COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
The Gardener|July/August 2024
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
Anna Celliers
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!

In the limited spaces of suburban gardens, there is little scope for permanent shrubs with negative traits. You don’t want your plants dropping leaves, going dormant for months on end, not flowering or only for a short period, becoming spindly and sick due to pest and disease attacks, or having a tendency to suddenly dominate their bed mates with undisciplined growth.

Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’

Pedigree – a spectacular hybrid bred from two cone bushes endemic to South Africa’s fynbos kingdom – L. salignum x L. laureolum.

Claim to fame – bright burgundy red bracts on the tips of stems densely packed with healthy green leathery leaves flushed with maroon throughout summer and autumn. In winter, the large inflorescences with a small creamy white cone flower are surrounded by bracts that turn into a bright yellow and red bi-colour combination.

This lovely cone bush earned an Award of Garden Merit by the RHS and is a popular plant all over the globe!

Growth habit and climate

• Upright, evergreen and multi-stemmed, growing to a mature size of about 2,5 x 2 m.

• Suitable to all climates (coastal, too) except those with very heavy winter frost.

Growing tips

• Full sun.

• Very well-draining sandy soil.

• Acidic natural mulch to protect the shallow root system, which should never be disturbed.

• Regular watering for the first two years after planting to establish it. Low water requirements afterwards.

Pruning – remove the stems for the vase or after flowering by cutting them back, leaving 10-15 cm of each stem containing healthy leaves.

Fertilising – no need to feed young plants, but established plants could be fed in spring, midsummer and autumn with Atlantic Bio Ocean.

Bu hikaye The Gardener dergisinin July/August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Gardener dergisinin July/August 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE GARDENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
FIRE AND Feathers!
The Gardener

FIRE AND Feathers!

On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!

time-read
2 dak  |
July/August 2024
GET THE ladies in!
The Gardener

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.

time-read
1 min  |
July/August 2024
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
The Gardener

Vegetable Soups and dumplings

Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.

time-read
4 dak  |
July/August 2024
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
The Gardener

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.

time-read
3 dak  |
July/August 2024
Pretty and functional
The Gardener

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.

time-read
5 dak  |
July/August 2024
Dried Seedheads & Pods
The Gardener

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.

time-read
4 dak  |
July/August 2024
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
The Gardener

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.

time-read
3 dak  |
July/August 2024
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
The Gardener

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...

time-read
5 dak  |
July/August 2024
What makes a garden sustainable?
The Gardener

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”.

time-read
4 dak  |
July/August 2024
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
The Gardener

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.

time-read
4 dak  |
July/August 2024