Shamba Times - Kenya Horticultural Society

The
Shamba Times
Journal of The North Coast District, Kenya Horticultural Society
SEPTEMBER 2015
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3
The Chairman’s Notes
Dear Members,
I write these notes whilst
overlooking the very pleasant,
restored and improved, gardens in
the midst of St James Square in
London on one of the UK's few
sunny Summer days this year.
However, though not a beautiful
and acceptable Summer for the sun
lovers, the few gardens I have seen
and indeed the flowers on display
at the RHS WISLEY annual flower
show are clearly very satisfied with
all the Summer rains, and this year
I think that applies to our Kenya
coastal belt of gardens as well. In
passing, may I recommend this
show to those members who find
themselves in UK, in place of the
rather more famous Chelsea
Flower Show. Far less crowded,
full of great flowers and gardening
ideas and makes for a glorious and
cheaper day out, easily accessible
from Central London - that is of
course assuming it is not raining!
This opening note gives me an
excellent opportunity to move on
and remind you all of our Festival
of Flowers show at the Mnarani
Club, Kilifi on the 17th. and 18th.
October which I am confident will
be even more fun than last year
with lots to learn. Within the
whole frame work will be a KHS
flower show, our Annual Dinner
on Saturday evening, and an
illustrated talk on the ‗Diversity of
Grasses in Kenya‘ by Dino Martins
on the Sunday. You
should by now have
received all the details
of the event. Please
look up the classes and
enter the Flower Show
(or encourage your
gardeners to enter, or
even better, employee
and employed entering
and competing!) but
time is short so please
do
it
TODAY.
Incidentally do bring a
little cash with you as I
believe you will find
some really worth while
things for your garden
on sale - here's a chance
to not only improve
your garden but our
KHS coffers at a very
reasonable cost.
Wisley Rock Garden—Photo by RHS
As I write notes, I have
just had an e-mail from Sue the remainder of the year. On
Deverell who, every year, runs the
Thursday 29th October our long
KHS Council calendar photo
awaited Mombasa visit.
In
competition. I am delighted to
November we expect to run Part II
learn that two of our North Coast
of the gardeners course run earlier
members have had a number of
in the year. Also, in the same
photos chosen namely Peter Derry
month, Pauline will be giving her
(quite a number of his chosen I
impressions, supplemented by
believe) and, for the second year
video and many photos, of her visit
running, one of our gardener
to this year's Chelsea Flower
members, Katana Baya. My sincere
Show—details to follow. Then
congratulations to the triumphant
Peter Derry, who's articles appear
two.
in this magazine, has offered to
give a one or two day course on
Finally let me remind you of some
flower photography for say a
of our other events and visits for
maximum of 10 or 12 of our
members.
Interested parties
should contact me. Finally of
course we have our annual and
very popular Christmas lunch on
the MIDA Creek dhow. There are
one or two places left so, if you
meant to apply, please send me an
e-mail without delay and I will see
what we can do.
See you all, I hope, at the Festival of
Flowers
John.
Wisley in the Autumn—Photo by RHS
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 2
A Many Sided Project
The Protection of Kenyan
Forest and the Development of
Forest Communities Through
REDD+ Carbon Offsets
The Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor
REDD+ Project protects over
500,000 acres of dryland forest in
southeastern Kenya, securing the
wildlife migration corridor between
Tsavo East and Tsavo West
National Parks.
REDD+(Reducing Emissions
from Deforestation and forest
Degradation) is a climate change
mitigation mechanism originated
by the United Nations, designed to
help stop the destruction of the
world's forests. Thirty million acres
are deforested every year, resulting
in 7B tons of greenhouse gas
emissions. This comprises 15% of
the annual global greenhouse gas
emissions contributing to climate
change – more than the entire
global transportation sector.
Deforestation has other devastating
impacts such as endangering
biodiversity, reducing fresh water supply
and increasing soil erosion. Therefore,
REDD+ is emerging as a key strategy in
Organic cotton T-shirts
forest preservation and climate change
mitigation.
Prior to project implementation, the
Kasigau Corridor area was under intense
threat from slash and burn agriculture,
thus regional advancement of alternative
livelihoods and sustainable community
development have been instrumental in
the project‘s realization. The Kasigau
Corridor REDD+ Project became the
first REDD+ project in the world to
achieve Verified Carbon Standard (VCS)
validation and verification with issued
credits in February 2011 and was
awarded Gold Level status by the
Climate, Community and Biodiversity
Standard (CCB) for exceptional regional
Rangers on a call
benefits. It will avoid the emission of
over 55 million tons of carbon over the
30-year life of the project.
