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September always kicks off with Arbor Week and this year it officially kicks off on Monday 31 August and runs until Friday 4 September.
Tip: The initiative of Arbor Week is to promote the greening of communities. Celebrate Arbor Week by planting either of the above two trees or any other trees or shrubs. If they are indigenous and water-wise that would be a bonus. It is said that Life is a Garden … so create yours and celebrate the plants you love most.
There is a multitude of both flowering and edible seeds that can be sown now. Visit your local GCA Garden Centre to see the range and perhaps consider one or more of the many tomato varieties available to sow now:
Tip: There are rainbow coloured cherry tomatoes such as Green Zebra, Clear Pink, Black striped and even Green Sausage seeds available for those of you that want to be a little different and create a talking point at the dinner table.
Our indigenous Clivias are favourites worldwide and it’s not difficult to see why when they bloom in September.
Tip: There are many different hybrid Clivias. If you are a Clivia fan or would like to see some of the more unusual Clivias, take some time off and visit a local Clivia show this spring.
Read more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/clivias-for-shade
Tip: It would be wise to use spraying in conjunction with a fruit fly trap.
Tip: It would be wise to use spraying in conjunction with a fruit fly trap.
Tip: When you ask your local GCA Garden Centre for advice be sure to mention your preference for either chemical or organic fertiliser.
Focus on annual Phlox
Tip: Phlox are easy to care for as long as you understand that they prefer moist soil and that drying out too much hinders growth and flowering.
Balcony or pot plants
Cape daisies or Osteospermums:
Read more: https://www.lifeisagarden.co.za/osteospermum
Its heritage month so why not brag about our own indigenous plants a little?
Spring fever is in the air, here are a few things you may forget to look at in the garden:
Tip: Spring is the time that garden centres feature new and exciting products as well as loads of explosively colourful plants – do yourself a favour and go into your favourite GCA Garden Centre…. you will not be disappointed!
The bulk of spring planting is almost behind us and that gives you a little breathing space to look at:
Tip: Baking soda and steel wool are a home remedy you may want to try.
Although spring only officially starts on the 1st of September, we don’t need a calendar to see that spring has sprung! For most of the country there is a delightful springiness in the air. For the Free State and Western Cape, your time is soon to come. Although August is warm to even hot in various parts of the country, always apply the following rules when planting or sowing plants that are sensitive to frost damage:
With pruning behind us, there is so much to do in the garden, so push aside the winter chills and spring into action. Your spring bulbs and annuals should be a riot of colour by now, inviting you out onto the patio with family and friends during our balmy, warm August days. The beauty of spring may only be rivalled by the stunning women that surround us. The 9th of August is National Women’s Day and the perfect opportunity to celebrate both Mother Nature and all of womankind!
An African appetite
Have you considered growing an edible local fruit? The following shrubs, trees and ground covers can form an aesthetic part of your garden and become a valuable, unusual food source:
Tip: They attract birds and butterflies and their flowers feed honey bees.
Play & plan with the COLOUR palette
Your spring and summer palette of plants can be a crazy cacophony of colours with a wonderful variety of colour combinations for your consideration. Have fun playing with these flowering plant colours now available in pots:
No wonder, they say Life is a Garden – let’s enjoy it!
Top tip: Improving your SOIL is the priority at this time of year. Before or at the time of planting, add and mix into it plenty of organic matter to the soil such as compost, manure, autumn leaves or other suitable products offered by your local GCA Garden Centre. This will boost soil fertility and ensure healthy plant growth.
It’s a pet’s life
Dogs will often eat grass blades when they have a stomach ailment. Did you know that there is a plant aptly named dog grass (Elymus caninus) that your dog will simply love to chew on rather than your lawn? You have the ideal excuse to indulge your dog this month since 10 August is Spoil your Dog Day! Why stop there, cats are smitten over catnip (Nepeta cataria) and love to chew and roll all over the plant.
What to sow
Got that green finger tingle? Let’s sow some seeds! Marigolds germinate within a week.
Even the lightest and laziest green finger will have success sowing the following seeds:
Claim to fame: Planted among veggies, marigolds are great companion plants since their scent repels many different pests including Nematodes.
Tip: The cornflower has nectar-rich flowers, which attract many beneficial insects to the garden. These are nature’s helpers and keep unwanted insects away.
Need to know: Bean flowers and leaves are also edible.
Tip: In areas that experience late frosts, hold off sowing beans for a few weeks until frosts are past.
Visit your local GCA Garden Centre to see what else you can sow now!
Plant: Love these locals
Many of the most popular plants in the world are our very own. Here are two local lovelies which you can buy as flowering plants in pots, ready to add colour to the patio or the garden:
Pelargoniums: Bush geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) and ivy, or cascading geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum), are some of the most sought after of our indigenous plants. Geraniums are incredibly rewarding as garden plants and do exceptionally well in containers too. They love a sunny to semi-shade position and well-drained soil that should be moist but not wet. Give them a weekly mild liquid feeding for excellent results.
