Tips for Gardening at the Coast

For many people, December means it’s time to head for the beach house.

Here are some great tips to help you create a hassle-free garden close to the seaside.

• The secret to successful coastal gardening is to work with the environment, not against it. Make your garden easy to maintain by planting species that grow naturally in the area and that are well adjusted to salty air and harsh winds.
• Try planting indigenous species like osteospermums, arctotis, gazanias, agapanthus, tecomas and vygies. (more…)

Dog-Friendly Gardening

Dogs and neatly manicured gardens aren’t always the best of friends. So, instead of spending your time scolding your dog for digging holes and eating your petunias, why not try designing a dog-friendly garden? By making a few simple changes you can keep your garden and your dog happy, and cut down on the stress of keeping the peace between the two.

Try these ideas :

• Start by watching your dog’s movement in your garden. This will allow you to determine their favourite routes and design the flow of the garden around them.
• Dogs often run along perimeter walls to catch a glimpse of people and other pets walking by. If you screen these perimeters with dense shrubs and trees you’ll minimise damage to the garden surface and garden beds next to the perimeter.
• Avoid placing loose material such as gravel, stones and bark chips in areas where dogs spend a lot of time, such as next to an entrance gate. Loose material will be messed up by an active dog in no time. (more…)

Gardening for the future

Sustainability is one of the buzz words of the 21st century – and now it has made its way into gardening talk too. Sustainable gardening aims to promote the long-term health of soil, ecosystems and people. There are plenty of benefits of gardening sustainably – sustainable gardens needs less water and maintenance and they create less waste.

Here are some tips to help you garden sustainably :

• Aim to create a diverse garden by planting a variety of indigenous and non-invasive exotic plants.
• Remove any invasive alien plants – they steal precious light, water, space and soil nutrients from other plants.
• Make your own compost, and mulch garden beds with leaves, grass clippings or shredded newspaper. (more…)

Tips for Organic Gardening

Instead of opting for chemical formulations, you can use plants to meet your gardening needs. Here are a few tips for feeding your plants and warding off unwelcome insects.

Feeding – Soil needs three vital nutrients for healthy plant growth:

• Nitrogen promotes stem and leaf development,
• Phosphorous boosts root development, and
• Potassium encourages the growth of fruit and flowers.

You can boost your soil with all three these nutrients by making your own compost containing the following:

• Natural sources of nitrogen: feathers, comfrey, dandelions, nettles and yarrow
• Natural sources of phosphorous: comfrey, horse manure, yarrow
• Natural sources of potassium: wood ash (from untreated wood), comfrey, horse manure, nettles and yarrow.

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Stretch your Gardening Budget by taking cuttings

The spring months are a great time to take softwood cuttings of daisy, rosemary, lavender, chrysanthemum, fuchsias, pelargonium, delphiniums and impatiens.

Here is your guide to creating new plants for your garden, without spending a cent :

• Cut off healthy shoots, measuring about 10cm long, from any of the abovementioned plants.
• Pinch off any flowers or buds and remove the lower leaves from each shoot.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the base of the stem just below the lowest leaf joint (or growth point). (more…)

Keeping your young ones busy

There can be no better satisfaction for a child than planting a seed, nurturing it through its early stages and ultimately to pick the fruit, flower or vegetable that they have watched grow. Getting your children involved in the garden will not only bring enormous satisfaction to them – you will be surprised how good it makes you feel too! Spending time outdoors as a family, creating a garden that you can all enjoy will not only provide you with fresh food and flowers but will also encourage your children to spend time outdoors instead of in front of the TV. There are just a few dos and don’ts that you will need to keep in mind to keep gardening fun for the whole family.

Do explain to your kids what you are doing when you are working in the garden to give them a greater understanding of what you should do and why. A good example is to include your children when weeding – showing them which plants are bad and explaining that weeds take nutrients and moisture from the soil that would otherwise help your garden plants to grow.

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Advantages of Container Gardening

Containers are increasingly being used for gardening on balconies or indoors as they can be used for many purposes. Knee-high containers are easier to maintain without bending or kneeling. Containers of various heights may be used to add height to a border or certain area in the garden. An attractive container, even without plants, can be used as a focal point, or you can plant herbs in containers to make a feature in the garden.

Many gardens in this region only have an alkaline soil, but plants which prefer acid in soil can be planted in containers by simply adding the correct soil type.

Planting in containers

When choosing containers, remember that concrete containers are much stronger than many plastic types, but may be too heavy to move around freely when filled with soil, so position heavy containers where you want them before filling with a good potting soil. Plastic containers may become brittle and crack after some time in very warm, dry areas.

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