. heads.
• Non-aggressive root system. Cultivation
Cultivation • Fast grower, up to 1m per year.
• Protect young plants against frost for the • Flowers while still young.
first year. • Withstands moderate frost.
• Growth rate is about 700mm per year. • Needs regular watering.

Dais cotinifolia

False olive
(Buddleja saligna)
The false olive is so versatile – you can
even prune it into very formal topiary
trees.
Features
• Evergreen.
• Fissured bark that flakes in long pieces.
• Twisted stems with narrow leaves that
are dark green on the upper side and
light grey to white on the flipside.
• Masses of small white flowers attract
Bauhinia tomentosa butterflies and bees.
Cultivation
Calpurnia aurea
• Fast growing, up to 800mm per year.
• Very drought and frost resistant.
Yellow bauhinia
(Bauhinia tomentosa) Wild laburnum
It is said that the yellow bauhinia also loves (Calpurnia aurea)
to grow in a large pot on the patio. No other laburnum in the world can hold
Features a candle to our very own wild laburnum
• Long, straight branches and simple two- when it is in flower.
lobed, deeply divided leaves resembling Features
butterfly wings. • Evergreen with an open, rounded crown.
• Yellow flowers with a deep purple blotch • Compound, drooping, light green leaves.
at the base of one or more petals in • Golden yellow, pea-like flowers in long
November to April, followed by thin fruit terminal sprays in December to February,
pods. followed by papery fruit pods.
• Can be planted close to pool or paving, • The neat growth habit makes it suitable
and perfect for screening as well. as a specimen tree and focal point as
Cultivation well.
• Fast grower – up to 900mm per year. Cultivation
• Very floriferous, and more flowers can be • Fast grower, up to 1m per year.
stimulated by pruning in winter. • Withstands light frost but must be
• Can withstand light frost and uses a Buddleja saligna protected in the first year.
medium amount water. • Can survive long periods of drought.
42 I www.thegardener.co.za

Dovyalis caffra
Kei apple
(Dovyalis caffra)
A thorny number to discourage unwanted
yard guests, and you can make delicious
jam from the fruit.
Features
• Evergreen tree with a dense and much-
branched crown.
• Old bark is corky and fissured, and young
branches are armed with long spines.
• Dark green leaves with a waxy lustre and
prominent veins.
• Male and female creamish-green flowers
appear on separate trees from November
to January.
• The fruit is orange, velvety and fleshy,
and very popular with birds.
Cultivation
• Moderate growth rate of up to 600mm
per year.
• Fruits after three years.
• Very drought resistant and can tolerate
light frost.
• Perfect for full sun and light shade.
• Tolerates coastal wind and salt spray.
Crossberry
(Grewia occidentalis var. occidentalis)
You can boil the dried fruit in milk for an
indigenous super milkshake, or use the
ripe fruit to make beer. Birds love the fruit
too.
Features
• Evergreen to semi-deciduous tree with
an open but tangled and spreading
crown.
• Glossy leaves and very pretty pink to
mauve flowers with yellow stamens from
October to January, followed by four-
lobed fruit.
• Can be planted in a wide variety of
habitats from arid and dry to wet and
humid.
Cultivation
• Growth rate is fast at first, up to 1.5m per
year, but after a few years slows down to
1m.
• Grows in full sun or shade.
• Survives several degrees of frost.
• Drought resistant.
Grewia occidenalis Grewia occidenalis
Wild peach Cork bush
(Kiggelaria africana) (Mundulea sericea)
When in fruit these trees become alive If you want to stun or kill fish, use the
with birds feasting on the red sticky seeds pounded roots, bark leaves and seeds
or on the larvae of the Acraea butterflies thrown into a bag, and then thrown into the
that use it as a host plant. water.
Features Features
• Semi-deciduous to evergreen. • Evergreen to semi-deciduous.
• Light green, simple leaves with a velvety • Thick, corky bark.
underside. • Leaves covered with silvery, silky hairs.
• Male and female yellowish green flowers • Beautiful pea-shaped mauve flowers from
on separate trees. October to February.
• Fruit is a warty capsule splitting to reveal Cultivation
black seeds with an oily, reddish-orange • Moderate growth rate of 0.5 – 1m per year.
flesh. • Well-drained soil and full sun is needed.
Cultivation • Very hardy, not affected by drought or
• Fast growth rate of up to 1.3m per year. frost.
• Frost-hardy and can tolerate low
temperatures. Source: Making the most of Indigenous Trees
• Moderately drought resistant. by Fanie & Julye-Ann Venter, Briza Publications,
1996. ISBN 1 875093 33 8.
www.thegardener.co.za I 43
FOOD GARDENING

The Family Herb Garden

Herbs to keep Dad
happy and healthy

TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs

H
erbs can easily become part of our
daily lives because they have so
many different uses. In June, when
we celebrate Father’s Day, you’d be surprised
at how many herbs can be used in special
treats for Dad, as well as look after his health
and fitness.

Three cheers for Dad!

• Botanical gin cocktail with coriander
Mix together 1 cup of water, the juice
of three limes, 1 cup of gin (yes!),
3 tablespoons of sugar and a few sprigs
of coriander. Chill for at least an hour,
then add three cups of club soda and
serve in a glass with slices of lime.