Osteospermums: These are also known as the African daisy. Their masses of gorgeous daisy-like flowers with dark centres come in shades of white, yellow, pink, purple and blue. Their eye-catching, bold coloured flowers make them a fabulous choice for a sunny spot in the garden, tumbling over rocks or spilling down the sides of containers. Osteo’s are water-wise, flower for long periods, and are perennial in areas where frost is not heavy.
Coloured arum lilies: Although hybridised, they stem from our indigenous arums or Zantedeschia’s. Often referred to as Zant’s, they have the most beautiful, elegant vase-like flowers in gorgeous colours. You can buy them already in flower, in a pot, or as bulbs.
Tip: Zant’s are best planted in the sun.
Need to know: There is a whole range of summer bulbs at your local GCA Garden Centre. These include Amaryllis, Eucomis or pineapple lily, flame lilies and more. The flame lily is the most delicate, precious climbing plant with exquisite flowers that is best planted where it can easily be seen and shown off, whether on an arch or frame in a pot. Tip: Wait until next month to plant in very cold areas where late frosts are still expected and areas with winter rainfall.
WOW and water-wise! There are a few different perennial vygies and each is as stunning as the next, especially when in full spring bloom. Their rich, luminous jewel-like colours cover the plant and stand out as a jaw-dropping colour bomb. These sun-worshippers make stunning border plants, are great for rock and succulent gardens, spilling over low walls and pots or hanging baskets too. Your local GCA Garden Centre will be proud to show you their vygies. If you prefer to use vygies as seasonal colour then ask for the annual vygie or Livingstone daisies that are available in seedling trays.
Plant: Fruity fragrance
Lemon-scented verbena: Also known as Aloysia, this is a must-have if you enjoy drinking deliciously refreshing lemony tea. A delightful drink is easily made from the scented leaves or you could use them to add fragrance to the garden. If you locate the plant close to a path, the lemony scent will be released whenever a person brushes past the leaves. This rather wispy looking shrub can reach up to 2m in ideal conditions, but normally about 1m tall in areas of light to moderate frost as it can survive a little icy chill. Prune back every spring if you prefer a dense, bushy plant. It is easy to grow and the sprays of white flowers it bears are a bonus.
Claim to fame: The lemon-scented verbena leaves contain essential oils, which have many culinary and aromatherapy uses.
Bedding plants:
Choosing Verbena for your warm-season colour would be a wise choice. Their dazzling range of colours will add va-va-voom to the garden. They will cascade over hanging baskets, window boxes or containers. Treat yourself - go and have a look at the Verbenas on offer at your local GCA Garden Centre.
Tip: Verbenas like well-drained soil and prefer not to be watered in the evenings.
Feed and pick
Feed fruit trees and vegetables and reap the rewards of the last of the winter veggie harvest.
Prune
Did you know that blueberries should be pruned about every four years? When pruning them, try to prune them into a wine glass shape to encourage good air movement and light penetration.
If you want good quality fruit from your peach, nectarine, apricot and plum tree, it is best to prune them every year (this is also true for most berries). However, if you want your fruit trees to grow tall and provide shade, then only prune to shape it when necessary.
Tip: Pruning is easy if you know how. Call your local GCA Garden Centre or visit them for pruning advice.
If you forgot to prune your roses in July, August is a better time than never! Especially tend to the espaliering of climbing roses. With the rapid increase of new shoots, water at least once a week with a deep drenching.
Water plants
Repot water lilies and add bone-meal into the soil - it is organic and safe for fish. Make holes in the soil, insert the bone-meal, and then cover it with soil on top so that the fish do not eat it. While you are busy with the pond, maintain and clean the pond and service the UV light if you have one. Clean out the algae and start with algal control.
Inland gardening
Lawn: proud or pitiful – what makes the difference?
It’s time to give your Kikuyu lawn a boost with some spring treatment:
Now just watch and wait for your stunning new grass to appear though the lawn dressing. Fertilise monthly for best results and water at least once a week until the rains start.
Shopping list:
Coastal gardening
Lowveld and in warm frost-free coastal regions:
Sow the following vegetables now: asparagus, Capsicum (peppers), carrots, cucumber, bush beans, aubergines (brinjals), all melons, all marrows, parsley, pumpkin, radish, runner beans, Swiss chard.
Western Cape – winter rainfall areas:
Sow the following vegetables now: asparagus, beetroot, broad beans, Capsicum (peppers), carrots, cucumber (under protection), aubergines (brinjals), leeks, lettuce (Cos), all melons, all marrows, onions, parsnip peas, radish, spinach, squash, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip.
Water is a precious resource that is essential for all life form from plants and animals to humans. While we need to consume and use water to survive, there are ways to reuse and recycle our water to get double the benefit from it.
Did you know that in South Africa 27% of the total water used is used for domestic and gardening purposes? By recycling your water for irrigation and other non-drinking purposes our gardens and world would benefit significantly.
