Waterwise tip of the month

When the weather is hot, water plants in the late afternoon to minimize evaporation and to give the plants as much opportunity as possible to absorb the maximum amount of water. This also prevents damage to foliage caused by the sun burning wet leaves.

Monthly Maintenance

• Lift spring flowering bulbs when all the leaves have died down and store in paper bags in a cool dark place
• Feed day lilies, agapanthus, tulbaghia, dietes , inca lilies and any other plants with tubers or corms
• Apply acid mulch like pine needles or bark chips to acid loving plants such as azaleas, camellias and blue hydrangeas
• Maintain a preventative spraying program for fungal infections such as mildew and black spot
• Take cuttings of lavender, geraniums and daisy bushes
• Keep weeds under control
• Plan rotational and succession planting for your vegetable garden

Garden Gold

Baby Marrows
Baby marrows or zucchini are a truly versatile and rewarding summer crop that can be grown successfully by even the most inexperienced gardener.
Choose a sunny open position and dig in well rotted organic matter. Scatter organic fertilizer over the soil and rake it in. Sow seeds directly into bed about 1m apart. Keep the area well watered and seedlings should emerge after about ten days. Four to six plants should be enough for the average family. When floweing commences give plants a side dressing of high nitrogen organic fertilizer and repeat every four to six weeks while plants are bearing. Harvest marrows regularly to encourage a continual crop. Sow at four week intervals throughout summer to ensure an ongoing supply.

The Gated Garden

Dietes grandiflora
The well known perennial wild iris is popular throughout the country and will do well under almost any conditions. These lovely plants are both frost and drought hardy and will grow in sun or shade. The large, evergreen clumps can reach up to 1 ½ m in diameter while the dark green, strap-like leaves can reach up to a metre in length.
The beautiful flowers, 70 – 100mm in diameter consist of 6 white perianth segments with yellow markings near the base and 3 mauve central segments. Although the flowers only last for one day, new flowers are constantly formed during the flowering season, thus giving a lovely ongoing display.
This is truly the ultimate no-fuss plant. Although Dietes will do best in well composted soil and with regular watering, they will still give a lovely show under less favourable conditions making it a popular choice amongst landscapers for mass planting in public areas and shopping centres, but whether you use Dietes as a mass planting or as a small group or accent beside a stairway or pond, the effect will always be stunning.

Think Only Kitchens and Bathrooms Increase Property Value? Think Again!

Home owners wishing to increase the value of their property by as much as 10%-20%, should consider professional landscaping as a compelling, eco-friendly alternative option to bathroom or kitchen improvements.

Research worldwide has shown that an overgrown or tired-looking garden can affect the value of a property by an estimated 10%, regardless of whether it is residential or commercial, while professional landscaping can offer in excess of 100% return on your investment. Aside from the obvious monetary benefits, good landscape design will facilitate the successful sale of a property as it gives a polished appearance and aesthetic appeal, adding value for the potential buyer.

A mistake that property owners often make is to begin planting without a definite plan, resulting in the use of unsuitable plants and a generally disorganized effect, in spite of a substantial monetary outlay.

”To maximize your investment”, says Dave Wood, professional designer at Ginkgo Landscaping, “ it is important to take the style of the building into account as well as suitable hard landscaping and plant options that complement the property while meeting the client’s requirements in terms of maintenance, watering, foot traffic, area usage, and budget.”

What other benefits does landscaping offer?

The environmental benefits of good landscaping include lower noise levels, screening of undesirable views, absorption of pollution from the air by trees and plants, reduced water consumption by using indigenous plants as well as re-establishing a habitat for wildlife in our urban areas.

The return on your investment depends on the quality of the landscape installation, so it is important to use a landscaping contractor who will professionally design and produce a detailed plan of the work to be undertaken as well as assuring the use of only high quality materials and strict adherence to ecologically responsible practices.

For a free consultation, interested individuals are invited to contact Dave Wood at Ginkgo Landscaping on 021-5727401 or via e mail at davidw@ginkgolandscaping.co.za or visit our website at www.ginkgolandscaping.co.za

The Gated Garden - Waterwise Tip of the Month

In South Africa water is a scarce commodity, so it is imperative that we find as many ways as possible to conserve this valuable resource. In the Western Cape winter is an excellent time to collect valuable rainwater by installing a rain tank and using stored water for your garden, or for washing your car.This will reduce your mains water usage, saving you money in the long run as well as benefiting the environment. If you wish to screen your rain tank, grow attractive shrubs or creepers around it or make imaginative use of the host of screening materials available at nurseries.

The Gated Garden - Monthly Maintenance

• Feed bulbs and bedding plants with organic pelletised fertilizer.
• Do not cut back frosted plants until the weather becomes warmer.
• Trim, reshape and cut away woody growth from summer flowering creepers.
• Make sure that plants under eaves have received sufficient water after rain.
• Check all plant and tree ties and loosen or replace where necessary.
• Mow lawn every two weeks.
• Mulch all garden beds as well as around trees and shrubs to retain moisture and protect roots from frost.

The Gated Garden - Garden Gold

As the price of food continues to rise there is no better time than right now to start your own produce garden. Delicious home grown vegetables are far healthier and tastier than those bought commercially and with a little effort and imagination, the smallest patio or garden can produce a healthy crop of vegetables and herbs. Many vegetables are suited to container planting so be creative and enjoy the rewards of harvesting your own nutritious produce.

Monthly vegetable fact sheet:

Kale

Kale is a loose leafed form of cabbage that is a valuable food crop suitable for winter planting, as it can withstand frost which kills most other green vegetables.

Sow seeds in a seedling tray and thin out when the proper leaves appear. When seedlings are approximately 15cm high, plant them into a container or garden bed that has been prepared with well rotted compost or manure as well as some pelletised organic fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Space seedlings 30–40cm apart. High nitrogen organic fertilizer should be applied every 2 or 3 weeks. When they are ready, the plants can be harvested in two ways, either by removing leaves from the plant in the same way as spinach or by cutting the whole plant, discarding the outer leaves and using only the younger heart leaves. When the plants begin to flower they are of no further use and should be pulled out, cut up and placed on the compost heap.

The Gated Garden - Indigenous Inspiration - July 2010

South Africa is home to the richest floral kingdom in the world. The bewildering diversity of species available enables the gardening enthusiast to choose exactly the right plant for every taste and situation. Each month we feature a species that is readily available and easy to grow, assisting eco-conscious homeowners in beautifying their gardens while contributing to the conservation of our planet.

Buddleja salviifolia – Sagewood

This attractive strong growing shrub or small tree reaches about 5m in height and will even do well in difficult growing conditions. The long leaves are rough, dark green above and silvery white underneath. The dense panicles of sweetly scented, lilac flowers appear in late winter to early spring, attracting a host of butterflies, bees and birds to the garden. The versatile Sagewood can be trimmed into a neat bush or, by removing the lower branches, a charming small tree. Buddleja salviifolia can be used as a lovely specimen in the garden as well as an excellent foil for other plants at the back of an herbaceous border or even as a dense hedge. Sagewood enjoys full sun and does best when planted in a large hole with plenty of compost and a moderate amount of water. Buddleja salviifolia is easily propagated from cuttings.