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.