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The Gardener
Under The Grape Vine
Many of us fondly remember the grape-vine-covered pergolas and arbours in the backyards of our youth. In high summer, fat bunches of sweet grapes ready to be harvested lurked in the dappled shade of lush vine leaves, which later turned rusty brown and fell off to lay bare the rough old twisted stems of winter.
2 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
What Is A Calibrachoa?
Although the tiny flowers of calibrachoas resemble those of petunias, the plants are classified into two separate genera in the Solanaceae family.
1 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Creative Air Plant Displays
Popular air plants are easy to look after, come in a variety of shapes and textures, and make for creative art displays. Try some of these quick and easy ideas:
1 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Make Your Own: Aloe Vera Skin Cream
For gardeners the problem of dry skin is made worse by working in the garden, coupled in 2020 with the constant use of hand sanitiser. Fear winter no longer, for your plants are once again here to save you! The soothing, moisturising and cooling properties of aloe vera make it a prime candidate for a healing skin cream, and you can make your own by following these simple steps:
1 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Water Features To Freshen Up Your Garden Design
Close your eyes. Imagine a relaxing spot in your garden, the one place you go when you need a break from the world. A space to wind down and be at peace. Imagine the fresh air, the sounds of birds and leaves rustling around you as you sigh and sink into nature and all its glory. Regardless of what you imagined, I guarantee it could be made considerably better with the addition of a water feature (unless you already imagined one, in which case props to you).
2 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Design Your Own Herb Garden
If you’ve decided to grow your own food, think further than just vegetables.
4 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Passionate about Pelargoniums
A garden filled with blooming pelargoniums is a positive symbol of life in technicolour…
3 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Lockdown Guilt!
Ask yourself what you did wrong, and then tell yourself not to do it again…
5 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Mirtehof PRINCELY PLENITUDE
A garden of Eden layered with colour, texture and scent in abundance.
5 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Woolly Paws
Fill up your low-water zones like the gravel garden, rock garden and sunny low-maintenance areas with new and very cute Anigozanthos varieties, also known as kangaroo or cat’s paws.
1 min |
August 2020
The Gardener
Two Springboks And A Wallaby!
Two beautiful hybrids have been developed from two endemic genera in the fynbos family, as well as one from a genus endemic to Western Australia.
1 min |
July 2020
The Gardener
Shimmering Silver Trees For The Fynbos Garden
Leucadendron argenteum
2 min |
July 2020
The Gardener
The pathway DESIGN CHECKLIST
Your foolproof guide to pathway planning
4 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Vertical LIFESTYLE
The Lifestyle College class of 2019 brings us the 2020 Lifestyle Garden Design Show to leave all inspired.
1 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
UPWARDS AND ONWARDS: vertical veggie growing
Saving space is not the only reason for growing veggies vertically
4 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
From dull to DELICIOUS: HERBS WITH DRY BEANS
Dry beans are a power food second to none, and they ‘beef up’ slow-cooked comfort food like soups, casseroles and stove-top stews. They are also a staple food in many parts of the world, being a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Half a cup of cooked dry beans contains about 115 calories and provides 8 grams of protein. They also contain phytochemicals that are believed to help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease and some cancers.
5 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Big-hearted for mass planting
If you have large areas in the garden to fill, plant all three of these indigenous perennials: they have everything you need!
2 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Breathless at Bosjes
Spirituality, homegrown expertise and locally sourced materials and labour resulted in a breath-taking landscape that offers relief and comfort to anyone and everyone who visits.
3 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Fabulous ‘Angel Wings'
Senecio candicans ‘Angel Wings’ is sure to catch the eye, whether growing outdoors in the garden or sitting indoors in a pretty pot!
1 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Beautiful white ironwood for medium to large gardens - Vepris lanceolata
The white ironwood is a tall or spreading evergreen tree, usually 7 – 20m high. It has smooth, light greyish-white bark and a rounded crown covered with shiny, trifoliate, lance-shaped leaves with wavy edges.
1 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Basic Styling The Triangle
Most bonsai trees are styled to have a triangular silhouette. This is more obvious with traditional bonsai styles, i.e. Northern hemisphere trees, but is still relevant with our African styles like the baobab and the flat crown. However, sometimes you need a fair bit of imagination to see this triangular shape – it is a bit like seeing the constellations in the stars. Sometimes the shape seems invisible until somebody points it out, and after that you can’t help but see the triangle.
3 min |
June 2020
The Gardener
Impressive Quinine Tree For Large Gardens
Tree Of The Month
1 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
Make Your Own Garden Gold
The greenest thing a food gardener can do (apart from planting the green stuff) is to make compost. It ticks each box for all the four ‘R’s’: Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose and Reduce.
3 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
How To Sow Garden Fairies
This year if you plant only one annual that flowers in late winter and spring, make it a colour cloud of lots of Primula malacoides (fairy primrose).
2 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
Herbs For Chicken Take The Herb Path Less Travelled
Is there any culinary herb that doesn’t go well with chicken? Some of the all-time favourites are rosemary, lemon thyme, sage, oregano and garlic. But why not try something different?
4 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
The autumn clean up
Just as April is a month for planting, it is also a month for clearing away garden debris to put it to good use in the future, making your garden ready for winter and keeping it free of overwintering pests.
2 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
STRONG on structure
The difference between mere vegetation and a space called a garden is structure …
4 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
Peppy little peperomias
GROW INDOORS
1 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
Meandering palettes
As befits one of the oldest homes in Westcliff, the gracious 3-acre (1.2ha) gardens echo the era of the early 1900’s with their flower-filled borders, dovecote and rolling lawns. But that only tells half the story.
4 min |
April 2020
The Gardener
LIVELY LEAVES
Often referred to as zebra plants or peacock plants, calatheas are known for their bold rounded leaves.
2 min |