• Beer lovers' snack

Chop up three spring onions, sprinkle
them with salt and let them draw for
10 minutes. Then combine them with
1¼ cups of ricotta cheese, ¹/8 cup of
sour cream, 8 radishes (chopped),
6 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil,
1 garlic clove (minced), freshly ground
black pepper to taste, and chopped herb
leaves (oregano, thyme and chives). Stir
in a squeeze of lemon juice and season
Rosemary Drying herbs
with salt. Pile onto toasted rye or panini
Pick herbs later in the day when the dew has
(whichever Dad likes best) and serve
dried. Spread the herbs sparsely on newspaper
with his favourite beer.
so that that they dry out easily and quickly. The
• Wood-grilled herby bread and wine best drying space is a cool, dark room. After
This snack, which beautifully three weeks the herbs should be crispy dry.
complements wine, is so simple. Lightly Store whole or crushed in a sealed, labelled
brush both sides of bread with olive oil. and dated container.
Grill the bread on a braai for a minute on
either side, till it is lightly charred. Rub
with garlic, fresh tomato and sprinkle
with Herbes de Provence. Good to know
Herbes de Provence is a mix
of dried herbs used in the
Provence region of France,
and includes common herbs
like marjoram, rosemary, Sage
thyme and oregano. Lavender
is sometimes added. Make
your own blend, highlighting
the herbs that you prefer.

Try this
Winter Zinger tea:
If Dad is feeling under the weather
make a tea from sage, rosemary and
ginger. It aids digestion, improves
circulation and just makes you feel
good. Add honey to taste.

www.thegardener.co.za I 45
 Pamper Dad with lavender
Let’s face it, life is stressful, and
Dad usually takes the brunt
of the stress, worrying about
the family with the rising cost
of living and the ever-present
threat of crime.
Lavender is an excellent
de-stress herb. While Dad is
not likely to soak in a lavender
bath, he won’t be able to resist
a relaxing neck and shoulder
rub using lavender-infused
cream. To make a cream, melt
200g aqueous cream in a double
boiler and add 60g of lavender
flowers. A drop of lavender
essential oil will add to the
aroma. Simmer for 10 minutes,
stirring frequently. Strain the mix Parsley
through fine gauze, allow to cool
and then pour into a container.
Suitable lavender Infection fighters
Lavandula dentata has the Everyone knows that Dad is the worst
largest flowers, while Lavandula patient in the world, so he needs to be
‘Margaret Roberts’ has small kept healthy before he hits the bed feeling
flowers but produces them in sorry for himself. Keep him and the rest of
abundance. the family healthy with immune-boosting
parsley.
<- Lavandula Parsley is a good source of vitamin C
and also contains vitamin A and minerals
dentata such as iron. These all build the immune
system and provide strong protection
against colds and flu.
In terms of nutrition, there is no
difference between moss curled and
Italian flat-leaf parsley. However, Italian
Mint Even an Iron Man needs mint parsley is more able to withstand frost and
it grows into a bigger plant, about 80cm
Mint is not only a delicious culinary herb, but high compared to garden parsley, which
also heals, soothes and aids digestion. In the is rounder, more compact, and 30 – 60cm
Middle East mint is a major digestive herb, and high.
herb tea is served to the men at the end of every
meal.
To use
Eat two tablespoons of parsley a day.
• For strained muscles add mint to Dad’s
Disguise it by adding it chopped as a
bathwater. It also eases stress.
garnish, added at the end of cooking, or
• For indigestion, mint tea acts as an
mixed in a smoothie. Infuse parsley to
antispasmodic and eases heartburn.
make a mild-flavoured tea and sip three
Indigestion is often a sign of stress.
times a day as a digestive or tonic.
• Use peppermint to soothe a nagging cough
and relieve colds. If used as an inhalant it eases To grow
nasal catarrh (build up of mucus).
Plant in full sun and deep, fertile soil that
drains well. Set out new plants every six
months, especially if you harvest regularly
Good to know because the plant tends to develop a stem,
Mint is invasive and quickly spreads through which reduces the yield.
the herb garden. Grow it in a pot or sink the
pot into the soil and clip the runners. Mint
grows in sun to semi-shade and likes plenty For more information visit;
of water. Mint is also a great herb to grow in www.healthyliving-herbs.co.za
a hanging basket.

46 I www.thegardener.co.za
 Braai-master herbs Chillies
Any family herb garden should
include herbs for the braai,
especially if Dad likes to make up
his own marinades and boasts
about his secret sauce recipe.
Grow herbs with big, bold flavours,
because most blokes just can’t be
bothered with finicky stuff.

• Rosemary
is the ultimate low-maintenance
perennial herb, and just one
bush is all you need for a
constant supply. Give it space,
sun and well-draining soil.
Rosemary is a brilliant marinade
herb (with garlic, olive oil and
lemon juice), or you can throw a
few branches onto the fire for a
fantastic aroma.

• Chillies
are likely to be the secret
ingredient in any sauce – the Lemon thyme
hotter the better. They are a
Rosemary summer crop, needing full sun
and regular watering, and are
also good in pots. Let the chillies
ripen on the bush for heightened
flavour.

• Garlic chives
add the garlic flavour without
the aftershock. It’s a clump-
forming perennial that is a cut-
and-come-again herb. Chop the
leaves into sauces, marinades
and salads, and use as a garnish
as well as in herb butters for
steak. It is easy to grow in sun or
semi-shade.

• Lemon thyme
is the tastiest of the thyme Horseradish
varieties, adding a subtle lemon
flavour. Grow it in pots or in
ordinary garden soil, trim often
to prevent it from becoming
woody, and make sure it gets
plenty of sun.

