Garden Wise - GardenShop

Garden
talk
Issue 1, 2016
Be
Garden
Wise
INSIDE
Seasonal gardening made easy • Waterwise • The mystique of Eastern gardening
• Grow your own • Beautiful Buxus • Indoor plant style
Be Garden
Contacting us
Contact us on
0861 G-A-R-D-E-N
(427336)
Dear Gardener
Queries:
To provide you with excellent service,
we have a team of dedicated and
passionate gardening experts and
there are several ways of directing
your gardening queries to us:
Online: gardenshop.co.za
Call 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)
Email us on info@gardenshop.co.za
Connect with GardenShop! Daily
gardening posts, updates on new
plants, trending gardening ideas
and seasonal pictures from our
garden centres.
GardenShopSA
Editor: Deborah Hele
e-mail: deborah@gardenshop.co.za
Publisher & Ad Sales: First Wave Media cc
e-mail: gardentalk@firstwavemedia.co.za
Our first issue of the year is full of prudent and invaluable
gardening advice, suggestions and ideas allowing you to
embrace this beautiful time of the year with confidence,
motivation and a smile.
While all the hectic flowering and activity of summer might be
over, now really is a wonderful time to start wising up to an array
of important gardening activities and to prepare garden beds
so they’re ready for the cooler months. From mulching, fertilising, lawn care to
visualising your spring garden with bulb plantings, the best plants to choose and
of course all the essentials for attracting birdlife to your garden. Your secateurs,
shears, rakes and spades are going to get a real workout.
It’s a great time to grow your own vegetables and GardenShop offers you a terrific
selection of seeds and varieties to set you on the path to self-sufficiency. In this
issue we provide you with all the information you need to know about sowing your
own vegetable seeds.
We also explore Eastern gardening, its décor influences and plant choice – from
beautiful bonsai to the calm, gentle aura of Gardenias and bamboos. Plus there’s
GardenShop’s gorgeous range of exclusively imported pots and ornaments inspired
by the magic of the East! And of course, there’s no shortage of ideas for wise
gardeners to discover superb ways to creatively use indoor plants in and with
glassware.
Be Garden Wise
Best wishes
GardenShop
Tel: 011 516 9700
Fax: 011 516 9701
PO Box 70966, Bryanston, 2021
GardenShop proudly supports:
GardenShop proudly
supports BirdLife
South Africa.
Making a difference
to our birds and their
habitats.
Conservation.
Education.
Awareness.
first wave media
GardenTalk is published on behalf
of GardenShop (Pty) Ltd by:
First Wave Media cc
Tel: 011 640 7354
Web: firstwavemedia.co.za
Postal: PO Box 28845, Sandringham,
Johannesburg, 2131
Wise
12
featured
Waterwise Gardening Create gardens that are sustainable
and able to withstand the challenges of every season.
5
Autumn gardening made easy From bulb planting, lawn
care, fertilisers and container plant care.
7
For the Birds! Everything you need from GardenShop to
keep your feathered friends flocking home.
11
Eastern Gardening Inspirations Create gardens that truly
inspire a feeling of tranquillity, serenity and reflection.
12
The Beautiful Buxus The classic ‘box hedge’ is a real
delight
15
Indoor Plant Style Discover the beauty and benefits of
indoor plants in unique glass vases
17
Grow Your Own Sowing your own seeds for autumn and
winter harvest
18
GardenTalk
3
‘Cha Cha’ and ‘Can Can’
Cordylines for a touch of class
Dance your way into every season with Cordylines
‘Cha Cha’ and ‘Can Can’.
Colourful, weeping and variegated foliage in blends of colour.
‘Cha Cha’ and ‘Can Can’ are fast growing making them suitable for
accent both in the garden and containers. Both plants must be protected
against serious frost in the winter.
4
Waterwise
Gardening
Plumbago – Cape Forget-Me-Not
What does it mean to be a waterwise gardener? It means as gardeners we need to respect water, understand
the value of water, conserve it and must use it wisely and responsibly at all times. We need to create gardens
that are sustainable and able to withstand the challenges that every season brings.
The three main pillars to successful waterwise gardens are soil
preparation, selection of plants and mulching.
Soil preparation
Invest in your soil. Spend time enriching with compost. By
composting we return nutrients that we have ‘taken’ from our soil.
Compost will greatly reduce our dependence on chemicals, such as
artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Compost, a valuable component to
soil preparation for planting will most importantly improve the soil’s
capacity to hold and retain water.
