Autumn Archives - Page 2 of 14

Carex Eversheen

This ornamental grass forms a low cascading clump of leathery dark green leaves with cream margins. It is easy to grow, low maintenance and forms a neat, easily controlled mound. Mature plant size may vary due to growing conditions and climate, ±30cm x 30cm

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:

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

Edible Gardening for March – 6 ways to improve your exotic pet’s health with fresh greens

Dogs and cats make loving pets, they’re always ready to greet you when you arrive home.

Not all hearts crave something soft and fluffy, many of us are drawn to the grace and the beauty in the detail of exotic animals.

Snakes, spiders, lizards, toads and the other weird and wonderful creatures seem to hold a magic that is unique to them. It’s not the kind of magic that makes you want to kiss them, it’s more like a fascination. You can examine these creatures closely and find yourself in awe of them, over and over again.

As with all who choose the path less travelled, there are challenges associated with caring for exotic pets. Health is a primary concern, and the cornerstone to good health lies in nutrition. While well-meaning shop attendants may suggest a particular type of feed, all creatures require greens to assist with digestion and to provide essential nutrients, like chlorophyll.

Herbs and greens also have powerful healing properties, knowing which herbs to use for which problems can offer a natural and DIY-friendly way to keep your exotic pet happy and healthy. Here is a handy guide, providing the names of specific greens to include in your exotic pet’s diet – these tips apply to dogs and cats, too.

1. Grasses for phytonutrients

Dog grass, cat grass, and lemongrass will give your exotic pet, especially reptiles, a good dose of healthy phytonutrients (raw plant nutrition that feeds each cell in the body). These grasses also assist with good digestion, and digestion is the point at which vitamins and minerals are absorbed. Assisting digestion is a crucial step to good health.

2. Herbs for digestion

Speaking of digestion and its importance, try to include a wealth of coriander, thyme, fennel, rosemary and mint to mealtimes to give your pet the best digestion for the best nutrition absorption.

Aloe Peri-Peri var. ‘Peri Peri’

A dramatically long flowering period, with its masses of sizzling hot orange-red flowers. Small suckering aloe. Ideal for mass planting as well as containers. Sculptural plants with succulent leaves. Attractive flowers on long stems. Drought resistant. Suitable for garden or pots. Evergreen. Plant in a sunny position. Water wise. Attracts butterflies and birds. Highly resistant to aloe cancer. Mature plant size may vary due to growing conditions and climate, ±20cm x 40cm. (N) Registered Plant Breeders Rights.

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:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Blackwood’s Home of Gardening – Pietermaritzburg
Garden Pavilion Halls – Kingsburgh
Hingham Nursery – Durban North
Builders Express – Amanzimtoti
Builders Express – Ballito
Builders Express – Hillcrest
Builders Express – Pietermaritzburg
Builders Express – South Coast
Builders Express – Umhlanga
Builders Warehouse – Riverhorse

Limpopo Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Polokwane

Mpumalanga Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Emalahleni
Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists:

Geelhout Gardens
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

Western Cape Stockists:

Cape Garden – Joostenbergvlakte
Cape Garden – Somerset West
Cape Garden – Stellenbosch
Ludwigs Roses Winelands – Stellenbosch
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – Rosebank
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Tulbagh Kwekery – Tulbagh
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**

Fountain Bush (Russelia equisetiformis ‘Fire Cracker’)

A weeping shrub that, when in full bloom, looks as if it is raining flowers. These slender, red, tubular flowers appear in summer and hang on the plant like little fire crackers during most of the year. Evergreen. Plant in a sunny to shaded position. Plants can tolerate cold, but not frost. Mature plant size may vary due to growing conditions and climate, ±1m x 1m.

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:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Blackwood’s Home of Gardening – Pietermaritzburg
Garden Pavilion Halls – Kingsburgh
Hingham Nursery – Durban North
Builders Express – Amanzimtoti
Builders Express – Ballito
Builders Express – Hillcrest
Builders Express – Pietermaritzburg
Builders Express – South Coast
Builders Express – Umhlanga
Builders Warehouse – Riverhorse

Limpopo Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Polokwane

Mpumalanga Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Emalahleni
Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists:

Geelhout Gardens
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

Western Cape Stockists:

Cape Garden – Joostenbergvlakte
Cape Garden – Somerset West
Cape Garden – Stellenbosch
Ludwigs Roses Winelands – Stellenbosch
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – Rosebank
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Tulbagh Kwekery – Tulbagh
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**

June in the Garden

The so-called ‘bleakness of a midwinter garden’ is a total myth, as many plants (whether indigenous like aloes, or exotic like camellias), flower with abundance in winter. Pretty foliage reigns supreme too, as the colour spectrum of plants like conifers, coprosmas, nandinas and leucadendrons intensify spectacularly in cool temperatures.

