Author: Shahnee Stockigt

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

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Description:
Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) are popular potted plants, particularly during the Christmas season. Brightly coloured and mostly red, a Poinsettia provides effective colour in home decor during and after the holiday season

Light Requirements:
Keep your Poinsettia plant near a sunny window where it will have the most available indirect sunlight. Light should be available for the Poinsettia for at least five hours a day.

Water Requirements:
Keep the soil moist. If you feel dryness of the soil on touching it, water it until it runs freely out the drainage hole in the container. Poinsettias exposed to high light and low humidity require more frequent watering.

Frost Resistance:
Frost sensitive, keep indoors.

Feeding:
No need for feeding. Once the season is passed, you should be able to plant it in the garden. Poinsettia like to grow in well drained compost enriched soil. Do not over water. They grow in full sun but it is better to plant in part shade.

Free State Stockists

Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein

Gauteng Stockists

Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Hecker Nursery – Boksburg
Lifestyle Home Garden – Randburg
Nicolas Plants – Northriding
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists

Garden Pavilion – Geelhout
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

 **Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**

Strawberry Loran

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Description:
Loran strawberry plants are compact, making them ideal for edging or containers. Loran is considered a hybrid cultivar, blooms appear in these various colours: White, the mature flowers are of a single form. When ripe, fruit appear in these colour: Dark candy apple reds. Leaves appear approximately as a Lincoln green colour. The fruit has a delicious flavour due to high sugar levels.

Light Requirements:
Full sun

Water Requirements:
Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Moisture is the key to plump, fully-formed berries. Mulch soil to reduce water evaporation.

Frost Resistance:
Plants can handle frost but can damage flowers; cover newly planted seedlings with frost cover.

Feeding:
New plants (young plants) need nitrates and when flowering, feed with potassium.

Free State Stockists

Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein

Gauteng Stockists

Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Hecker Nursery – Boksburg
Lifestyle Home Garden – Randburg
Nicolas Plants – Northriding
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists

Garden Pavilion – Geelhout
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**

Marjoram: Sweet

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Origanum marjorana

Common name: sweet marjoram

This wonderful fragrant and edible Mediterranean herb has a mild citrus flavour and is fantastic when roasted with sweet potatoes! It is used extensively in Mediterranean cooking and savoury dishes.

“Use 4 – 5 sweet potatoes, wash well and chop into bite sized chunks Toss potatoes in 50ml olive oil and 25ml chopped fresh sweet Marjoram leaves. Roast at 180° for 45 min until gold and crisp”

Sweet marjoram is a perennial with small greenish grey oval leaves that reaches a height of 45cm. It grows in the full sun in most soils. Be sure not to overwater as marjoram enjoys a slightly drier climate. Origanum marjorana forms a low growing spreading bush that lasts for many years. It can be planted in a container or used as a small shrub in the garden. Knot like white flowers appear in late summer and these flowers are loved by the bees. To encourage new growth it is best to trim some of the buds or flowers off.

It is best to cover and use mulch for this pant in frost prone areas.

Medicinally, Sweet marjoram is used extensively. It is known as a natural disinfectant; it is anti-fungal and anti-bacterial and has also been used for bruising, flatulence and anxiety.

Eastern Cape Stockists:

Floradale Nursery – Port Elizabeth
Builders Express East London
Builders Express – Jeffreys Bay
Builders Express – Newton Park
Builders Express – Uitenhage
Builders Warehouse – Port Elizabeth

Free State Stockists:

Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Builders Warehouse Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein

Gauteng Stockists:

Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Safari Tuinsentrum – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg

Limpopo Stockists:

Mpumalanga Stockists:

Garden Pavilion – White River

North West Stockists:

Western Cape Stockists:

Cape Garden – Joostenbergvlakte
Cape Garden – Somerset West
Cape Garden – Stellenbosch
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – Rosebank
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Builders Express – Kenilworth
Builders Express – Knysna
Builders Express – Stellenbosch
Builders Express – Willowbridge
Builders Warehouse – Cape Gate
Builders Warehouse – City
Builders Warehouse – Constantiaberg
Builders Warehouse – George
Builders Warehouse – Helderberg
Builders Warehouse – Table View
Builders Warehouse – Tygerberg

**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**

Pomegranate ‘Wonderful’

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Description:

Wonderful is a classic variety. Ruby red skinned fruit with deep seeds, Tangy sweet flavour. Fruit ripens late February – April. They grow in containers in colder climates.