This project generates
Verified
Emission
Reductions (VERs),
otherwise known as carbon
offsets, where each VER
represents the avoidance of
one ton of carbon being
released into the
atmosphere. VERs are
purchased by individuals
and corporations, including
Kenya Airways, Microsoft
and Barclays Bank, who
voluntarily elect to reduce
their unavoidable emissions.
Proceeds from Wildlife
Works' VER sales are
r e i n v e s t ed i n g r e e n
economic development for the local
community, thus removing the threat to
the forest. The Kasigau Corridor
REDD+ Project reaches over 100,000
rural Kenyans, including 4,000 local
community landowners, through the
distribution of this carbon revenue,
providing a low-carbon, sustainable
development pathway for the project
area‘s rural communities.
Job creation is the core conservation
strategy — the project employs over 350
local citizens as forest and wildlife
rangers, plot sampling staff,
horticulturists, eco-factory
workers, construction workers,
mechanics and administrative
personnel, some of whom
previously had to destroy their
environment just to survive.
Additionally, the project has
created regional development of
education, water access,
women‘s empowerment, and
small enterprise business
opportunities, while agricultural
intensification methods stop
slash and burn and enhance
food security.
The Kasigau Corridor REDD+
Project has also achieved
tremendous results in
biodiversity preservation, and is
credited with rebounding
regional populations of endangered
species like the African elephant, Grevy‘s
zebra, cheetah, and lion.
For more information on Wildlife
Works‘ eco-friendly products or the
carbon offsetting project, please contact
C a r a
B r a u n d
v i a
cara@wildlifeworks.com.
Charcoal production
PAGE 3
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
An Exercise in Self Sufficiency
The Mnarani Club vegetable garden has not been established long - only some two and
a half years - but it has quickly developed into something even Mr McGregor would be
proud of. Straight rows of onions, Okra, Aubergine, Swiss Chard, and salad all
combine to supply the hotel guests with fresh vegetables on a daily basis.
Started up by Henk Venter, the Mnarani Club Manager, and overseen by Stephen
Kombe, the Head Gardener, the garden has been a great success and provided much
of the hotels needs, even before the current downturn in tourism. One of the features
that helps ensure good growth is the drip feed watering system covering the whole
area. A number of raised water
tanks have been strategically
placed around the garden. From
these a network of feeder pipes
run out to the beds and into
which the drip lines are plugged.
Another is the two large shade
tunnels which provide
protection from the worst
ravages of the sun to things like
tomatoes.
Shade tunnel with drip feed watering system
The Idle Gardener -
Stephen Kombe
Stephen has worked at the Mnarani for eleven years. With a sizeable team
of gardeners under him, he looks after the care and landscaping of all the
resort grounds. He also acts as host to the local schools which have started
sending groups of children to visit the vegetable garden to learn how it is
done. What started as an initiative by one teacher at one school has now
become a regular feature for several schools in the area. Even the local
orphanage has reason to appreciate the garden - last year they were the
lucky recipients of a whole cartload of surplus vegetables from the Club.
Hints from a gardening heretic
When I started this article, I thought it was going to be quite easy to write. However, I have come to the conclusion that the title
is a contradiction in terms. I don't believe you can create and maintain a beautiful garden and also be idle - but you can make
things easier for yourself.
The first and most obvious step is to get someone else to do it for you - find (or steal) a good gardener; someone who enjoys his
work, loves plants and is prepared to make an effort. When you have got him, teach him, nurture him, and hang on to him. Then
all that is required is a daily tour of your domain, pointing out the things that need attending to. Pretty soon that will become an
occasional stroll to discuss future plans and developments and you will be able to devote more of your time to the lounger and a
glass of Pimms.
There are of course other measures you should take.

Design your garden to be labour saving. Plenty of lawn looks good and merely requires a decent lawn mower and a
reasonable supply of water. Going one better and having lots of paving or even 'murram' keeps the work right down. All
you need is a few potted plants to decorate the area.

Extensive use of potted plants is perhaps the key to idle gardening. Easy and efficient watering; ring the changes as the
mood takes you; low maintenance; no excessive bending, It's all there. You just need to maintain a small stock room' in
some out of the way place to bring on replacements as the flowering season dictates.