Shades of green
Colour makes the world go around but green (a colour too!) grounds us to the goodness of Mother Earth giving us a sense of wellness and peace. Create a little “pause architecture” this month on your patio and indoors with soft décor items that have bold botanical prints, and lots of indoor trees such the narrow leaf fig (Ficus binnendijkii), fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata), weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) and the cute pseudo bonsai called Ginseng Ficus (Ficus retusa) – all of these are high fashion and very tough indoor plants, which anyone can keep alive, and which are the perfect gift for Father’s Day. All you have to do is to supply good light, a dust-free atmosphere and watering only when the soil has dried out completely, and they’ll do just fine.

Smart greens for mass planting
Add a permanent ‘wow’ factor to your garden with the following top sellers as recommended by GCA garden centres across the country:

Scotch moss (Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’) – a very popular grass alternative which forms a moss-like carpet with bright, neon yellow foliage. Very dainty white flowers appear in spring. Perfect for full sun and remember, it does not like to be too dry or too wet.

Braai rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Barbecue’) – Evergreen and with and upright growing habit and strong, straight stems which are perfect to use as skewers for the braai. The leaves have a remarkable flavour and aroma and the blue flowers appear in mass.

Water Wise Watch: May 2018

This month at Water Wise

"For the love of birds"

What would the world be without birds? Imagine the unusual quietness that comes without the sound of birds singing in the morning or the dying population of plants which depend on birds for pollination. Life would never be the same. Birds, just like any other inhabitant of the earth, play an important role in maintaining life.

This month we will be celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day as well as the International Biodiversity Day. According to the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), South Africa is rated as the 3rd most biodiverse country in the world. This is mainly because of the diversity of plant species we have, However, South Africa's bird species are declining as a result of human activities destroying the natural habitat of birds.

Rand Water's Water Wise section together with Bird Life South Africa and Johannesburg Zoo took an initiative to educate communities about South Africa's bird species and their habitat (mainly wetlands).

Four facts about the White-Winged Flufftail
1. White-Winged Flufftail is only known to occur with any regularity in Ethiopia and South Africa.
2. The species breeds in wetlands in the eastern parts of South Africa.
3. There's only 50 birds left in South Africa, and perhaps as few as 250 remaining throughout its global range.
4. The White-Winged Flufftail is critically endangered.

Click here to visit the Water Wise website

Nandina domestica “Obsession” var. ‘Seika’ PBR

Intensely coloured upright growing Nandina with fiery red young foliage which is retained while plant is actively growing. Mature foliage deep green. Striking autumn colours. Mature plant size may vary due to growing conditions and climate, ±60cm x 70cm. PBR Plant Breeders Rights pending.

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:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Blackwood’s Home of Gardening – Pietermaritzburg
Garden Pavilion Halls – Kingsburgh
Hingham Nursery – Durban North
Builders Express – Amanzimtoti
Builders Express – Ballito
Builders Express – Hillcrest
Builders Express – Pietermaritzburg
Builders Express – South Coast
Builders Express – Umhlanga
Builders Warehouse – Riverhorse

Limpopo Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Polokwane

Mpumalanga Stockists:

Builders Warehouse – Emalahleni
Garden Pavilion – White River
Ninfa Tuinsentrum – Middelburg

North West Stockists:

Garden Pavilion – Geelhout
Sittig’s Nursery – Hartebeespoort

Western Cape Stockists:

Cape Garden – Joostenbergvlakte
Cape Garden – Somerset West
Cape Garden – Stellenbosch
Ludwigs Roses Winelands – Stellenbosch
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – Rosebank
Starke Ayres Garden Centre – West Coast Village
Stodels – Bellville
Stodels – Constantia
Stodels – Kenilworth
Stodels – Milnerton
Stodels – Somerset West
Tulbagh Kwekery – Tulbagh
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**

Coffee (Coffea Arabica)

Arabica Coffee is a species of coffee originally indigenous to the forests of the Ethiopia. It is also known as the “coffee shrub of Arabia”, “mountain coffee”, or “arabica coffee”. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated.

