What To Do In (And Out Of) The Garden

It's not really autumn yet, it's 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...

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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 "metime" 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 treeplanting 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. Another glowing specimen to plant, is home grown Leucadendron 'Red Devil'. All of these are great hardy plants!