The other key is to select plants that grow well at the coast and largely look after themselves. Bougainvillea is an obvious
example. Huge splashes of vibrant colour for very little effort. Other plants in this category include Quisqualis,
Frangipani, Tabernaemontana and Ixora. Coconut and other palms, though not immune to aphids, do their own thing and
provide height and background. For the middle distance think of Desert Roses, Aloes, and other succulents, maybe interplanted with bulbous plants like Habranthus robustus and Hippeastrum reticulatum. Things like Michaelmas Daisy, Canna, and
Portulacca do well in pots as do ferns. Hibiscus should not really be on the list as it is very susceptible to Mealybug and
requires quite a bit of attention but, if it is in a pot, you can always prune it down, send it to 'hospital'. and bring in
something else.
Once you have set your garden up in this way, the rest is plain sailing and you can look forward to relaxing on your veranda,
bathing in the compliments of your neighbours - or can you??
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 4
ARABUKO SOKOKE FOREST WALK AND CHAMPAGNE
Early in the morning of 27 th August
2015, a group of 20 enthusiastic
members of the Kenya Horticultural
Society, accompanied by 3 guides,
dragged themselves out of bed and
gathered at the entrance to the Arabuko
Sokoke Forest (ASF).
Johnathon Baya leads the way
This forest is the only remaining Coastal
forest in East Africa. Covering an area
of 420km2, it is the home to many rare
mammals like the golden rumped
elephant shrew and Suni antelope. Bird
species, include the Sokoke Scops owl,
Sokoke pipit, Amani sunbird Clarke‘s
weaver and many more.
We started with a short walk along an
elephant track through the bamboo
plantation in search of the elephant
shrew. Sadly we only caught a brief
glimpse of one in the undergrowth. The
number of shrews in the forest has been
declining for years, both through
poaching and due to the destruction and
disturbance of their habitat.
Despite that, the ASF is a beautiful place
and offers a wide range of attractions
ranging from botanical life, ornithology,
mammalogy and entomology. During
our walk that morning, we were
welcomed by the far-reaching call of the
Trumpeter hornbill, sitting on a
Cassaurina branch enjoying the early rays
of the sun. Several other birds were
heard calling in the leafy canopy,
amongst them a sequence of calls from
the green barbet, and a few eagle eyed
enthusiasts also spotted a tambourine
dove, and red capped robin chat.
For those of us with failing eyesight and
hearing, the Matabele ants provided
more accessible viewing. We learned
how they paralyse termites and then
enslave them. The ‗SIAFU‘ (army ants)
were also there in number and everyone
took great care not to take any on
board.
They have
fearsome jaws and
apparently were used to
heal cuts in the body by
the ‗askaris‘ in the olden
days. Later on we went
‗fishing‘ for the grub of
the Spider Hunting
Wasp
(Hemipepsis
tamisieri), hiding in
ambush in his hole.
Returning to the ranger
station, we then drove
off to another part of
the forest where we
broke for a ‗Bucks Fizz
breakfast‘.
It was
interesting to see how
accustomed the Old
Kenya hands were to
breaking out the camp
chairs and tables and settling down in the
bush to eat their picnics - quiche, Scotch
eggs, sausages, buns, all washed down
with a tumbler of ice cold 'fizz'.
The morning ended
with another short
stroll up the track. The
area is dominated by
Brachystegia specifomist
which have a large
open
canopy,
supposedly making it
easier to spot birds, but
on this occasion the
wildlife was rather shy
and, whilst a number of
calls were identified
(golden oriole, helmet
shrikes, yellow bellied
greenbull), few birds
were seen. By now
people were getting tired so we returned
to our cars, pleased with a wonderful day
out.
The ASF is an area of great interest to
many naturalists. Besides the unique
animals found there, it has many flora of
botanical significance, ranging from
medicinal plants to valuable hardwoods.
Brachylaenae huilensis (silver oak) is a
hardwood tree, used mainly for carving,
which is unfortunately nearly extinct
now. Gyrocarpus americanus is another
dwindling specie in the forests, easily
identified by its grey coloured trunk and
big leaves. It is used for dhow making
and furniture. Hymenaea verrucosa (gum
copol) produces a resin which can be
used as varnish and the tree itself
produces quality timber. Lonchocarpus
bussei is also another lovely specie of
great importance in the forest as many
birds, including the Plain backed sunbird,
like the nectar from the flowers of this
tree. It has pink flowers rather like
jacaranda and can be used for timber and
Dhow making together with Afzelia
quenzensis. Azaridachta indica (Neem tree)
is of medicinal value in the forest, used
in the treatment of malaria, cholera,
coughs and other diseases. It was
introduced here by the migrant birds
species from India, especially the
Eurasian Golden Oriole, as the birds ate
the berries and disposed the seeds
around here. The monkeys love the
neem berries as well.