We have 2 varieties of Arabica:

1) Bourbon with a red berry with excellent cup quality

2) Catuai is high yielding

Clusters of white flowers

Fruit bearing for coffee production

Shade –semi shade and sun in mild climates

Evergreen

Full Sun

Gauteng Stockists

Lifestyle Home Garden – Randburg

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

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

What to do about Cypress aphids on your conifers

Symptoms

Our “gogga” of the month for May, Italian Cypress (or conifer) aphids, will leave sooty mould and stickiness (honeydew) and yellowing foliage on conifers

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Suggested Action

Active from May to September. Damage can only be seen after the end of the winter season. Apply systemic granular or liquid insecticide every two weeks. Drench the soil if liquid formulation is used, or spread around the plant, in the ground and water well. Cypress aphids cannot be seen with the naked eye and damage is always seen too late. Preventative treatment is recommended from May to September. To note – Cypress aphids attach from inside to outer leaves. Must not be confused with fungal damage – fungal damage normally occurs from the outer leaves inwards. Visit your local GCA Garden Centre for advice on how to treat conifer aphids!

Sexy Spinach

Sexy spinach is not only full of flavour, but full of goodness too! It’s high in iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and is low in calories – so good for the waistline too 😉 What most of us eat as spinach is usually Swiss chard because it is so much more available, being easier to grow, heat tolerant and more productive. The Swiss chard varieties are ‘Fordhook Giant’ which has dark green leaves and broad, white midribs, ‘Lucullus’ which has long, light green leaves, and ‘Bright Lights’ which has red, yellow or orange midribs and dark green leaves.

Growing
Swiss chard and spinach are among the easiest vegetables to grow. They germinate easily, don’t take up much space and are easy to harvest. But, they are gross feeders and if you want to harvest on a continual basis regular feeding is the secret for success.

Prepare and enrich the soil before planting with generous amounts of organics as well as bonemeal for root development.
Both vegetables can be sown in situ. Swiss chard can also be sown in seed trays as it transplants better than spinach.
Keep the soil moist during germination – about five days.
Seedlings should be spaced, or thinned out, to about 20cm apart.
Feed with a liquid fertiliser about two weeks after germination and once a month after that, or more frequently if you are harvesting regularly.
Succession planting is recommended (this means planting another crop in the same space once the first crop has been harvested).

Harvesting
One of the most compelling reasons for growing your own spinach is that it wilts so quickly and shop bought produce cannot match the quality of freshly picked leaves. Leaves should be ready for picking about 8 weeks after sowing. They can be cut or twisted off at the base of the plant.

May in the Garden

The mild month of May is a perfect time to add new plants to your autumn garden. Plant some winter and spring beauties on ‘Workers’ Day (you will be at home on the public holiday on 1 May!) and see how smart plants can ‘work’ for you in the seasons to come…

Trending – ‘Colour blocking’

Colour blocking is a fashion trend which originated from the artwork of Dutch painter, Piet Mondriaan. He used clean, and simple lines, and solid colours opposing each other on the colour wheel. This trend works very well in the garden too, if you plant bold patches of opposing, but complementary colour combinations. An example: blue delphiniums paired with bright orange calendulas. You can even add a little grey in there by using bold swathes of silvery grey sedge grass (Festuca). Midnight blue and bright yellow is another good combination and you can do this by planting a mass of dark blue pansies set off by bright yellow violas. If you’re not sure about this concept, visit a top GCA garden centre’s seedling tables and flowering perennial displays (many indigenous daisies, diascias and nemesias are flowering now), where you will clearly see which colours go together well. Colour blocking doesn’t stop with plants – you can paint a background wall in a contrasting, but complementing colour, to the plants near it.

Spoil mom!

Mother’s Day is on Sunday 13th May. As moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) are always available in bloom and stay that way for months on end, why not spoil your mom or grandma with a beautiful specimen to keep her company with its floral elegance throughout winter? You will find the widest variety and healthiest specimens at your nearest GCA garden centre. They will also have smart cover pots in stock to display it in.

What to do about termites in your garden

Symptoms

Our “gogga” of the month for April, termites, will leave ulcerous-looking nests and blowholes on trees

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Once ring-barking (the removal of a strip of wood on the branch or stem by termites) has occurred, the plant will die if left untreated, as nutrition will no longer reach the plant’s roots.

Suggested Action

Apply a systemic insecticide with fumigating properties, for control of wood destroying termites, or a granular bait for harvester termites (the latter found on lawns only). Harvester termites have now become an all year round problem. Note: Be careful not to confuse lawn eating termites and wood eating termites. Visit your local GCA Garden Centre for the best solution!