• Horseradish
is another hot herb, with a kick
as powerful as a horse. The heat
comes from the grated roots,
which are harvested in autumn.
It’s a clump-forming plant with
tall, strong, interesting leaves
and white flowers in spring. It
Garlic chives needs full sun and well-drained
composted soil.
FOOD GARDENING

Get creative with

arbours, obelisks,
teepees and
trellises

V
TEXT Alice Spenser-Higgs

egetables
g row i n g u p
T
raining vegetables up vertical structures is a practical way
to use space productively. But there is another reason
for doing so: it adds beauty to what is often a utilitarian
space. Place obelisks in a veggie garden and immediately the
Tips for using obelisks
• Go big: Big obelisks make more of a statement, and vining
space is transformed: a one-dimensional space becomes three-
crops like runner beans and peas, as well as butternut,
dimensional. Place an archway or arbour at the entrance or
cucumbers, indeterminate tomatoes and sweet potatoes, need
between sections and you add romance and mystery. Arches
plenty of growing space.
invite, enticing you to peer through it, offering an Alice in
• Use a pair to frame the entrance to the veggie garden.
Wonderland moment.
A single obelisk in the middle of a bed adds height and can
be repeated in other beds for balance. Paint wooden obelisks
bright colours and they will make even more of a design
statement
• Choose plants wisely. The mature height of the plant will
affect your choice of obelisk and the kind of space you can
provide for it.
• Put the obelisk in place before planting, to avoid damaging
plants’ roots. Allow plants to find their own way up supports, or
tie them in at intervals to encourage them upwards.
• Plants behind or below the obelisk may be shaded from the
sun or miss out on watering. Turn this to good use by planting
heat-sensitive or shade-loving greens or salad plants around
the obelisk. Just watch the watering.
• Regard your obelisks as temporary structures that can be
moved to catch the seasonal sun movement.

Budget beater –
how to make your own
Teepees are a homemade
substitute for obelisks and are just
as effective. Use bamboo stakes,
Try this
Inspirational arches Make a simple rusti
c arch wooden stakes, wooden poles
in a and even branches tied together
and arbours by pla cin g fou r po les
tops for a rustic effect.
g th e
Use an archway as an entrance square and joinin
Fit tin g a tre llis
to the vegetable garden and an with timber. How to do it
sid e ma ke s th em
arbour (which can be as simple on each
dly. Place 3 – 5 poles/stakes in
as a bench under an arch) at more climb er- frien a
on circle in the ground and tie
the end of the garden as a focal Plant rapid gro rs we the
sh be an s, tops together. It’s as simple
point. either side: bu as
, that. However, it is easier
Besides ready-made items, squashes, granadillas for
s, flowe rin g cli mb ers plants to climb upwards if
arches and arbours can be made grape twine
), an d even is tied around the tee -pee
from trellis panels joined together, (black-eyed Susan at
es. intervals. This also suppor
long-lasting gum poles, square- climbing ros ts
the fruit-bearing stems of
cut poles, or brick pillars spanned determinate tomatoes.
by wooden beams.
www.thegardener.co.za I 49
Trellises
Trellises – either bought or homemade – can double the productivity of a small garden.
They enable rambling and vining vegetables to be grown in a compact space, fruit is kept
off the ground and there is plenty of air circulation, reducing disease.
Trellis panels are usually wall mounted but can also stand alone (supported by a pole
framework) or joined together to make an A-frame. Smaller panels are ideal in containers
for mini-climbing veggies.

Quick tips with clinging tendrils,

like runner
ht tre llis es are sui table for vining crops
• Lightw eig umbers.
inate tomato es and cuc ger trellis is
beans, peas, indeterm tte rnu ts an d pumpkins, a sturdier, big
as bu
• For heavier squash es, suc h en the plant is mature.
r, yo u’ll stil l be able to see the trellis wh space to
better. Being big ge cause the plants ne ed
sho uld no t be att ach ed directly to a wall be the wa ll wit h ho ok s
• Trellises sup po rt. Att aching the trellis to
ll an d the
grow between the wa
for maintenance. etres
makes it eas y to remove struc ture a few centim
als o be att ach ed to poles as a fre est anding
• Trellises can
away from the wall. ir smell) before
oso te sho uld be lef t to dry off (and lose the
cre
• Panels treate d with isonous to plants .
, be cause cre osote is po before ins tallation.
ins talling and planting sed wo od preser vative
oil or an oil -ba 3 years. They
• Paint with lin see d at the panels every 2 –
on the ir exp osu re to the elements, tre
• Depend ing
rs.
can las t for up to 15 yea

Beautiful bamboo
Bamboo stakes are very versatile, and with
a few stakes and a roll of twine all sorts of
structures can be made.

Try this
Make a bamboo framework
by set ting
out two lines of poles about
30cm
apart and tying the tops tog
ether. For
stability, place a stake horizo
ntally on
top of the poles. Plant nex
t to each
stake.

50 I www.thegardener.co.za
 JUNE SOWING GUIDE
REGION VEGETABLE

Highveld No sowing, except

and in the KwaZulu-
KwaZulu- Natal Midlands
Natal where garden peas
Midlands can be sown.

5 minutes
to spare
Haul out your seed
Unusual veggie: Pea ‘Blue Shelling’ packets, check the
Middleveld Garden peas
This is a Dutch heirloom variety with deep- expiry date and see
(Pretoria
blue purple pods and lightly scented edible where the gaps are for next season’s
and other
purple flowers. Use the tendrils as a microgreen sowing. Seed is viable for up to three
less frosty
or harvest very young pods as sugar snaps, or years, if stored correctly (dark, cool
areas)
leave the pods to mature and dry for eating as and dry).
a soup pea (its original use). It is too starchy to
eat as a green pea. The dried peas are soaked
overnight before cooking.
Plant in deeply dug over, fertile soil that
Eastern Garden peas
drains well, and train up a trellis to maximise
Cape and
exposure to the sun. Water regularly and,
Little
fertilise once a month.
Karoo