The forest in also important to the local
community. People harvest honey which
they sell. They are also involved in The
Kipepeo project, harvesting butterfly
larvae for sale through the butterfly
centre at Gede. Another project is run
Breakfast is served
by The Kenya Forest Research Institute
which is doing a great job, providing
seedlings at low cost to the public in
order to encourage them to plant and
harvest their own timber, thus
minimising the effects of encroachment
into the forest.
Steven Baya
PAGE 5
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
Flower Photography - Part 4. Content.
P
erhaps I'm going overboard here
but your victim should be in perfect
condition. Photos seem to have the
ability to highlight any imperfections.
I've taken a few (hundreds) of photos of
daisies. They're small and I don't always
carry my glasses. I see the perfect flower
- a perfect circle with even petals.
Nothing out of place. Back on the big
screen there it is. One little petal is bent.
It's all I can see, the harmony of the
image destroyed. Any blemish, damage
or teeth marks, ignorable in life become
insatiable demons in the final image,
shouting and commanding all attention.
So all my daisies are in the bin and the
search continues.
Clean and simple wins the day. The main
subject should be in focus. Bear in mind
that the main subject may be only one
part of a flower. Everything else should
be indistinct or excluded. This will draw
the eye to the main subject. In focus
backgrounds will distract from the main
subject, allowing the eye to wander and
reducing the overall impact.
Apart from leaving unwanted
distractions out of focus by having a
shallow depth of field, we can achieve
the same by making sure the background
is as far away as possible from the main
subject. This can make a beautiful wash
of colour that has no discernible shape.
Known as bokeh this is more easily
achieved using a telephoto lens than a
wide angle. Another technique is to
shoot from a low angle. This can replace
distracting nearby plants with sky and
trees. The objective is the removal of
clutter.
Having suggested leaving almost
everything out, there is one thing that I
think should be put in. A great photo not
only looks good, but also tells a story.
The natural flower story is its symbiotic
relationship with its pollinator. I spent a
couple of days poised by my pond under
my essential pile of equipment pointing
at a beautiful water lily and awaiting the
arrival of a bee. Not overly ambitious I
assumed as less than five meters away
were two busy hives. Two days, not one
bee. Then the monkeys took over by
eating the flowers and pulling off the
leaves - don't you just want to rush over
to hug them. So the bee with lily project
took two years rather than the two
allotted hours originally scheduled, but
the images with bees work so much
better. Perversely as the plant had been
so solidly abused by our friends the
flower that eventually won the day was
small. This made the bee proportionally
larger with a bigger impact. The best laid
plans of rodents and primates etc.
Peter Derry
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 6
Amorphophallus Maximus — Carissa Nightingale
T
his extraordinary member
of the Arum family is said
to flower once every six years
and its flowers only last
48hours. That may be why,
although my family has lived
here on the North Coast since
1949, I had never seen or heard
of the plant until finding it on
the cliffs in our garden, during
this rainy season. The stem is
almost a metre tall and the thin
spadix rises another 80 cm out
of the goblet-shaped purplebrown spathe at the top of the
stem. These two spectacular
parts are known together as an
inflorescence. The tiny flowers
form round the base of the
spadix, deep in the bottom of
the spathe, As soon as the
spathe opens, pollination must
take place that same day. The
female flowers bloom the first
Amorphophallus maximus spadex
day and depend on visits by
insects which have previously foraged in another plant of the species and become
covered in pollen, which is then deposited on the sticky surfaces of the many, tiny female
flowers. The design of the inflorescence is such that it is very difficult, though not
impossible, for insects to escape, once inside the goblet. Within 24hours the female
flowers die and then the male, pollen manufacturing, flowers blossom. This is to avoid
the risk of self-pollination. The
male flowers encircle the spadix
above the female flowers and so
the struggling insects have to
climb over the male flowers on
their way to freedom, thereby
becoming covered with fresh
pollen.
If all goes to
amorphophallus plan, the insects
then visit others of the species
that have just opened and are,
therefore, ready to be pollinated.
After 48 hours, the spadix
collapses, the spathe shrivels, and
if the flowers have been
pollinated, soon a cluster of green
berries, the size of large peas,
forms at the top of the stem.
When this drama is over, the
feathery leaves unfurl from the
base of the stem, ready to
provide fresh nourishment for
the tuber below ground. Of the
twelve plants we have now found
in our garden, only five flowered
and, of those, only two have
produced seeds. Now that we
Amorphallus titanum. This picture of the Titan arum,
know where to find them, we
submitted by Giovanni , shows a rather larger cousin of
look forward to another show in
the maximus, seen here on display at what looks like
2021.