Ideal for Indoors in April – Peace in the Home Sometimes we all just need a little PEACE & QUIET…

Sometimes we all just need a little PEACE & QUIET…

Get creative in the garden with a teepee trellis

You are never too young to develop your green thumb with a spot of gardening. Inspire your kids to get into the garden this Easter, and start growing their own plants with this nifty teepee trellis project. This project is a great after-school activity for you and your child and can be used to grow a variety of vines, such as the Mandevilla seedlings featured in this activity. The teepee trellis can also be used to grow a number of edible plants, such as runner beans, peas, and tomatoes, depending on the time of the year. Encouraging your children to grow their own vegetables is a fantastic way to teach them about living off the land. They can watch their food grow from a seedling and end up on their plate.

Amazing Antirrhinums (Snapdragons)

Most of us have childhood memories of squeezing the flowers of Antirrhinums together to make dragon mouths. Stunning snapdragons are not only an endless source of amusement to children, they are ideal for bringing striking colour into the garden.

While antirrhinums can be grown throughout the year in most parts of the country, March, April and May are ideal months to plant out the seedlings. They have just enough time to settle themselves in before the depths of winter, readying themselves for a glorious spring and early summer display. Snapdragons tolerate light frost so you can still plant these delightful beauties if you live in one of the colder parts of the country.

Antirrhinums are easy to grow in any well-drained, reasonably fertile, garden soil, but prefer a light or medium loam – so add in plenty of compost when preparing the bed. The soil needs to be kept relatively moist, so water deeply every 5 days or so. They like a warm, sunny location, but in a hot climate they perform better in partial shade. Put the plants where they will receive good air movement to prevent the fungal disease or rust taking hold.

April in the Garden

It’s April gardening – spring bulb planting time, and school holidays again. Put the kids to work and play, with you in the backyard this Easter.

Smart planting!

GCA garden centres across the country report that the following plants are on their top-selling hit parade in autumn. You can’t afford to miss out!

Aloe hybrid ‘porcupine’ – a compact aloe with striking bi-coloured flowers in deep rose pink and greenish cream shades, peaking in autumn. Perfect for hot rock gardens or pots.
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ – a compact hybrid of an old favourite with bright variegated foliage. Perfect for low hedging.
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) – spiny succulent with sparse leaves and bright flower bracts. Available in a variety of different colours. Drought tolerant, and perfect for pots too.
Angel wings (Gaura ‘Rosy Jane’) – a desirable perennial with delicate, two-tone pink and white flowers. A new form of an old gardening favourite!
Horseshoe pelargonium (Pelargonium zonale) – the indigenous specie grows into a wild woody shrub, flowering in pink all the time. Modern hybrids will shower you with colour in every shade. Great for beds, window boxes, and pots.
Ribbon bush (Hypoestes aristata) – masses of attractive lilac pink flowers on an indigenous shrub which likes to grow in the dry shade of trees.
Everlasting (Syncarpha argentea) – silvery foliage on a dainty plant, supporting small, paper-like flowers in soft pink and white. Perfect for pots too.
Hairawn muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) – grass with spectacular and billowing inflorescences of masses of vibrant pink, airy flowers on tall stems. This grass tolerates poorly drained soil but also drought conditions. Perfect for meadow planting.

A digging patch

If we don’t make time to teach the young folk to love gardening, who is going to plant trees, flowers, fruit and vegetables one day.

What to do about cutworm on your plants

Symptoms

Our “gogga” of the month for March, cutworm, will often leave seedlings or grass looking fine one day, the next day they have wilted or collapsed

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Cutworm attacks the plant’s roots, just below the surface of the soil, which causes the plant to wilt and eventually die

Suggested Action

Use a granular insecticide to prevent damage

Popular Petunias

Surely there’s not a living soul who has not heard of petunias at some time or another in their lives, such has been their popularity since the dawn of time, well almost. The petunias that were first discovered in the mid-1700 to early-1800’s in South America actually looked nothing like the stunners that grace our gardens today. Petunia axillaris and Petunia violacea originally had small white and purple flowers, respectively, which were luckily snatched up by breeders in both Germany and England who began the, eventually successful, search for the large colourful blooms that we can buy from our garden centres today known as Petunia x hybrida.

It’s hard to imagine, when looking at a petunia, that it is actually part of the potato family. It was just short of thirty years ago that a genus name change was strongly suggested to more adequately reflect this connection but luckily the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature decided the damage, commercially, would be too great to make the change. Could you imagine walking into a garden centre and asking where they kept their stimoryne plants?

With the outstanding success that breeders have had over the years, your challenge now lies in the sheer choice you’re faced with not only when choosing colours but also deciding whether you’d like a plant that has fewer but bigger flowers, medium sized but more flowers or small but flowers a plenty. Decisions, decisions. Choosing their home would probably be the easiest way to decide which variety would be most suitable but when all else fails just grab some of each and let them warm up your winter garden en masse.

