Dear Gardening Friend,
The month of May marks one of the most important days in my household – Mother’s Day. This year it is celebrated on Sunday, 13 May and I have an excellent suggestion for anyone who wants to spoil their mom. Buy her a potted plant this year – they last so much longer than a bunch of flowers and studies have shown that they help to clean and purify the air indoors. One plant can clean and purify an area of up to 10m2, and flowering plants are especially effective due to their high metabolic rate. Visit one of our four branches in Bellville, Kenilworth, Milnerton and Constantia today and check out our wide selection of potted plants – you’ll be spoilt for choice!.
Got a question or comment you’d like to share? Why not join us on Facebook or Twitter?
To view our Gardening Club page on Facebook, click here or to view our Twitter page, click here.
I hope to see you at one of our four branches soon!
Exciting New Products
TERRACOTTA POT PLANT HOLDERS
- These versatile holders are ideal for most small terracotta clay pots.
- Available in three different sizes – 2, 4 and 6 slot holders.
- Suitable for both indoor and garden use
- Made from sustainable kiln dried invasive timber (eucalyptus)
- Pre-treated for both indoor and outdoor protection.
- Weather proof rope (included), suitable for outdoor use
- Terracotta pots can be planted with both flowers and or herbs
- Grow herbs in your kitchen or the balcony. Minimal space required
- Make ideal gifts for birthdays, housewarmings and anniversaries
- Pots sold separately.
FREEZE-DRIED MEALWORMS FOR BIRDS AND EXOTIC PETS
Worms are a natural food source for wild birds and exotic pets, but working with live worms can be quite unpleasant. However, Natures Feeds now offers freeze-dried mealworms - a widely sold product in garden shops in the UK. The drying process extracts 90% of the moisture, but retains all the proteins and goodness of the worms. An added bonus is that you can store them for months, as they come in an airtight 100g tub - now available at our four branches.
Give your wild birds a healthy treat with Natures Feed dried mealworms. Your hamsters and tame rats will love them too. Use freeze-dried mealworms as an alternative to seed.
Talk at Stodels - Indigenous beauties for the winter.
Andrea Durheim, a passionate indigenous plant fundi from New Plant Nursery in George, will inspire you with her knowledge and enthusiasm for indigenous plants.
Andrea Durrheim will be visiting our Bellville branch at 10AM and Milnerton branch at 1PM on 24 May 2012. A date not to be missed!!! For a full list of events you can click here or to view pictures of our previous talks click here.
Staff Heroes this Month
Each month we recognise one staff member at each of our four branches for their excellent customer service, positive attitude and enthusiasm. Please help us identify these staff members by letting us know when you have received exceptional service
Bellville : Kaison Charisasa - Kaison is one of our staff members who works in our garden team to make sure our gardens stay in tip top shape. He is hard working and friendly and is well liked by his fellow team members.
Constantia : Wandisile Mahlombe - Wandisile joined Stodels Constantia in January. He is a horticulture student at CPUT and enjoys landscaping. He is eager to assist and enjoys going that extra mile for his customers. He is a real star, and we are proud to have him on our team.
Kenilworth : Dennis Adams - Dennis has shown immense initiative and dedication in the short time he has been 
with us. He works in the most physically demanding department, Hard Landscaping, and is always prepared to go the extra mile for our customers. Whether he is carrying pots or water features, you will never find Dennis without a beaming smile. Dennis is a true asset to Stodels, and we are proud to have him on our team.
Milnerton : Evans Munchengetwa - Evans has an amazingly positive outlook on life, and is keen and eager to assist wherever possible. He is knowledgeable and professional in his dealings with clients and puts together amazing displays in our nursery. He is a firm favorite of our customers.
Let us know who your favourite Stodels staff member is. Simply go to our facebook page by clicking here, and tell us about your good experience and with which staff member. We will be sure to keep an eye on who is getting the most praise.
Dates for your dairy.
- 01 May – Worker's Day – We are open.
- 13 May – Mother's Day – We are open.
- 24 May – FREE Talk at Stodels Bellville and Milnerton - "Indigenous beauties for the winter".
Caring for your Fish and Pets
Surprisingly dangerous foods for pets? - You share a lot of things with your pet...your home, your time and usually your bed. Sharing meals however, should be avoided. Not only is it easy to overfeed your pet and cause weight gain, but some foods are also highly toxic.
Listed below are common human foods and drinks that make pets sick. If you think that your pet has ingested any one of these items, please immediately contact your veterinarian .... to continue reading more click here
Remember to join the Stodels Pet Club on Facebook for regular updates on pet products and care. To visit our Pet Club Page you can click here.
Gardening in May
Herb of the Month - Origanum
Origanum is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia. The word origanum is derived from two Greek words meaning “mountain” and “to delight in”. Origanum grows to a height of 20-80cm and produces masses of pink-purple flowers in spring and summer.