Kew. There are over 200 vastly different species of this
amazing plant.
PAGE 7
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
bower n.
A shady, leafy shelter or recess in a garden or woods. Old English bur. Cognate with German Bauer (“birdcage”)
John Golds writes:
A honeysuckle bower, sweet,
Twines its fragrance „round my
feet
And with the lily draws me toward
A gated-garden‟s secret world.
"A Honeysuckle Bower"
Se Johnson
Had lunch on
Friday at Alwyn Smith's lovely Karen
garden and two things immediately
appealed to me. One was his wonderful
display of roses - quite the best I have seen
outside UK - and the other was his
recently created bower, as you can see in
the pictures below. Decided this must be
my next sitting area project although, for
the moment, I'm not quite certain where
to site it or what would be a really good
creeper, preferably one that has many
flowers, to grow over it?
And bid her steal into the placed
bower,
Where honey-suckles, ripen'd by
the sun,
Forbid the sun to enter
“Much Ado About Nothing”
Shakespeare
Flower of the Month - Ipomea
Ipomoea is better known to most as
Morning Glory and conjures up visions
deep blue trumpets transforming some
other plant into a spectacle of delight. In
fact it is a genus of over 500 species
sporting flowers of many different
colours and, whilst most are climbers,
many take different forms such as the
Ipomoea batatas, the Sweet Potato.
Ipomea horsfalliae
A particularly pretty species is
Ipomea horsfalliae, Lady Doorley's
morning glory or cardinal
creeper which can be spectacular
here at the coast, producing
flushes of smallish carmine
flowers from a vigorous climbing
creeper with dark green palmate
leaves.
It is not widely
distributed and not very
easy to propagate
cuttings seem the best
choice but need lots of
TLC.
It is also
vulnerable to a some
insect grub that gets into
the stem and kills the
plant.
Another is Ipomea alba, the Moon
Flower, which is a night
flowering species. This beautiful,
extremely fast growing, vine is a
must for any garden at the coast.
The flowers appear around 5 pm,
and are huge and pure white with
a slight perfume. Plant the vine
close to the house and you can
Ipomea alba
admire the ghostly white saucers
shimmering in the dark throughout the
evening. The seeds can be planted
directly into the soil. Water a little in the
dry season whilst the seed is germinating
but, once it gets growing, it is very
drought tolerant and will in time reseed
itself.
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 8
A Coastal Cornucopia
Ann Robinson has sent us a list of the fruit trees they have planted in their garden over the years. Some have not yet produced
fruit, or only very little.
She warns that it is difficult to be sure of the correct names of plants that have been cultivated over many centuries in many
different countries. Ann relied on two books (Purseglove and Mabberly) but, now we have Google and Wikipedia with lots of
pictures, you will have many sources of information at your finger tips.
On the subject of Breadfruit, it seems that the fruit is being promoted as a potential staple source of food in the tropics. An article
in the New Scientist (28 June 2014) highlights new research into the plant and traces its spread from the Phillipines to Polynesia to
many other parts of the world (notably Captain Bligh took it to Jamaica). For her part, Ann has dispersed a number of plants on
the North Coast but does not believe the rainfall is high enough for them to flourish here.
Annona muricata (Annonaceae) Soursop
Annona reticulata (Annonaceae) Bullock’s Heart
Annona squamosa (Annonaceae) Custard Apple
Artocarpus altilis (Moraceae) Breadfruit
Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae) Jackfruit
Averrhoa bilimbi (Oxalidaceae) Bilimbi
Averrhoa carambola (Oxalidaceae) Carambola
Blighia sapida (Sapindaceae) Akee
Carica papaya (Caricaceae) Pawpaw
Casimiroa edulis (Spaotaceae) White Sapote
Crysophyllum cainito (Spaotaceae) Star Fruit
Citrus aurantifolia (Rutaceae) Lime
Citrus limon (Rutaceae) Lemon
Citrus paradisi (Rutaceae) Grapfruit
Citrus reticulata (Rutaceae) Tangerine
Eugenia cuminii (Myrtaceae) Jambolan
Eugenia javanica (Myrtaceae) Jamalac, Rose of Java Apple
Eugenia uniflora (Myrtaceae) Pitanga Cherry
Ficus carica (Moraceae) Fig
Fortunella japonica (Rutaceae) Kumquat (not sure of
species)
Lepisanthes fruiticosa (Sapotaceae) Luna nut
Magifera indica (Anacardiaceae) Mango
Manilkara achras (Sapotaceae) Sapodilla, Chiku
Morus alba (Moraceae) Mulberry
Muntingia calabura (Mutingiaceae) Jamaican Cherry
Musa paradisica (Musaceae) Banana
Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa (Passifloraceae) Yellow
Passionfruit
Pouteria campechiana (Lucuma? nervosa) (Sapotaceae)
Egg Fruit
Psidium cattleianum (Myrtaceae) Pineapple Guava
Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) Guava
Psidium littorale (Myrtaceae) Bird Cherry, Strawberry
Guava
Punica granatum (Punicaceae) Pomegranate
Spodias cytherea (Anacardiaceae) Golden Apple
Spodias mombin (Anacardiaceae) Hog Plum
Ask Maude
Q I have just moved to the coast and was given a beautiful plant as a house warming present. When I got the plant it looked so healthy. Now, three
months later, the plant looks terrible and I don’t know what has gone wrong.