GARDEN TASKS for JUNE

• Water at least once a week. Soil Western Broad beans, celery,
should be moist, not over-wet or Cape (and garden peas, radishes,
allowed to dry out completely. Southern turnips
Plants have better cold tolerance Coast)
in moist soil.
• Stake broad beans and Brussels
sprouts, earth up around
cabbages and cauliflowers.
• Feed brassicas once a month
Gardening for kids with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser.
• Check for aphids, especially on
Northern
Cape and
Onions (prepare beds
for sowing garden
Grow crunchy multi-coloured radishes in a
brassicas, and spray with an Great Karoo peas in July and
window box that gets lots of sun. They are
organic insect spray. Cabbage is August).
fun to grow because they grow so fast and
spoilt if aphids get into the head.
are crunchy to eat.
• Keep raking up fallen leaves and
Fill the window box with moist, good quality
add them to the compost heap.
potting soil (not too coarse), mixed with some
• Move wormeries into a
homemade compost. Sprinkle the seeds over
sheltered, warm area if possible.
the surface, cover lightly with potting soil and
Worms are sensitive to the cold.
firm down with the flat of your hand. Moisten Lowveld Runner and bush
• Have frost cloth ready for
the soil using a watering can. and beans, beetroot,
protecting tender veggies.
Good tip: Start watering away from the
box, swish it over the soil and finish watering
KwaZulu-
Natal Coast
brinjals, cabbages,
carrots, cucumbers,
melons, garden peas,
away from the box. The heavy drops at the 10 minutes pumpkins and other
beginning and end of watering can disturb
the seeds.
to spare squashes, radishes,
Rake or lightly till spinach Swiss chard,
Did you know? The leaves are also
yummy to eat or can be used by Mum in a
manure into empty
beds, and cover with
tomatoes, turnips

salad. For plump radishes make sure to water a thick layer of leaves.
every second day. By spring the beds will be ready for
planting.
DIY

There are many options,

so choose the one that
works best for you.

Choosing
a compost
container
 3-BIN COMPOSTERS MAKE A THREE-BIN COMPOSTER
A highly recommended structure is the three-bin
system, which consists of three compartments of
ascending sizes. The first bin is the largest, designed
to take fresh kitchen and garden waste that tends
to be bulky before it breaks down. Once this bin is
full, it is transferred to the smaller second bin and
simultaneously turned for aeration. Once the first
bin is full again, the more advanced contents of the
second bin are transferred to the third and smallest
bin, and simultaneously turned again, to create space
for the contents of the first bin to be transferred to the
second bin. By the time the first bin is full yet again, the
contents of the third bin should be ready for return to
the garden soil, and so the process continues. This is an
easy and elegant system to use!
This large composter can be made in a day and is easy to put together

H
ow much space do you have?
The bigger your garden the more
space you will have (and need)
for your compost area. There are plastic
compost bins in various sizes, available at
most garden centres, that will suit small
gardens and produce less organic waste.
Often we tend to allocate too little space
to composting. You can never add too much
compost to your soil, so allocate the biggest
possible space you can to this area.
Where should you put it?
The best place for a compost area is where
it will be easy to access, both from your
kitchen and your food garden beds.
This should preferably also be an area
that is protected from drying winds and
receives sun. Also ensure a source of water
is nearby, which is particularly helpful
during the dry seasons when you will need
to wet the compost down regularly.
What structure works best?
To aid the decomposition process you need
a structure that allows aeration from the
sides, top and base. You can build bins out
of wire mesh, reclaimed wooden palettes,
wooden slats or even concrete blocks.
Another tip is to enable the compost
to come into near contact with the soil it
sits on, as this will allow microorganisms
to enter and speed up the decomposition
process.
It’s critical that you have ease of access
to the contents of the bins too, as you’ll
need to turn the compost occasionally to
aerate it, and to remove it later for return to
your garden beds. A lid is advisable to allow
control of moisture levels and help seal in
heat for rapid decomposition. You could
simply drape a sheet of plastic over the top
of the bin.
What you do
What you need
1  Measure an area of 4500mm x 1200mm,
and mark the position for the posts at
1500mm intervals across the front and back.
CCA-treated wood:
8 x 76mm x 50mm x 1650mm posts
4 x 20mm x 20mm 1200mm support
Level the ground and dig the holes for the posts
four back posts, to a depth of 450mm. 76mm x 25mm planks cut to the
following lengths:
32 x 1200mm
28 x 1145mm
42 x 1500mm
14 x 4500mm
12 x 600mm
Approximately 500 Tek screws
(4.5mm x 50mm)
2m nylon rope
2  Lay four of the 1650mm x 76mm x 50mm
posts on the ground, 1500mm apart.
Make sure the 50mm side is facing up. Make
a mark 450mm up the posts. Starting at the
mark, space the fourteen 4500mm x 76mm
x 25mm slats evenly on the posts. Fix the
slats in place with the Tek screws, using at
least two Tek screws at each fixing point to
prevent the structure from twisting.
3  Lift up the back wall of
the structure and drop
the posts into the prepared
holes. Make sure the back
wall is level, then compact
the soil around the posts.
www.thegardener.co.za I 53
4  Dig the 450mm deep holes for the
front posts 1200mm in front of the
back posts.

5  Sink the front posts (the remaining 1650mm x 76mm x

50mm posts) 450mm into the ground. Make sure that the
50mm side is facing the front and that they are straight and
upright, then compact the soil around them to keep them in
place.
Connect the front posts to the back posts using fourteen
1200mm slats, using Tek screws. Leave the same gaps between
the slats as on the back wall. Repeat on the other side.

6  Attach a 1200mm x 76mm x 25mm slat to the front of each

of the front posts, leaving an even overlap on each side of
the post. These overlaps will form part of the channels to slide
the door panels in and out.