Recycled water, better known as greywater, is water that you have previously used and is sourced from basins, washing machines, baths and showers. Often this water will contain traces of soap residue along with other matter that is harmless when used for irrigation purposes or even cleaning paving or external areas around the house.
Water is an essential commodity that we all need to work together to save. Visit your nearest GCA Garden Centre to find out which products are available to help you do your bit to reuse your grey water and save water and our environment.
A2Spekkie poster for your Garden Centre – without marks (for printing at a print shop)
Preview
A2 Spekkie poster for your Garden Centre – with marks (for printing at a print shop)
Preview
Looking for some modern garden ideas? Whether you need a complete garden re-design or simply want to update your space's functionality and look - Life is a Garden has put together some top trends to help you. Visit your local GCA affiliated Garden Centre to get the products and expert advice you need to implement these trends.
Mess leads to stress! Simplifying your garden can simplify your life. A good idea is to plant mostly perennial plants that will come back each year. Group them together based on their watering needs. Fill in any left-over spaces with bedding plants. Reposition messy trees or shrubs to avoid daily clear-up duties.
A small retreat within a larger garden can feel like a getaway. Creating a quiet space in your garden to relax, read, or meditate is a great way to de-stress. Include a simple water feature and surround the space with lush plants.
Stepping outside and looking at your plants with fresh eyes is a creative quest that can be therapeutic for your soul. There is something very satisfying about picking and displaying your home-grown plants in your house. Finding beauty in unexpected pieces e.g., twigs, leaves, dried seed heads, fruits, etc.—are very cool additions to an arrangement, and chances are you already have something unique right in your own backyard.
Although growing your own food is not a new trend, it seems that now more than ever we have a vested interest in how our food is grown. The ability to produce your own food is not limited to people with large spaces of land. Your home garden can grow more food then you could imagine!
You can start by simply adding a pot on your front or back patio with a few herbs, and later add ornamental edibles, herbs/veggies can also be grown between other plants in your flower beds.
Gardening isn‘t just about making a piece of land look pretty. Gardens can also be used to give back to the environment and community. Using natural ways to get rid of weeds and control garden pests like grubs and beetles and including plants that attract pollinators such as bees, birds and butterflies is a great way to give back to the environment. Donate your overabundance of fresh produce to your local charity or share with your neighbours to foster a sense of community.
Choose bold and vibrant, hot colours. The 2019's pantone colour of the year is living coral - a nurturing colour that appears in our natural surroundings. Add some of these flowers to your garden to introduce this trendy colour: Wizard® Coral Sunrise Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides), Salvia Coral Nymph (Salvia coccinea), Pop Mango Salmon (Verbena x hybrida), Petunia Shock Wave Coral Crush (Petunia x hybrida), Sunpatiens Coral Pink (Impatiens x hybrida) and Calibrachoa Conga Coral Kiss (Calibrachoa x hybrida).
With the drive for plastic-free living becoming a major focus, switch to biodegradable plant pots made from coconut husks, wood chips, or rice husks found at your local GCA Garden Centre. These can then be added straight to the compost when they’re no longer needed. The garden is a great place to re-use household plastic products which you would otherwise throw away. Plastic bottles can make a statement hanging planter, just cut open one side, fill with compost and plant seedlings, then hang horizontally.
Gardening for a changing climate is a key trend, with many gardeners and landscapers incorporating stronger, more resilient plants in their designs. A smart way of tackling climate change and unpredictable weather patterns is to store water and use it more carefully. Plants that can withstand heat and drought are becoming popular choices - think succulents, cacti, and hardier flowering shrubs such as Salvias.
Don’t limit your plants to your garden. Find creative ways to bring green indoors, especially in the midst of winter. With proper plant choices and some grow lights, even the darkest corner of your home can support plant life. Plants with exotic textured foliage like Staghorn ferns and variegated or multi- colours are great choices. Another reason to try this ever-popular trend is that houseplants are excellent air purifiers.
Vertical planting shows no signs of waning. As real estate trends lean towards smaller gardens, it becomes increasingly important to maximise every bit of space. One of the best ways to create a lush backyard without taking over your patio and lawn space is to go vertical. Be it a fence, wall or metal cage, you can maximise growing space with a limited footprint by planting Ophiopogon japonicus and Festuca ovina glauca in a vertical wall.
For more gardening tips and information, pop in to your nearest GCA Garden Centre, visit www.lifeisagarden.co.za or join the conversation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa
Life is a Garden is the marketing division of The South African Nursery Association (SANA). SANA is a member-driven, non-profit organisation, which strives to promote gardening as a hobby in South Africa for ALL South Africans. To ensure the highest standards, SANA’s garden centre members form part of the Garden Centre Association which strives to continuously improve the quality of products, knowledge and customer service within garden centres. These GCA garden centres can be identified by yellow and green GCA flags, present at garden centres and home stores, nationwide.
Please feel free to contact us about anything related to gardening or our website. You can contact us on:
Shahnee Stockigt – shahnee@lifeisagarden.co.za
Gerdie Olivier – gerdie@sana.co.za
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