Petunia grandiflora, as the name suggests, has large flowers requiring regular deadheading to keep the blooms coming and spreads vigorously so would be more suitable for garden beds.

Super Smoothies for Autumn

Smoothies are a great way to use your home-grown fruit and veggies, and to get your daily requirement in a quick and tasty meal. Autumn is a great time to start planting those smoothie fruits, veggies and berries, for you to enjoy super smoothies and keep you feeling fresh and healthy during winter.

Here are three of our favourite smoothie recipes, but don’t be dictated to! There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to delectable combinations, so use whatever you’ve got growing in your garden. Experimentation is the name of the game!

Refreshing rhubarb smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup rhubarb stalks

1 whole medium pineapple

1 cup mixed berries (fresh or frozen)

1 litre water

Instructions

Clean the rhubarb stalks. (And throw the leaves on the compost heap!)
Peel and dice the pineapple. You can include the core or discard it, depending on the power of your blender.
Pop all the ingredients into your blender and blend until smooth.

Alternatives:

Another great combination that makes use of your rhubarb is rhubarb, watermelon, celery, cucumber (Find out how to grow cucumber here: Cool Cucumber), lime, pear, kiwi and frozen strawberries. This is just the ticket for hot summer days!

For a tropical flavour combine rhubarb, strawberries, coconut water, mangoes and fresh ginger. Add a touch of raw honey to taste, if necessary.

IMPORTANT:

Don’t be tempted to add the rhubarb leaves into your smoothie – they’re toxic! It’s the stalks that are good for you, containing all sorts of vitamins and minerals.

Power peanut butter and banana smoothie

Peanut butter is a powerhouse of energy and nutrients, and its natural flavour ally is the equally nutritious banana.

Ingredients

1 banana, chopped

1 tablespoons peanut butter

1 teaspoon raw honey

¼ cup plain yoghurt

1 teaspoon chia seeds

¼ cup raw rolled oats

1 dash of cinnamon

Milk or almond milk, to make your smoothie as runny as you like it

Combine all the ingredients in your blender.

March in the Garden

It’s not really autumn in the garden yet, March in the garden is simply late summer with a ‘day-old beard growth’ – a lovely time of year when there is much to do and to plant in the garden…

May the forest be with you!

A new trend is called “forest bathing”, and on March 21, (also Human Rights Day in our country), it’s International Day of the Forests too. ‘Forest bathing’ does not entail a tiring hike through a huge plantation, and nor does it mean standing naked under a tree when it is raining, to save shower water… It means a little bit of quiet “me-time” in the company of green giants, to appreciate their huge value to our planet, and our mental health in general – being in the shade and protection of trees does seem to soothe anxiety!

It is therefore important that we do not allow trees to be chopped down right, left, and centre. It’s equally important that we take time to choose the appropriate tree for different situations, (your local GCA garden centre will know!) and to support all tree-planting initiatives in our communities. Trees are the green lungs of our urban areas and planting them is a symbol of love for future generations to come.

Smart planting – “The golden age”

You may have seen that metallic colours like rose gold and copper are still on-trend. Metallic décor and plants with golden foliage or bright variegation is still very ‘in’ – and they create lightness and bright accents in pots or in a garden.

Plant lots of dwarf Coprosma hybrids with their glowing foliage which will start intensifying as soon as it’s a little cooler. The foliage of a star jasmine called ‘Summer Sunset’ is coppery and gold, and the beautiful new cordyline varieties like ‘Electric Pink’ and ‘Electric Star’ are very ‘in’ too.

Category: Autumn

Eastern Cape Stockists:

Free State Stockists:

Gauteng Stockists:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Limpopo Stockists:

Mpumalanga Stockists:

North West Stockists:

Western Cape Stockists:

1. Grasses for phytonutrients

2. Herbs for digestion

Eastern Cape Stockists:

Free State Stockists:

Gauteng Stockists:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Limpopo Stockists:

Mpumalanga Stockists:

North West Stockists:

Western Cape Stockists:

Eastern Cape Stockists:

Free State Stockists:

Gauteng Stockists:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Limpopo Stockists:

Mpumalanga Stockists:

North West Stockists:

Western Cape Stockists:

This month at Water Wise

Eastern Cape Stockists:

Free State Stockists:

Gauteng Stockists:

KwaZulu-Natal Stockists:

Limpopo Stockists:

Mpumalanga Stockists:

North West Stockists:

Western Cape Stockists:

Gauteng Stockists

Limpopo Stockists

Mpumalanga Stockists

Symptoms

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Suggested Action

Symptoms

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Suggested Action

Symptoms

What does this mean for me/my plants?

Suggested Action