The plant in your pictures is an
Ixora. Yours is yellow but you can
get other colours ranging from a
pillar-box red through to pink,
orange and white. Ixoras prefer their
soil to have a low pH (acid) and the
yellow variety is the most sensitive to
a high pH and shows its distress
early. To help your Ixora you need
to adjust the soil pH and the fastest
way to do this is to put it back into a
pot.
A
Take a large pot, make sure that it has
holes in the base, and put some
stones in the bottom to help with
drainage. Mix together some good
top soil, some manure, and about five
tablespoons of Epson‘s salts (this is
Now
Then
very cheap and easily bought in the
chemist), fill the pot and plant the Ixora into the mixture.. Water well and place the pot in the shade until you notice new growth
when you can then move it into a slightly more sunny position.
When it has finally recovered you may plant your Ixora back into the open ground. Plant it somewhere that does not get full sun
and remember to work at keeping the level of the pH down.
PAGE 9
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
You may be interested to learn
Don't discard banana skins; they
are a valuable fertilizer.
Did you know that bananas are packed
with nutrients, and that includes their
skins?
Nutrients provide the
nourishment that plants need in order to
thrive. With one or two exceptions, they
absorb them from the soil in the form of
minerals and other inorganic
compounds. Nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium are taken up in relatively large
amounts, and calcium, manganese,
sodium and sulphur are necessary to a
lesser extent. While various levels of
these nutrients occur naturally, many
soils can use a boost.
Potassium.
Banana skins
have a high potassium
content - more
t h a n
most
other
organic
material.
Potassium
promotes
the
movement
of
water and nutrients
between cells. It also strengthens stems
and protects plants from disease.
Phosphorus. Phosphorus helps rooting,
improves winter hardiness and speeds up
flowering and fruiting. Banana skins
inserted in the soil near the roots are an
effective way to get phosphorus to your
plants, because the skins break down
quickly in the soil. This immediacy is
helpful, because phosphorus is not
mobile in the soil.
Calcium. This is a 'transporter' for
other less mobile nutrients. It improves
the breakdown of organic materials in
the soil; makes other nutrients in the soil,
nitrogen in particular, more available to
plants; and controls how nutrients and
water move in and out of cells.
Manganese, Magnesium, and Sulphur.
These aid the plants
photosynthesis process and the
production of chlorophyll.
Using banana skins. The
easiest method is to just
chop them up and dig
them into the soil near
the plant roots.
Another way is to
soak the chopped
skins in water for a
couple of days and
water the resultant
'tea' around the plant
or you can dry the skins
in your oven when you
cook your Sunday roast and
then grind them up (mixed with
eggshells, if you wish) and scatter them
on the soil or just dig them into your
compost heap.
One thing to remember - banana skins
are not a complete fertilizer. Don't
rely on them alone to feed your plants,
especially if your plants are heavy
nitrogen feeders. The skins are most
effective when composted to blend with
nitrogen-rich materials.
LEAF SHINE.
When preparing plants, particularly orchids, for an exhibition or show I have often
been tempted to use one of those aerosol products to improve the look of unsightly
leaves disfigured by hard water leaving unsightly lime deposits. However I have always
hesitated as such products often contains petroleum hydrocarbon propellant which I
feel must be damaging to the leaves and even water based shines often contain a
mineral oil.
But the other day, in that excellent Bulletin of the AOS, I noted a much simpler,
cheaper and safer solution and that is a tablespoon of milk in a quart of water gently
wiped on with a paper towel or soft cloth. The tip claimed the fatty acids in the milk
dissolves the hard water deposits. It really does seem to work so maybe at the next
Festival of Flowers worth trying?