Light Requirements:
In full sun exposure the best fruit will be produced, but trees also tolerate part shade.

Water Requirements:
New planting need sufficient water to thrive and get established. Thereafter established Pomegranates only need watering, about once every 2-3 weeks during the dry season. Soils with ample organic matter have better water holding capacity.

Frost Resistance:
It’s cold hardy

Feeding:
Thrive in soils with a PH range from 5.5 – 6.5 so tending towards acidic soil. If the soil results indicates the soil needs to be more acidic, apply chelated iron and soil sulphur or aluminium sulphates.

Free State Stockists

Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein

Gauteng Stockists

Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Hecker Nursery – Boksburg
Lifestyle Home Garden – Randburg
Nicolas Plants – Northriding
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists

Garden Pavilion – Geelhout
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**

Hydrangea macrophylla

 

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Description:
Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub which can reach to nearly 6 feet. The common cultivated species is grown wildly in gardens and as potted plants. The flowers among the cultivated species include white, pink, mauve, bluish purple and blue.

Light Requirements:
Hydrangea planted in full shade will produce far fewer flowers than those in partial shade.

Water Requirements:
Hydrangea absorb water quickly, keep the soil evenly moist and well drained. Though this can take watering your plants possibly more than once per day.

Frost Resistance:
Its frost tender more serious frost damage turns the leaves and emerging buds dark brown.

Feeding:
Combination of sulphur, compost and peat moss has proved to be a successful hydrangea fertiliser.

Free State Stockists

Alma Kwekery – Welkom
Bruwer Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Greenside Kwekery – Bloemfontein
Urth Garden Centre – Bloemfontein

Gauteng Stockists

Colourful Splendour – Craighall Park
Garden Pavilion – Eckards
Garden Pavilion – Sunkist
Hecker Nursery – Boksburg
Lifestyle Home Garden – Randburg
Nicolas Plants – Northriding
Plant Paradise Garden Centre – Pretoria
Schaffler’s Nursery – Johannesburg

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists

Garden Pavilion – Geelhout
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

**Please note that not all stockists will have every plant featured**

December in the Garden

Avoid the crowds and take a ‘green’, more convenient & relaxed approach to your festive shopping this year. Visit your favourite GCA garden centre and be inspired by the practical, stunning and living options on offer!!

Festive trees – choose a living tree! Many indoor trees are suited to this purpose – or opt for a ‘local is lekker’ indigenous tree that can be replanted into the garden after the holidays.

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Entertaining over the holidays? Solar garden lights are the way to go… Garden lighting remains a big trend – light up pathways, trees and feature plants the eco-friendly way. Easy to use and readily available, it’s time to treat yourself and your garden – or wrap them up as a stunning gift option for friends that have it all!

Add a living touch to festive gifts. Fact – plants make thoughtful inexpensive gifts and are typically well received! A simple pot of seasonal colour (seedlings or indoor plants) can easily be transformed into gifts for grannies, aunties and even teachers. Succulents (like the gorgeous green and red crassula), bonsai and trees are a safe option for grampa’s and uncles. Herb gifts are loved by ‘almost everyone’, as are bird feeders, trendy garden tools and DIY kits.  

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Roses are long lasting and meaningful gifts. With a multitude of special names and colours to choose from, you can add perfume and colour with favourites like ‘My Granny’, ‘Forever Friends’, ‘Peace’ and many, many more.

 

 

Outdoor entertaining is at it’s best in South Africa! Garden furniture and hardware can make all the difference if you’re home for the holidays… from a small bird feeder to a large hanging garden chair – all of which can be found at your chaos-free, calm local GCA nursery!

Feed the lawn to turn it green fast

liag_web_image_december_v1_08The key to greening up your lawn is nutrition.

Let’s talk MULCHING

Let’s talk MULCHING

So, what is mulch?

MULCH is any material placed on the surface of the soil to trap moisture.

Start mulching in your garden to:
– Reduce water evaporation
– Prevent erosion and protect soil
– Stop weed seeds from germinating
– Organic mulch adds nutrients to the soil

Types of mulch
a) Organic:
– compost
– peach pips
– bark chips
– macadamia shells
– leaf litter

b) Inorganic:
– gravel
– stones
– paving

When mulching, cover all bare soil between plants

Use bark chips or pebbles for indoor plants