54 I www.thegardener.co.za
 7  Attach fourteen of the
1145mm x 76mm x 25mm
slats to each of the two centre posts
in the same way as the side posts. You will notice a 30mm
gap between the end of the plank and the front of the
post, which forms the channels on that side of the post. For
clarity, have a look at the diagram. On the open sides of the
front posts, attach the 1200mm x 20mm x 20mm panel to
complete the channels on the front posts.

8  To make a door, lay two of the 600mm x 76mm x 25mm

cleats on top of seven evenly spaced 1500mm x 76mm
x 25mm slats. The slats must overhang each of the cleats by
50mm. Attach using Tek screws. Drill two holes in the centre of
the door, big enough to pass the nylon rope through to form
a handle. Pass a piece of the rope through the holes and tie
knots in both ends of the rope to stop it from pulling through.
Repeat this step to make a total of six doors.

9  Slide the doors into the channels to close the front of the
three box compartments. Your composter is now ready to
receive garden and kitchen refuse.

www.thegardener.co.za I 55
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 A pallet-able
DIY

wall feature
This creative wall feature can be used as a decorative
shelf or even a functional potting bench.
What you need
Timber (we used recycled pine, which is
basically pallets that have been broken
down):
4 x 1070mm x 90mm x 40mm
12 x 1070mm x 95mm x 18mm
3 x 380mm x 90mm x 40mm

80 full-thread screws (4mm x 50mm)

2x 1m x 8mm natural-fibre rope
4 x nail-in wall anchors
6 x U-fencing staples

Tools: Tape measure, drill and 10mm drill

bit, belt sander, screwdriver, hammer

What you do

1 1
Lay the four 4 x 1070mm x 90mm
x 40mm planks on a table. Screw
four 1070mm x 95mm x 18mm
planks onto them. Screw one
at each end, and the other two
310mm from the end planks.

2
Screw four 1070mm x 95mm x
18mm planks onto three 380mm
x 90mm x 40mm planks, one
380mm plank at each and one in
the middle.

3
Turn the structure from Step 2
over and screw the remaining
2 3
four 1070mm x 95mm x 18mm
planks to it.

4
Sand the two structures to neaten
them up.

5
Screw the structure from Step 1 to
the structure completed in Step 3,
the bottoms of the two structures
flush with each other.

4 5
www.thegardener.co.za I 59
 6

7
6 If you’d like to you can paint or
seal
is
the shelf, although pallet wood
7a
Drill two 10mm holes in the two
outer 380mm planks, near the .
front. treated and lasts ages outdoors

7
Attach one end of a piece of rope
to the second-from-top shelf,
using fencing staples. Push the
other end of the rope through the
10mm hole and tie a strong knot
in the end. Repeat with the other
piece of rope.

8
Hang the completed shelf from a
wall, using wall anchors. Once this
is done, decorate with some art-
fully placed plants and gardening
accessories.

7b 8
60 I www.thegardener.co.za
KOI
10 top tips for
new fishkeepers
P
et healthcare is so important, and
fish are no different. They can’t talk
to us so we have to be one step
ahead to keep them happy and healthy at
all times. Here are my top 10 tips for new
fishkeepers.
1 Dechlorinate tap water before adding
it to your pond or aquarium. Even
if you are only topping up evaporated
water this is a must, as tap water contains
chlorine and chloramines, which are
harmful to all fish. There are many brands
of dechlorinators on the market – just
look for a bottle that says it takes out both
chlorine and chloramines.
2 Fish need a filter to remove fish waste,
organic matter and to keep your pond
or tank clean. Remember that filters take
6 – 8 weeks to mature, so be patient and
don’t overstock your pond with fish for the
first few weeks.
3 Cleaning of your filter: When washing
out your filter please use pond or tank
water and not water from the tap, as the
chlorine kills all the good bacteria in the
filter.
4 If you have problems with green water
there are a few treatments. The long-
62 I www.thegardener.co.za
term treatment is to put a UV sterilizer
on, as this kills green water and you only
need to change the UV bulb every 9 – 12
months. There are pond UV lights and
aquarium UV lights to choose from. Short-
term solutions are putting in algaecides,
but they only last a week or so and then
the green water returns.
5 The amount of food your fish require
is often confusing for fishkeepers.
Time is often a good way to assess if
you are feeding correctly: if after five
minutes there is still food floating on the
surface, you are overfeeding. Feeding koi
small amounts three times a day leads to
maximum growth.
6 Rain can affect your outdoor pond’s
pH level – you need to keep a check on
the pH levels as they can fluctuate quite a
lot. Most fish like a pH of between 7.2 and
8.5. If the pH drops below 7, bicarbonate of
soda can be used to correct it.
7 Air pumps are used to blow oxygen
into the water. Fish love the added
oxygen and it makes them healthier and
more active. Air pumps blow vertical air
from the bottom to the top via air stones.
You can get air balls, air discs and even
bottom drains that have built in air tops.
TEXT Angela Beckx
8 Healthcare for fish can be daunting,
and getting advice from your local
pet or fish store is recommended. The
first treatment is to get your water tested
and to make sure the water chemistry is
correct. After you have ruled out water
quality issues you can move on to the
correct medications.
9 Test kits are a must for fish care. There
are four tests that you need, and each
test will tell you if your water quality is
healthy or not. Ammonia measures fish
wastes and organic wastes, nitrite and
nitrate will show you if your filters are
working well, and the pH test kit will tell
you if your water is acidic or alkaline.
10 Fish can jump out of ponds or
fish tanks, but this normally only
happens when you purchase new fish as
they are new to your pond or aquarium
and are not sure of the change in
environment. Keeping a net on your pond
or dropping the water level for a few days
until they settle in can help. If you have an
aquarium, keep an aquarium lid on so that
the fish are safe. Happy fishkeeping!
Angela Beckx of Koi@Jungle can be
contacted on 031 209 8781, or visit
www.koiatjungle.co.za.
CHECKLIST

1
KITCHEN GARDENING
• Prepare planting beds for
permanent crops such as
asparagus, rhubarb, chives and
globe artichokes by adding lots
of compost and well-rotted
2 BEDDING BESTIE

Primulas or primroses (Primula malacoides)

are synonymous with winter and spring
3 INTENSELY CHEERFUL!

