It’s time to start planting Liliums for spring and summer blooms. Wednesday, 07 June 2023 12:40
Lilium Asiatic Hybrid Picture courtesy F. D. Richards from flickrIf planted in groups Liliums put on a stunning show, and if you select a variety and plant a succession of bulbs, you can have flowers from mid-spring to early autumn. Read more below about the various hybrids, when to plant them in South Africa, and how to care for and propagate them.
Aloe cooperi is our best grassland Aloe Friday, 26 May 2023 12:08
Aloe cooperi flowers Picture courtesy Haakdoorn NurseryThe vast majority of aloes flower in winter, but some like the grass aloes usually flower in spring or summer. So, if you’re currently shopping for winter flowering aloes, include some that also flower at other times, like the lovely Coopers Grass Aloe. Read more below about this aloe, how to plant, care for, and propagate it.
The soap aloe is perfect for small gardens Monday, 22 May 2023 12:26
Aloe maculata Picture courtesy The Blackthorn Orphans from flickrRead more below to learn all about this easy to grow aloe, how to care for it, where to plant it in the garden, how to propagate it, and a lot more.
What is Square Foot Gardening Thursday, 18 May 2023 09:52
Square foot garden Picture courtesy Andy Walker from flickrThis revolutionary way to grow more in less space has been around for a long time, so if you want to grow edibles and need a quick and easy way to start, square foot gardening is a great way to go. If you want to know what square foot gardening is, where it comes from, what’s so great about it, and why it’s so popular that gardeners still use this method today, click to read more.
For a rich explosion of colours you can’t go wrong with Nemesias Wednesday, 12 April 2023 12:21
Nemesia 'Sundrops' Mix. Picture courtesy Ball StraathofNemesias are striking and quite capable of creating a riot of colours all on their own, demanding attention wherever they are planted. In South Africa the annual cultivars are popular with gardeners as winter and spring flowering bedding plants. Read all about planting and caring for them below.
How to grow Common Foxgloves successfully in South Africa Friday, 31 March 2023 13:56
Foxglove Dwarf 'Foxy Mix' Picture courtesy Ball StraathofHeirloom foxgloves like the grand old fashioned ‘Excelsior’ that blooms in its second year, and the same year flowering types like Dwarf ‘Foxy Mix’ remain popular with SA gardeners, and the new F1 hybrid ‘Camelot Series’ is quite sensational. Read all about foxgloves and how to grow them below.
Did you know that Sparaxis elegans is now ‘Near Threatened’ on the South African Red List? Friday, 24 March 2023 15:17
Sparaxis Mix. Picture Courtesy https://www.hadeco.co.zaIt has been used in horticulture for over 200 years because it’s easy to grow, and a long-lasting cut flower that demands attention in garden beds or containers. Read more below about its status in the wild and how to grow this striking little indigenous plant in your garden.
Wild Jute is a nutritious food staple in many regions of the world Thursday, 16 March 2023 10:07
Corchorus olitorius Picture courtesy Dinesh Valke from flickrDid you know that the leaves of wild jute, also known as wilde jute, molokhia, delele, thelele, and gushe, are superior in nutritional value compared to cabbage and spinach? And the plant is also used medicinally in many parts of the world. It is easy to grow in city gardens, rural homesteads and farms, and has been cultivated as a food crop for millennia. Read more about this amazing plant below.
Autumn is like spring for those living in humid subtropical regions Saturday, 11 March 2023 13:58
Beans Beans Image by Antony Trivet from PixabayLate summer into autumn is the most popular time to garden in these regions, and especially if you wish to grow your own edibles. Most vegetable gardening information found online and in books is written for cool or temperate climates, leaving those living in warmer areas feeling left out, so if you want to know what to plant in humid subtropical gardens, read more below.
Could the taps running dry be the last straw for gardeners? Monday, 27 February 2023 13:42
Image by Alexa from PixabayI don’t believe so - gardeners are a resilient bunch, and for generations we have survived devastating droughts, floods, and even wars without giving up hope. And often wonderful old gardening techniques and practices are re-born, with a modern twist, when times are tough and water is in short supply. The famous "dry farmed tomatoes" of California come to mind. Read more about my thoughts going forward.
The trending ‘Garden of Abundance’ is resonating with young and old alike Friday, 24 February 2023 09:16
Image by Kerstin Riemer from PixabayA ‘Garden of Abundance’ carries the concept of rewilding forward, and is all about making your garden a bit wilder, more productive, and connected to the earth – whatever that means for you personally. It does not however confine itself to a certain garden style only, but rather incorporates these concepts into modern and contemporary garden design.
“Sorry, I don’t sell plants” Friday, 17 February 2023 09:18
Image by Prawny from PixabayThis is my reply to the countless emails I receive, and if I had only 50 cents for every plant ordered on this website over the last 13 years, I would be a very wealthy woman, but sadly that’s not the case. I don’t sell any plant material, including bulbs, seeds, and other gardening paraphernalia. Read more about what I do sell below.
Groundcovers to plant between pavers and stepping stones Wednesday, 15 February 2023 10:01
Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana' Picture courtesy www.acemondo.co.nzAll too often the gaps between flagstone pavers and stepping stone garden paths become neglected and full of unsightly weeds, and may be due to the fact that the home owners gave up on finding suitable little plants tough enough to survive. Read more below on how to select the perfect candidate for the job, and my selection of plants.
The Cape Weed is classified as naturalised in South Africa Monday, 13 February 2023 12:35
Phyla nodiflora Picture courtesy Forest and Kim Starr from flickrThe Cape weed, Phyla nodiflora, is very tough and because it takes heavy foot-traffic, is often grown as a lawn substitute, or planted between pavers and stepping stones. Read more about this naturalised weed below.