Cheerful Kalanchoes for your garden & home Wednesday, 17 July 2019 14:52
Kalanchoe blossfeldiana Image by Karolina Grabowska from PixabayAll Kalanchoes are popular plants for the garden and home, but the little ones, appropriately called “Flaming Katy” have become one of the most popular flowering succulents in South Africa and the world. People love to use them for instant colour indoors because they are easy to care for and are available all year round in full bloom. And, because they are inexpensive they can be discarded once they’ve finished blooming. However, frugal gardeners transplant them into the garden or outdoor pots, knowing that if cared for correctly, they will return and flower again every winter and spring.
Crystals and gemstones for your garden Thursday, 04 July 2019 18:10
Quartz Image by Sharon McCutcheon from PixabayWhen people hear the word “crystal” many will associate it with chandeliers, wedding goblets or bowls, some may think of snow or salt, and others will immediately think of them in their beautiful symmetric mineral and rock forms, produced by the earth over millions of years. Mankind has always had an affinity with crystals, and places like New Mexico and Arizona have known energy vortexes, caused by meteorites and other natural phenomenon that produced an exponential amount of crystals in the earth.
New Potato and Asparagus Monday, 24 June 2019 12:30
Hadeco Potato Pot Gardeners who love growing and eating their own produce, are in for a particularly fine treat this winter. In June and July, renowned bulb growers, Hadeco, will be supplying nurseries around the country with sets of top quality asparagus crowns and certified clean seed potatoes.
Sweet Bay is an herb of poets, oracles, warriors, statesmen and doctors. Monday, 24 June 2019 10:50
An excerpt from my new e-book "Growing Culinary Herbs in South Africa"
For most people, bay is the least understood herb, and one which is tossed into soups and stews without a second thought, and then relegated to the back of the spice cabinet once again. This is understandable because the aromatic leaf from the bay tree doesn't taste like much other than, well, a leaf! But steep a few leaves in a warm broth or sauce and your dish will become infused with fragrant flavour.
Moth orchids are an excellent choice for ‘first time’ orchid growers Monday, 17 June 2019 15:49
Moth Orchid. Image by Albrecht Fietz from PixabayThe exquisite moth orchids are popular among novice and experienced growers alike because they are easy to grow and produce the elegant arching sprays of long-lasting blooms that can be seen in so many design magazines across the world.
The name Phalaenopsis is derived from the Greek and means "resembling a moth." It was so named because the white and pink species growing on trees in the wild resemble flights of moths at twilight.
Modern urban homesteading is a lifestyle of self-sufficiency Thursday, 13 June 2019 18:46
Recycled baby food jars with succulents. Image by Erica from PixabayThere are many reasons why ordinary people around the world are opting to become more self-sufficient. For many it’s just common sense to reduce their carbon footprint by reusing, recycling, growing what they can at home, and supporting local farmers. For others it is all about becoming so self-sufficient that they no longer need to rely on the electrical grid for power, and municipalities for water. Modern homesteading is not defined by where someone lives, such as the city or the country, but by the lifestyle choices they make; so if you live in a city and dream of someday being able to work the land and becoming a modern homesteader, there’s no need to wait any longer because you can easily do many homesteading activities in the city.
June need not be a dreary month in your garden Friday, 07 June 2019 13:22
CamelliaJune is an interesting gardening month and the shortest day and longest night is on June 21st, after which the days gradually start getting longer, but very slowly at first so that you hardly realise it. And in the warmer regions, after about three weeks, you will notice that many plants have already begun to grow again - spring in Durban starts in late July!
If you live in the warmer subtropical regions of the country the temperatures are perfect for gardening now; so while the rest of us freeze, why not get stuck into your garden and implement all those changes you planned on doing this summer, but just never got around too.
Growing asparagus is not difficult - all you need is patience! Friday, 31 May 2019 15:38
Asparagus. Picture courtesy Julie FalkYou don't need a large garden to cultivate asparagus yourself, and all you need is patience, because although asparagus is easy to grow, it takes at least a year or two from the time you plant until you can start harvesting, but as the plant gets older, more and more shoots are available for harvest over a longer period of time. Asparagus is a perennial vegetable, meaning it will come back year after year on its own, and once you have an established asparagus patch, relatively little effort is required to maintain the plants. Because asparagus plants have a 10 to 15 year life expectancy, you will save a small fortune over the years on buying expensive asparagus from the supermarket.
Peace Lilies improve air quality. Wednesday, 15 May 2019 14:40
Peace Lilies can grow outdoors - Image by Adriano Gadini from PixabayPeace Lilies are renowned for improving air quality indoors.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) Peace lilies are one of the most commonly known houseplants in South Africa and also one of the easiest to grow and may be grown outdoors in frost free regions. The NASA Clean Air Study found that these plants are fantastic for improving air quality indoors because they have one of the top removal rates of toxic solvents like formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene and carbon monoxide.
Plant Blueberries Friday, 05 April 2019 13:16
Blueberry bush. Picture courtesy skeeze from PixabayAutumn is a great time to plant blueberries
Transplant evergreen shrubs and trees Saturday, 30 March 2019 10:28
Podocarpus latifolius Picture courtesy www.kazimingi.co.za
Early autumn is the best time to transplant evergreen shrubs and trees
Early autumn is the best time to transplant evergreen shrubs and trees that are planted in the wrong place in your garden; whereas deciduous trees and shrubs are traditionally transplanted in mid-winter, when they have lost all their leaves and are totally dormant. As the temperatures drop in autumn, the day length decreases and plant sap slows down; thus reducing the shock and trauma that can occur when moving evergreen trees and shrubs which are actively growing.
Plant now if you want colour in winter Saturday, 30 March 2019 09:07
Tulips & Violas grow beautifully in pots
Give your garden a little attention in April and you will be rewarded with a riot of heart-warming flowers even in the dead of winter.
As summer slowly draws to a close we can feel a definite drop in the morning and evening temperatures, and as the trees change colour and the veld grass starts to dry up, we are reminded that winter is nigh. April is a wonderful month to garden and a busy month for gardeners in all regions of South Africa.
The last roses of summer Monday, 18 March 2019 09:42
Christof Lindequ. Picture courtesy www.ludwigsroses.co.zaThe last roses of summer are often the most perfect ones; and 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.
Buy winter and spring flowering bulbs Wednesday, 06 March 2019 12:25
Babiana. Picture courtesy www.newplant.co.za
It's time to purchase winter and spring flowering bulbs
Winter and spring flowering bulbs are usually available from March and you don’t want to miss out on your favourites, so buy them early! March can still be extremely hot and the soil temperatures are still far too high to plant out bulbs; so store them in a cool, dark and dry place until the temperatures drop significantly in April, or even May.