It’s prime time for pretty cyclamens. The

kraal manure. Add a dressing of
balanced organic fertiliser before
planting.
• Prepare large holes (at least 1m x 1m)
gardens. These tough annuals grow quickly
and easily in spots with semi-shade,
and are ideal for mass planting among
spring-flowering bulbs, for edging, or in
containers. Dainty stems with white, rose,
silver-marbled foliage perfectly sets off the
bright and cheerful blooms resembling dainty
butterfly wings, and are available in a wide
range of colours. Cyclamens prefer bright,
indirect light and are fussy about water – allow
the plants to dry out between watering, but

e
for new fruit trees and vines. Back-fill pink, lavender or purple flowers appear well

n
not to the wilting stage. Water gently from the

u
the hole first with the topsoil mixed above woolly, bright green leaves. They
bottom, rather than dousing the whole plant,

J
with a generous helping of compost. grow to about 20 – 25cm.
to prevent rot. Clean up old leaves and spent
Add about 100g of general fertiliser blooms.
and a huge handful of bonemeal. Fill
the holes up and water well to settle.
You can now go shopping for fruit
trees and vines to plant. —©
ۯ˼
‘r¼ƒ‡ñ

4
Here is the checklist to remind you what to
LOVELY plant and do in your garden during June.
LILIES
Lily bulbs are now readily available.
Plant them in compost-rich soil, to
which a handful of bonemeal has
been added. As they prefer good
drainage, it’s always a good idea to
add some coarse river sand to the
bottom of the planting hole. If moles
are a problem, plant the lilium bulbs
into plastic or wire baskets that are then
sunk into the soil.
If you normally receive severe frost,
plant your lilium bulbs into large pots
and keep them protected on a warm
patio. You will later enjoy the beauty of
their exotic flowers up close and personal
without any worries of frost damage.

64 I www.thegardener.co.za
 5
Dianella revoluta

PLANT AND FORGET!

Add a permanent ‘wow’ factor to your garden with the following
grasses, which are highly recommended for a low-maintenance
effect:

Tanika grass (Lomandra longifolia)

This tough and drought-tolerant ornamental grass is evergreen with
soft, fine foliage in a fresh shade of green, and small yellow flowers
that appear in spring. It is frost resistant, likes sandy soil, and is the
perfect companion plant to shade and cool others in a meadow
garden. This fantastic grass reaches a height of 60cm and a width
of about 65cm, and is perfect for mass planting in full sun or light
shade.

Little rev (Dianella revoluta)

These compact, tuft-forming, grass-like plants have blue-grey
foliage and produce masses of purple flowers in summer. They
prefer full sun, little water and very good drainage. They are perfect
for mass planting in modern landscapes, having a mature height
and spread of only 30 – 40cm x 30 – 40cm.

LAWN BUSINESS

6
• Keep watering overseeded lawns and cool-season grass, which
regularly grows throughout winter.

• Winter grass, a tufty, bright green grass, can become a problem

on winter lawns but dies off naturally when the weather warms
up again. If it becomes too much to handle, kill off with a
selective herbicide. Keep in mind that small birds often feed and
survive winter on the seed it produces.

• Keep off the lawn if it is frosted, as walking on it can encourage

the growth of moss and algae. Water the lawn every 2 – 3 weeks
and mow as needed.
 8
JUNE PRUNE

9
• You can start pruning deciduous shrubs and
trees for neatness and shape at the end of

7
DO SOME
SHOPPING
Fertiliser
Go shopping for fertiliser to feed
your winter veggies. There are
formulations like 7:1:3 for leafy
vegetables and 8:1:5 to encourage
flowers and fruit.
Saving
Water-retention products have
become very important to
the month. Don’t prune those that will flower
in spring, such as Cape may (Spiraea), mock
orange, ornamental prunus and bushveld
bride (Dombeya rotundifolia).
• Regularly pinch back winter annuals like
pansies, violas and snapdragons to promote
bushy growth and more flowers.
• Conifers grow actively in winter and can be
lightly sheared to encourage denser foliage.
• Cut back ornamental veld-like grasses such
as pennisetum hybrids, muhly grass, Aristida
juncea and zebra grasses.
• Prune vines and plum and apricot trees at
the end of June and spray with lime sulphur.
Do not use last year’s supply as it will have
lost its potency. Buy fresh stock and use only
on plants that have become completely
dormant.
BASKET IDEAS
If our autumn hanging baskets inspired you
last month and you are raring to plant up some
more, try the following choices:
• Saucy succulent baskets – mix different
varieties together.
• Geranium baskets – go for the bold colours
of the trailing varieties called Pelargonium
peltatum.
• Salad baskets – fill up some baskets with
loose-leaved salad varieties and add some
colourful violas in between, as they are edible
too.
• Jasmine baskets – plant some Jasminum
polyanthemum (Chinese jasmine) into large