To read more visit www.stodels.com
Grow your own Celery
Celery isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow, but once you’ve mastered the art you’ll be the envy of all your gardening friends, as celery is a very attractive addition to the vegetable patch. Here are a few basic rules to keep in mind when growing this lovely soup and salad staple.
To read more visit www.growyourown.co.za
Time for Tulips
May is the best month to plant tulip bulbs. With a little effort now you’ll be rewarded with spectacular blooms in early spring.
Here’s what you need to know.
- Plant your tulip bulbs in well composted soil in a sunny area of the garden. Avoid planting them next to an east-facing wall as inadequate sunshine will result in the plants toppling over.
- Plant your bulbs 8cm and 12cm apart. For the most attractive display, plant them in clumps of 10-20 bulbs. Plant in a natural cluster-like arrangement, rather than in a straight line.
- Cover the bulbs with a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.
- Water well every 3-4 days. If you allow the bulbs to dry out they will not flower in spring.
- Feed your bulbs with bulb food once every 2 weeks.
- For a foolproof alternative, try temperature treated tulips. These tulips flower in August (instead of September) and the cooler temperatures at this time allow them to develop longer stems and fuller flowers.
Did you know? - Ideally, tulips like their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade. You can create these conditions by planting winter and spring-flowering bedding plants between the bulbs. Try pansies (read “Perfectly pretty pansies” below) or stocks for best results.
Product Focus : Winter Grass
This is a ryegrass variental to be used in cool seasons as a winter over-seeder. I has a fine texture that provides a shiny hardwearing, green lawn during the winter months. Winter Green needs to be established during autumn and will grow until temperatures increase and the normal warm seasonal grasses come out of dormancy.
The seeds have each been coated with nutrients and pesticides in order to assit with their successful establishment.
A bluegrass base, this cool season grass is to be used as a winter over-seeder. It has a fine texture and yields a green lawn grass during the winter months. Winter Green Pro needs to be established during autumn and will grow until the temperatures increase and the normal warm seasonal grass come out of dormancy.
The seeds have each been coated with nutrients and pesticides in order to assit with their successful establishment.
Simple ways to SAVE a lot of Water
The rainy season is on its way, but that doesn’t mean we should become nonchalant about saving water. Now is the ideal time to save and conserve the water we receive during the winter months. 
Here are some easy ways to save this precious resource (and cut down your water bill!) :
- When laying paving or driveways, make sure they are designed with a slope which leads run-off water into garden beds and onto lawns.
- Use a broom or leaf blower to clean paved areas, rather than a hose pipe.
- Park your car on the lawn when you wash it.
- Use downpipes to guide water from roof gutters directly into the swimming pool.
- Cover your pool when it is not in use to prevent water loss due to evaporation.
- Check the long-term weather forecast before you water your garden. If it’s going to rain in the next 2-3 days, don’t water.
- Build water retaining dams around thirsty plants like roses, camellias and azaleas.
For more articles on how to be WaterWise visit www.waterrestrictions.co.za
Perfectly Pretty Pansies
It’s easy to see why pansies are one of the most loved flowering garden plants – they provide hassle-free colour to garden beds all the way from April to October. They’re not fussy plants at all, but if you give them a little extra attention they will really reward you with spectacular flowers which may last well into the summer months.
They are incredibly versatile plants and grow well in garden beds, containers, hanging baskets and window boxes (the trailing varieties work particularly well in hanging baskets and window boxes). They have non-invasive root systems, which means they can be successfully inter-planted with other bedding plants, as well as spring flowering bulbs.
To read more visit www.stodels.com
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.
Strelitzia reginae should be planted in full sun in an area where it is able to spread out to a width of about 2m. It is an excellent focal plant for a small garden, or can be planted en masse for a very attractive display in larger gardens.
To read more visit www.stodels.com
Cyclamen Plant Care
The vibrant flowers and interesting leaves of the cyclamen make this plant a popular houseplant and many owners ask “How do I take 
care of a cyclamen plant?” Let’s look at how to take care of cyclamen plants both during and after blooming.
Basic Cyclamen plant care
Cyclamen care starts with the correct temperature. In nature, cyclamens grow in cool, humid environments. If the temperature in your house is over 20°C during the day and over 10°C at night, your cyclamen will start to die slowly. Temperatures that are too high will cause the plant to begin to yellow and the flowers will fade rapidly.
Cyclamen that are sold as houseplants are tropical and cannot tolerate temperatures below 4°C. Cyclamen which are sold in garden nurseries for outside use are typically hardy, but check the plant’s label to see the specific hardiness of the variety you are buying.
To read more visit www.stodels.com
The Last Words ...
“A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible.” - Welsh proverb
