Last month we gave you the names of small and pretty trees to plant close together to form a mini forest. Now we introduce you to the best groundcovers to plant underneath them, and they grow fast!
Australian violet
Viola hederacea
This energetic little ground cover is a quick-growing, flat-spreading, herbaceous, evergreen plant that can form an extensive mat. Viola hederacea reaches approximately 15cm in height, and one little plant can spread up to 1m2 in diameter without difficulty. It has soft, green, round leaves and grows in shade or partial shade in moist, well-drained, compost-enriched soil. Don’t be too anxious if your soil isn’t ideal as they will adapt effortlessly to most garden soils. Keep the ground around it damp in hot summer months to ensure the plant is happy and spreads quickly. Viola hederacea will flower most of the year, the white and purple violet-shaped flowers appearing on stems above the foliage. The flowers are edible and look great when tossed into summer salads. Divide clumps in autumn or spring.
Weeping anthericum
Chlorophytum saundersiae
This clump-forming perennial, which has strap-like leaves and masses of star-shaped white flowers on slender, weeping stems, is a perfect choice for a wooded area. It spreads fast from an underground rhizome and can constantly be divided to make more plants. The dainty white flowers are seldom not present. It likes well-drained soil enriched with ample compost, and regular watering in summer. If plants become a little tatty after winter they can be cut back to the ground and will soon grow out again. Also try Chlorophytum ‘Starlight’, which has green-and-white striped leaves and white flower stalks.
Hen-and-chickens
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2018-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2018-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.