gardeners (if not critical!) . The
latest products include lightweight
expanded clay aggregates that
can either be used as a moisture-
retentive mulch or as a drainage
layer in pots or beds. Other products
are in the form of granules or
powder that can be worked into the
soil.
Super soils
The latest range of commercial
potting soils contain peat and
aqua plus (a water saver) and
are highly specialised growth
mediums for citruses, bonsais,
herbs, pink and white hydrangeas,
blue hydrangeas, fynbos, orchids,
cactuses and succulents and roses,
as well as acidic and universal
blends. Make sure that you buy the
right formulation for your special
container plants.
66 I www.thegardener.co.za
10
baskets in preparation for a very aromatic
and romantic late winter and early spring.
DIFFICULT SPOT TO FILL?
One plant that ticks all the boxes is Correa alba,
commonly called the white correa. Correa is drought
and salt-spray tolerant, frost hardy, and is a low-
maintenance shrub that can be pruned to shape
whenever you want to. Cream-coloured, bell-
shaped flowers can occur throughout the year
with a main flowering period in autumn. This
fast-growing, evergreen shrub has leathery
grey-green leaves that gives it a ‘snowy’
winter look. It has a dense, rounded habit and
naturally grows to a height of about 1.5m. Use
it as a hedging plant or just to fill an empty
spot somewhere in a bed. It will grow happily
in full sun or partial shade and is not fussy
about the soil it is planted in, although it does
prefer well-drained soil that has been enriched with
compost. It needs an average amount of water until
established, and then you can relax with the tap.
 11 Helleborus

