CATEGORIES

Architects of Creativity

Gardening is an extension of one’s self and one’s lifestyle, and nowhere is this more evident than this creative garden in East Griqualand

An Eden Called Babylonstoren

Babylonstoren has all the abundance of its namesake, producing and serving the freshest organic produce with an unerring sense of style.

Lilies For Every Occasion

Get to grips with the diversity of the lily family

Are You Doing It Wrong

If gardening’s not really fun anymore, it might be because you’re making one of the mistakes that we all make.

Mass In The Shade

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!

10 Top Tips For New Fishkeepers

Pet healthcare is so important, and fish are no different.

Copious Coprosma

I ’ve been a closet fan of the mirror bush all my life, and still harbour in my garden the old shiny, green Coprosma repens with its polished leaves.

Poppies & Roses

Moving roses – this is the month to do it!

Tree Time For ‘Me Time'

If you can’t get into the healing environment of a real forest to do some ’forest bathing’ you can go for plan B, which is to create your own mini woodland area.

Beautiful Natal Red Top

The Natal red top, also known as Natal grass or Natalse rooipluim, is a very striking annual or biennial in the grass family Poaceae.

Three Furry-Leafed Kalanchoes

Winter is very much succulent season, with many of the plants looking their bright and colourful best during the cooler weather. Most kalanchoe types are grown for their attractive flowers, which usually appear during the short day lengths of winter, but some are cultivated specifically for their interesting or unusual foliage. Here are examples of three such kalanchoes, which all originate from Madagascar. They are easy to grow and thrive in many gardens around South Africa, especially in the drier areas.

Tropical In A Pot

If you love tropical plants but the area you live in is not conducive to them thriving, you can get the look by planting your tropical gems in a pot and sheltering them on a warm patio.

Gardening In Small Spaces

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to an exciting garden.

Pelargoniums

Proudly South African

Flowering Bonsai

Although flowering bonsai are very popular in some regions of the world, particularly in Japan and the USA, beautiful flowering bonsai in South Africa are fairly rare. Most our indigenous trees do not produce huge masses of flowers like many of the trees in Japan, and the few that do are not really suited for bonsai. One of the most commonly used exotic species is the bougainvillea, while azaleas are also quite popular.

Rubble Country!

The world thinks we are a rubble nation. So why don’t we realise this ourselves?

Anthuriums Bringing Back A Classic

Anthuriums are exotic plants with unique, almost bizarre flowers that make them undeniably irresistible.

What's Potting With Containers?

Indoor plants are the new popular design trend.

Living From The Air

Air plants, air ferns, oxygen plants, tillandsias, Spanish moss, old man’s beard, air bromeliad…

Gardenia Care

The delicate appearance and exceptional fragrance of gardenia flowers have earned these plants a place of honour in the hearts of many a romantic – it’s no wonder they’re referred to as the flower of love. But growing a gardenia can sometimes be a challenge.

Ready For Roasting!

Like comedians, vegetables can do with a good roasting.

Ladybirds Industrial Aphid Munchers

It’s a well-known fact that one of the most beneficial insects that can be used in integrated pest management is the ladybird.

Striking, Dependable Pineapple Lilies

The exceptionally long-lasting flower heads of the summer-growing Eucomis species have captivated gardeners around the world for centuries.

From Boring To Enchanting

The delightful thing about design is that the moment you relegate a purpose to a space, the rest falls into place.

Set Spring A Bloom

In the right conditions Japanese flowering cherries can be utterly spectacular, twice a year. 

Tips To Trump Weeds

With every new awakening after winter comes the weeds, and if you neglect to kill them off they will keep on multiplying, multiplying, multiplying…

Sunny Side Up

New roses for summer.

Garden Ferns

Who needs flowers when the foliage is so spectacular?

Plan For Success

July is when winter really starts to bite. Everything goes dormant, including the gardener, which makes this the month to plan for spring and summer, look back at lessons learnt, and undertake the basic garden tasks at a leisurely pace.

3 Succulents That Contrast Splendidly With Aloes

Many other succulent-type plants combine effectively with aloes in the garden. Some have contrasting foliage both in terms of colour and texture, adding interest to the landscape and enhancing year-round good looks. These three indigenous plants are ideal companion plants for aloes of every shape and size – they have colourful foliage and attractive flowers that add to their appeal. Use them in gardens or plant them in mixed succulent pots for a lovely display that requires very little water.