John Golds
A FEW TIPS TO GET YOUR
PLANTS AND BLOOMS INTO
TIP-TOP CONDITION FOR
THE
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS
ON
17TH & 18TH OCTOBER
Epsom Salts
Epsom salt has been used for decades by
serious gardeners as a ―secret weapon.‖
It helps deliver tasty tomatoes, gorgeous
roses, bumper crops of peppers, deep
green leaves and more.
There are many reasons to include
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) in your
garden. Here are the basic methods and
general rates for applying it to plants and
soil.
[NOTE: It is always advisable to have a soil
test done before applying any nutrients to soil.]
Soil Incorporation – Broadcast 1 cup
per 100 square feet, mix well into before
planting.
At Planting Time – When planting
seedlings or new plants, dig a hole and
place about 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt
in the bottom of hole and cover with a
thin layer of dirt, place the plant in the
hole and finish planting.
Pre-Planting Soak – Prior to planting,
soak root balls in 1/2 cup of Epsom salt
diluted in one gallon of water.
Top Dressing – During the growing
season, sprinkle about a 1 tablespoon
directly around the base of the plant and
water it in.
Applying in Liquid Form or
Drenching – Drenching plants with
Epsom salt improves the overall health
of the plant by providing a good dose of
magnesium. If your plants are needing a
boost, dissolve about one to two
tablespoons of Epsom salt in a gallon of
water. Pour at the base of the plant and
allow the water-salt solution to soak into
the ground. Repeat throughout the
season as necessary
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 10
Gallery
Spathodea campanulata
Chris Betts
Anthurium andraeanum
Marion Langham
Unwelcome visitor—Dwarf Bittern
Marion Langham
Bismark palm
Marion Langham
PAGE 11
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
Notice Board
Gallery
East African Plant Collectors
by Diana and Roger Polhill
This book is a record of some 2,700 people who
have collected herbarium specimens in Uganda,
Kenya and Tanzania, designed as a supplement
to the Flora of Tropical East Africa. The profiles
give an indication of careers and interests, the
places where the plants have been collected and
herbaria in which the specimens are located.
A timeline and a synopsis give an idea of
professions and the changes through the eras
since the first recorded herbarium specimens
were collected in 1781.
Anna‘s Hummingbird ♀ feeding from Pelagonium
Belle Nanton
Published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
in association with the authors. 520 pages A4,
hardback, illustrated with maps and portraits of
plants and people ISBN 978-1-84246-371-0.
Available from the authors. Price 6,500/= incl
p&p
Apply via http://eacollectors.weebly.com/
KHS Website
www.kenyahs.com
Members are advised that management of the KHS
website is in the process of changing. Anyone with
articles or information for posting should send them
to Sally Shaw sallykubba@icloud.com
The Nature Trail in Gede
This recently republished guide to the trees and
shrubs at Gede is available from the District shop,
price 300/=.. 57 pagers, A5, fully illustrated with
detailed black & white line drawings. Contact Elfried
Hoogeweegen on 0733 839267
Hoya pubicalyx
Marion Langham
Gardeners Course—Part II
Part II of the course run earlier this year will be
scheduled for November. Dates and venues have
still to be arranged but the purpose of the course will
be to:
follow up on Part I and assess the success of the
seed planting exercise.
 Talk about epiphytes—plants that grow without
soil.
 Re-visit soil and compost
 Administer a general knowledge test
The cost of the course will be 1000/= per head
Please book your gardeners place a.s.a.p. with Marion
0732 610047 or Rupert 0734 564049
Citrus Swallowtail on Pontederia cordata
Marion Langham
THE SHAMBA TIMES
PAGE 12
For your Diary
OCTOBER
SATURDAY/SUNDAY, 17TH/18TH OCTOBER
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS
Last year’s popular Flower Festival is to be repeated, this
time over two days, at the same venue, The Mnarani
Club, Kilifi. The format will be much the same as last
year with the emphasis on having an enjoyable day out
amongst the best horticultural displays at the Coast.
Most of last year’s attractions like the Gala Dinner,
orchid display, district shop, and planting display will be
repeated. In addition, Dino Martins will be giving a talk
on the ‘Diversity of Grasses in Kenya’ on Sunday, AM.
Members will know from past experience what an
excellent and interesting speaker Dino is.