QUICK YARD STUFF

• It’s not too late to dig up and divide thick clumps of ornamental
mondo grasses. Split them into small clumps for replanting in freshly
composted soil, and remember to pot the excess up into old plant
pots to give away as gifts to other gardening friends.
• You can still take hardwood cuttings from deciduous plants.
• Plant glorious helleborus in your shade garden.
• Cut back overgrown herbs and add fresh compost around their
bases.
• Take cuttings of coleus and keep them protected until rooted.
• Divide overgrown daylilies and replant in composted soil.
• Move houseplants like ferns away from cold windows and cut down
on watering. Remember that heaters dry out the indoor atmosphere
and so the plants should be misted often with tepid water to increase
humidity around them.
• Keep clivias fairly dry now, as this will stimulate flower spikes.
• If there has been a bout of cold, dry wind, give your garden a deep
drink early in the morning to allow the plants to dry off during the
day. Winter-flowering plants, especially camellias and emerging
bulbs, must be watered regularly for a long-lasting flower display.
• In subtropical climes you can feed paw-paw trees. Water them well
before and afterwards. Lemon trees should also be given a feed
(one should feed garden citrus trees four times a year, in September,
January, April and in June or July, and those in pots more regularly
with a foliar fertiliser). Correct yellowing leaves with a microelement
mixture.
• If your gravel areas are smothered in weeds and the gravel keeps
disappearing into the soil, it might be a good idea to rake the stones
onto a heap away from the area. Then lay down a layer of weed
matting – a strong membrane sold by the roll that allows water and
air through, while smothering germinating weed seed. This material
also prevents gravel chips from sinking into the soil.
 June Events and Open Gardens
GAUTENG
Sunday 10 June
Advanced organic vegetable growing course
Learn every aspect of growing vegetables organically, from mastering
soil preparation to coping with water restrictions, companion
planting, organic pest control and crop rotation.
Venue: Inner City Farm, Johannesburg
Time: 08:30 – 16:30
Enquiries: www.soughtafterseedlings.co.za
KWAZULU-NATAL
Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 June
Kloof Conservancy’s Indigenous Open Gardens Show
All the gardens at this year’s show have one main thing in common –
a transformation from exotic to indigenous flora.
Garden 1
34 Alexander Drive, Winston Park (Derek and Sharron Rabie)
Calling all aloe enthusiasts! With a count of 65 species and growing,
this property boasts a variety of aloe species like no other and
also showcases what is possible with foresight, creativity and a
substantial amount of elbow grease. Lawns were converted to
indigenous grasslands with wooden walkways, and shaded and
infertile, alienised areas transformed into sun-drenched indigenous
havens. An impressive pool-side rockery and water feature was
created from scratch and is now naturally and cleverly filtered by a
variety of indigenous plant species.
Garden 2
32 Jan Smuts Avenue, Winston
Park (Haley and Gavin Hough)
This is an estate large enough to
host habitats of all types. Although
presently in a transition phase
between ornamental exotics and
indigenous species, the garden’s
plants were ideally selected to suit
each section, creating a flourishing
mosaic and stunning example
of what is possible in the micro-
environments of each garden type.
68 I www.thegardener.co.za
Garden 3
13 Valley Drive, Forest Hills (Helen Terblanche)
Helen began her garden transformation in 1985, when her garden
was a collection of aesthetic exotics and any indigenous species she
could lay her hands on. Over three decades later her garden is in an
advanced stage of transformation, with more than 95% of species being
indigenous.
Garden 4
The du Boirs Boutique Lodge, Wedding
and Conference Venue, 13 Hillford Rd,
Waterfall (Palesa Dube)
This year’s venue emphasises the
‘garden’ in ‘tea garden’. A vast property
bordered by the Nkutu River that has
been undergoing huge structural and
flora transformations since 2009, this
hidden gem celebrates the beauty of
its indigenous surrounds and boasts
a waterfall, walkways throughout,
riverside picnic grounds and polished
lawns, all visible from the deck of the
venue’s spacious reception hall – where
this year’s tea and cake will be served.
Garden 5
34B Margaret Crescent, Forest Hills (Dave
and Sue Mercer)
Dave and Sue Mercer have impressively created and maintained their
slice of paradise in their limited free time. Their stunning and butterfly-
attracting (over 110 species and counting) plant diversity is initially
thanks to their closest friends and family, who bought the newlywed
couple indigenous plants off their unconventional gift registry at a
local nursery. Eleven years later, they have even restored a grassland
in the lower part of their property that now seamlessly flows into the
Krantzkloof Nature Reserve beyond.
Garden 6
9 Watsonia Place, Forest Hills (Helen and Tim McClurg)
This garden shares two borders with the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve
and will be of great interest to long-term Indigenous Open Gardens
show attendees, having been previously featured in the 2008
show. Since then, the garden has progressed in its ‘indigenous’
transformation with flourishing outcrop displays and well-established
trees rising from perfectly manicured (and very inviting) lawns.
WESTERN CAPE
Saturday 23 June
Fynbos foraging
Forage for indigenous edibles, learn how to sustainably harvest them,
utilise them in your kitchen, grow them in your garden and harness
some of their medicinal properties. Learn about wild herbs and how
to preserve and prepare them. After snacks and a gathering tour you
will get creative in the foraging classroom kitchen and prepare and
share a feast.
Venue: Veld and Sea kitchen classroom, Good Hope Gardens Nursery,
Cape Point
Time: 10:00 – 14:00
Enquiries: veldandsea@gmail.com
GROUNDCOVER
STOEP STORY
Am I okay?
When do you come to the conclusion that there is
something really weird about yourself?
I
tried to diagnose certain of my erratic
actions by reading up about obsessive-
compulsive disorder on Wikipedia
the other day. It said, ‘A relatively vague
obsession could involve a general sense
of disarray or tension accompanied by a
belief that life cannot proceed as normal
while the imbalance remains’.
I think it all started just before Christmas
about fifteen-odd years ago, when I was
very tired and lay down at noon on my
bed to take a power nap. But as I lay down
the doorbell started to ring, urgently and
repeatedly. I got off the bed and found
a young man holding a shiny vacuum
cleaner sitting on my ‘Welcome’ mat.
Before I could slam the door in his face,
he shouted that he was there to clean up
my life, and that if I would allow him the
chance of a small demonstration of what
his machine could do, I would be helping
him to better his life.
He tuned me that he desperately
needed to sell one last machine in order
to win a Mauritius vacation, and seeing
that the machine he had with him was a
demonstration model, it would be much
cheaper than a brand-new machine. He
also told me that this brand of machine is
used exclusively at NASA to clean space
ships!
I was gobsmacked by his passionate
sales talk, as I happened to be a sales agent
of plants at the time and was certainly not
too good at it. So I invited him into the
house and into my bedroom to shampoo
a grubby rug while I reclined on my bed
listening to his chatter. Then he asked me if
I knew how many bugs live on a mattress.
He promptly changed some settings,
pipes, and fittings on the machine and
waved me off the bed to start vacuuming
there. What landed in the filters of his
machine took my breath away, but he
could see that he hadn’t really hooked me
yet, as I started waving him towards the
72 I www.thegardener.co.za
front door. He then hastily offered to clean
my bakkie’s engine and even to unblock
a drain – apparently other tasks that this
machine excels at. The latter was the straw
that broke the camel’s back – I purchased
the machine then and there at a princely
sum that crippled me financially before the
start of the festive season. It was at that
point that my obsessions started...
I kept cleaning everything in sight. I
vacuumed the house’s walls and ceilings
with a ‘wall brush’. I palpitated the hell
out of my soft furnishings and mattresses
with a round sucking thing that vibrates.
I washed the carpets into a bleached-
looking state, sucked out dust and
other stuff from the dogs, and cleaned
underneath all appliances with a nifty
little tool that fits into awkward spaces.
And I obviously sucked out all the drains –
regularly!
The distinctive whine that this machine
makes drove the family up the wall, and
my machine and I were soon banished
to my office outside the house. There my
compulsive behaviour worsened as I fell
into the routine of ‘deep-cleaning’ my
office every time the magazines went to
print or ‘were put to bed’, as we say.
I vacuumed my gardening books and
the computer’s keyboard until the pages
and keys came loose. I followed this up by
washing everything down with household
detergent – which probably caused two of
my beloved PC’s to conk in! I still have the
habit to this very day!
But things became even worse. After
losing my handbag, in which quite a few
scarce Echeveria cuttings poached from
the gardens of unsuspecting gardeners
had started to root, I suddenly became
fearful of losing things or forgetting stuff.
On certain days everything will be just
fine, and life is lived and rushed through
as per normal. But on other days, after
I’ve left the house and am sitting in the
By
Anna
Celliers
car ready to go to the café, I will start
wondering if I switched off the stove or
the iron (even though I hadn’t even been
cooking or ironing). This would make me
go back to the house to check it out. And
then as soon as I had driven around the
corner, I would be wondering whether I
had closed the garage doors and I would
drive around the block to check that. It was
once brought to my attention that I had
actually been seen sitting in the idling car
in my driveway, staring at my own garage
door. The neighbour came over to ask me
if I was feeling okay!
Arriving at the café, I would be halfway
through the door before wondering
whether I had locked the car, even though
it gives a loud screech when you push the
button on the remote (and I had definitely
heard it!). I would have to walk back to the
car to pull at the door handles quite a few
times to check that it was locked. While
doing this, I would also peek through the
driver’s window to check if I had pulled
up the handbrake before I got out. (I
know, this is totally illogical, because if I
hadn’t the damn car would obviously have
wandered off down the slope!). I have to
confess that I have often unlocked the car,
got in, pulled the handbrake tighter, and
even checked if the vehicle is in gear – a
few times! By the time I had done all that,
I would have completely forgotten why
I drove to the café in the first place, so I
would often come home with stuff I didn’t
need (and without the stuff I did need!)!
I’m even worse at an airport. I check
a million times if I have my purse, my
glasses, my ID book and my boarding pass.
I constantly check the boarding time and
the boarding gate, to see if I’m standing at
the right one.
What the dickens is wrong with me,
and can it be cured? I really get tired
sometimes. Or maybe it’s just nature’s way
of keeping me fit!