What to do in your Garden this Month

Plant and sow :

• Sow a last batch of bokbaaivygies, lobularias, calendulas, nemesias, cornflowers and Virginian stocks.
• Plant winter and spring-flowering seedlings like pansies, carnations, Dianthus, cineraria, phlox, salvia, poppies, verbena and primula.
• Sow winter veggies like broad beans, beetroot, celery, peas, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, onions, leeks, parsnips and turnips.
• Plant lilium bulbs (now available at our four branches) like St Joseph’s, tiger and stargazer lilies. They will provide you with wonderful cut flowers for many months.

Feed :

• Feed azaleas, camellias, roses and tea bushes with a handful of 3:1:5 or organic Wonder Rose per bush. Mulch with compost and keep well watered.
• Feed your lawn with a handful of 3:1:5 or organic fertilizer per square metre.

Indigenous Flowering Trees

Trees are an important part of our environment, providing shade and improving air quality, as well as providing attractive foliage and beautiful flowers.

Celebrate Arbor Week (September 1-7) this year by planting a tree. South Africa has over 1000 indigenous trees and each year the Department of Environmental Affairs recommends the planting of particular ‘trees of the year' to promote their popularity.

This year, there are two trees ideally suited to gardens:

• For large gardens: The fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea) grows 12-15m tall with a 8-10m wide spread so is perfect for gardens with lots of room for the tree to grow.  The smooth bark is a bright yellow green, birds love nesting in its branches and butterflies are attracted to the yellow fluffy blossoms that appear in spring and early summer.
• For smaller gardens: The wild gardenia (Rothmannia capensis) grows to 6m high and has a spread of 4m. The beautiful creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers with maroon markings in the centre are borne in summer from December to February, and are highly fragrant. Fruits appear later, and attract birds.

Value of trees

Why should you be planting trees in your garden? Trees provide privacy, reduce noise and hide undesirable views; they catch the slightest breeze, creating air movement and help filter polluted air. In cities, trees are sometimes the only splash of colour in a manmade mortar and brick landscape. Their beauty may come from their form, their foliage, flowers or fruits.

Identifying Invasive Plants ...

Did you know that you can help conserve water by simply identifying invasive plants and destroying them? These weeds listed below are the some of the biggest problems in South Africa. They need to be destroyed to conserve water for our indigenous flora to thrive.

Lantana (Lantana camara) - These spiny, evergreen shrubs grow up to a height of 10m and produces multi-coloured flower heads made up of smaller flowers compressed into a round head. When the flowers are finished flowering, they develop into clusters of small, black, shiny berries which then are spread by birds. They are also poisonous.

Control : Destroy the Lantana by digging up the roots before the plant comes in to flower, or by spraying a herbicide, such as Round up, as a total leaf coverage spray.

Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) - This tree can grow to a height of 10m and produces light yellow fluffy flowers in the months of August and September. It has a tendency to occupy land close to rivers, in grasslands and on the roadside.

Clematis - Queen of the Vines

Clematis are often referred to as the “queen of the vines”, a term that is easy to understand when these spectacular climbers are in full bloom. Given the right growing conditions and care, clematis can be relied on to produce masses of flowers year after year.

“In South Africa clematis fare best if they are started out in pots before being transplanted into the garden.”

“Clematis are climbing plants so they need a structure to climb up from the moment they are planted.”

“Clematis should be watered frequently in dry weather, especially if they are grown in pots.”

Clematis is a large, varied genus of evergreen and deciduous plants which produce a spectacular display of flowers on delicate tendrils. The clematis genus contains over 280 varieties and belongs to the Ranunculaceae botanical family. Almost all varieties of clematis are climbers, with the exception of a few herbaceous species which work well in garden borders. The word clematis comes from the Greek “klema”, which means vine, a clear reference to their climbing nature. Although they grow well in all parts of South Africa they tend to produce the best displays in areas with the coldest winters.

Indigenous Plant Focus : Strelitzia Reginae

Strelitzia reginae (also known as Birds of Paradise) is in its prime this month. This incredibly attractive shrub is native to the dry, thorny grasslands of the Eastern Cape, but has won worldwide acclaim, including being used as the floral emblem for the city of Los Angeles.

Strelitzia reginae is the most popular variety of Strelitzia found in South Africa. It grows to a height of about 1.5m and is a sturdy, low maintenance plant with bright orange and blue flowers on top of tall stems. The first flowers appear in autumn, before blooming profusely in the winter months, and then providing a few last flowers in spring.