THURSDAY, 29TH NOVEMBER
A VISIT TO THREE GARDENS IN MWTAPA/SHANZU
Start at 10.30 at Shanzu. Finish with a picnic at Sue
Lawrence-Brown’s in Mwtapa, Details and directions to
follow by flash.
NOVEMBER
DATES TO BE ARRANGED
PAULINE BALLETTO’S VIEW OF CHELSEA 2015
A talk and DVD showing by Pauline covering her visit to
Chelsea this year. Details have still to be arranged but
the hope is that she will be able to deliver the same
presentation in Kilifi, Watamu, and Malindi
Editorial
In this issue we have managed to pull together some pretty
interesting stuff. Carissa‘s article on her find at Kinuni is
astonishing. One never knows what fascinating plant form is
sitting there, right under our noses. Then there is the
interesting report by Cara Braun which supplements her talk
given at the Turtle Bay Beach Club about the work of WildLife
Works. I suspect that few people had more than a very vague
understanding of carbon credits prior to her visit.
Peter Derry continues his series on photography. I understand
that he swept the board with his entries in this years KHS
Calendar Competition. It is pleasing to hear that Katana Baya
also won an award—his second on the trot. Our own little
gallery attracted some nice contributions but a few more would
not go amiss.
I am also delighted to report that we have received our first
Kenyan contribution. Steven Baya, Jonathan‘s son‘, who was
one of the guides on his father‘s walk in the Arabuko, kindly
produced the report on page 4. Stephen, who is 24, is on his
last year at Chepkoilel, reading Tourism Management, part of
which involves learning the details of all the flora and fauna he
is likely to encounter in the Reserves.
Finally I‘m sure many of you will have read in the press and
elsewhere that the El Nino effect is expected to be pretty
extreme this year. Nobody seems to know what that will mean
in real terms but Vishy Talwar attended a briefing by the
Director of Meteorology recently and they seem fairly confident
that we are in for a protracted and possibly heavy ‗short‘ rains.
Maybe our next issue will be produced on a boat!
cb
DECEMBER
CHRISTMAS DAY
FULL CHRISTMAS LUNCH ON THE TURTLE BAY DHOW
Cost will be Ksh 3500 per head plus park fees for a slapup BBQ Lunch. Menu to include a mixed seafood starter,
lobster, prawns, turkey, beef, chicken, pilau, jacket
potatoes, and Xmas pudding with coffee afterwards.
House wines and local drinks will be free but guests may
bring their own exotic varieties at no extra charge.
This trip is nearly fully booked. Call John Golds on 0202
335929 or email jmgolds@icloud.com. Don’t delay!
The Shamba Times is published quarterly for the benefit of it’s
Members by the North Coast District of The Kenya
Horticultural Society. Articles for publication are welcome and
should be addressed to the Editorial Office, as should any
comments, suggestions, or corrections.
The Kenya Horticultural Society was established in 1923 for the
purpose of stimulating and increasing interest and knowledge of
gardens and plants in Kenya. The North Coast District extends
from Vipingo in the South to Malindi in the North. Annual
membership is Ksh 1000 per person (Ksh 1300 per couple).
Corporate Membership is offered at Ksh 2000. Members
gardeners are accepted for limited membership at a fee of Ksh 500
per annum.
M-Pesa payments can be made on 0702 767177
Kenya Horticultural Society
Find us on the Web
www.kenyahs.com
Officers of The North Coast District
Chairman
Mr John Golds
jmgolds@me.com
Vice Chairman
Marion Lady Langham
marion.langham@kenyahs.com
Hon Sec
Mrs Vanessa Aniere
vanessa.aniere@kenyahs.com
Hon Treasurer
Mr Rupert Partridge
rupert.partridge@kenyahs.com
Editorial
The Shamba Times
PO Box 143 - 80108
Kilifi
Kenya
Contact
Mob:- +254 (0)732 610047
marion.langham@kenyahs.com
© Shamba Times 2015
FESTIVAL OF FLOWERS
Saturday 17th October 2015
Entry Form (One per exhibitor)
NAME ..............................................................................................
TEL .....................................
For official
use
Class No
EMAIL.....................................................
No of Entries
Description of Class
1
Cut Flowers
2
Cut Foliage
3
Large Container Plant
4
Medium Container Plant
5
Small Container Plant
6
Container Plant Display
7
Container Succulent Display
8
Table Flower Arrangement
9
'On the Spot'
10
Flower Photo Portrait
11
General Horti Photo
12
'A Pulitzer'
Entry forms should be returned by 10th October 2015.
Email rdbpartridge@gmail.com or by hand to a Committee Member.