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Pansy - Viola x wittrockiana |
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Pansy 'Blue Face'
Pictures courtesy of the Bedding Plant Growers Association
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Pansies and violas are timeless winter and spring flowering
favourites. Pansies are hybrids that were developed from the wild viola
species Viola tricolour and are called Viola x wittrockiana. The pansy
has long been a symbol of free thought.
They grow easily in hanging baskets and containers of all kinds and
combine beautifully with spring flowering bulbs. Try planting them on
top of your spring flowering bulbs for a brilliant spring display in
both your beds and containers. They combine well with other winter
flowers making a delightful border to the flower or herb garden.
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Some common rose pests and diseases |
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Clocolan
Picture courtesy www.ludwigsroses.co.za
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To keep your autumn roses in perfect condition, you must continue to spray against insects and fungal infections. Early autumn rain, high humidity and heavy dew are perfect
conditions for fungal infections. Red spiders can be a serious problem
in dry, hot weather.
Always choose an organic or natural spray and mix only
enough for your immediate requirements, spraying only the
infected plants. It is not necessary to spray the entire garden!
Although organic sprays are much less harmful than other pesticides,
they could harm some beneficial insects in the garden. We do not
know everything there is to know about them yet, so exercise caution when using them.
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Arctic Ice
Pictures courtesy www.ludwigsroses.co.za
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The last roses of summer are often the most perfect ones. As the daytime temperatures drop, your roses will take on a new
intensity of colour and unfading beauty, seldom seen in hot weather.
Their petals unfurl perfectly and they last much longer too. If the temperatures play along, you can have roses well into April and
May.
March is a great time to plant roses. They will be well established by
spring and have a head start when the spring rains return.
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 Picture courtesy Dave Maczuga
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Growing vegetables in raised beds works
well for organic gardeners in both small and large gardens. Raised beds
offer better drainage and are recommended for heavy clay soils. Space
can be used effectively and a good soil structure is easy to obtain.
There is no soil compaction from walking over the beds and therefore
less digging over is required.
Plants in raised beds receive more sun and air circulation and
they can make better use of water. You can plant earlier and harvest
later, because raised beds warm up early in the spring and stay warm
later in the autumn.
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Picture courtesy Hugh Roper
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If we all recycled our organic waste, tremendous pressure would
be taken off landfill sites and at the same time we could save tons of
money by making our own life giving compost for our gardens.
Approximately half of your household waste is organic and can be turned
into compost; composting is a cheap and hygienic way of converting
waste into a clean-smelling substance that will improve the soil and
make any garden flourish. There are many ways to make a compost heap.
You can use old tyres or build a box from sticks or poles.
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