Selection of plants
There are a wealth of plants suited for waterwise (low water use)
gardens. Select carefully and group plants according to their water
needs.
Drought tolerant plants
Dymondia margaretae – Silver Carpet: A compact, neat, ground
hugging plant with small yellow daisy-like flowers. It is perfect for
those tight areas inbetween stepping stones and sunny courtyards.
Clivia miniata – Bush Lily: Magnificent trumpet-shaped red, orange,
yellow or cream flowers in spring. Make sure to plant in shaded areas.
Phormium – New Zealand Flax: Ideal for plant structure and linear
architectural lines in gardens and containers. Gaura lindheimeri –
butterfly bush with their showy white and pink flowers will attract
beneficial birds and bees.
Low water usage plants
Varieties of Hemerocallis – Daylilies come in every colour of
the rainbow, yellow, orange, maroon, pink, purple and red. They
can be used as a border along a path or driveway. Suitable for
growing in containers. Nothing can beat the Plumbago – CapeForget-Me-Not shrub – for its ease of growth and the flowers are a
massive attraction for birds. Lavender varieties - with its incredible
fragrance and beautiful flowers will attract beneficial insects, bees and
butterflies.
Medium water usage plants
Part of our Cape Floral Kingdom, this rich reed-like plant
Chondropetalum tectorum – Cape Reed is stylish and elegant
with its graceful foliage. Plant Osteospernums – African daisies for
their showy array of flowers, dazzling purples, whites and yellows will
attract a host off butterflies to your garden. Carex – Sedge grass,
are dense forming low-growing ornamental grasses ideal for mass
planting. Plant in full sun to take advantage of the contrasting foliage.
Mulch
Mulching is an important gardening management technique in
gardens making the transition into waterwise. Mulch will ultimately
stabilise soil temperature, retain moisture in summer and will also
protect roots from cold weather temperatures.
Mulches also help to prevent weeds from growing. Mulching is
advised in all areas of the garden. Mulches come in different forms,
most popular include the bio-degradable mulches like grass clippings,
sawdust, bark chips, well-rotted manure and garden compost.
Enjoy the transition of gardening wisely and sustainably for the future,
share your waterwise gardening knowledge freely for generations to
pass down and love your plants that bring everyone joy and hope.
GardenTalk
5
Essential Mulch for Waterwise Gardening
In periods of drought and hot weather mulching is essential for the
retention of moisture in the soil. This essential waterwise product is
proudly made by Culterra, with 50 year’s experience in producing
top quality South African organics. Culterra’s Mulch will stabalise soil
temperatures, retain moisture in summer and will protect roots from
cold weather temperatures. Culterra Mulches will also help to
prevent weeds from growing.
Be Garden Wise and Mulch.
6
Plant Bulbs for Spring
Magic
In April we start experiencing cooler
temperatures and this is exactly the time to
plant bulbs that will flower in spring.
For beautiful swaths of indigenous colour
plant Freesias.
• Soil must be cold and moist
• Prepare planting area well by digging in
generous amounts of compost and 2:3:2
Autumn
gardening
made
easy
• Plant bulb at correct depth, depth
instructions are on the packaging
• Water well after planting
• Fertilise every two weeks
Lawn Care
Continue with watering, mowing and fertilising. Maintain a regular
programme that will continue until the end of April. It is difficult to
keep lawn looking good, especially in periods of drought.
Suggested Lawn Fertilisers to assist:
• Bio Ganic for Lawns
• Vita Green 511:5 (16) Lawn & Foliage Feriliser
Tips for using and storing of fertilisers:
• Follow the recommended application rate and do not overfertilise
• Water thoroughly after each application
• Store under the roof
• Most importantly, keep away from children and pets
Plant Division
Divide and split perennials and ground covers, like
Agapanthus, Red-hot pokers, ornamental grasses,
Day lilies, Alstromerias and Asters.
Refresh your plants in containers
Now is the time to pull out your drab looking summer
plants and replace with fresh plant material for the
upcoming autumn and winter months.
GardenTalk
7
It’s cool to
garden in
autumn!
After the tremendous drought and heatwaves we experienced this
summer the thought of magical temperate days ahead in the cooler
garden are enough to inspire us to action.
Any new design or developments are best done during the cooler
season months as newly planted gardens will establish most
successfully and emerge strong and robust by the time winter’s chill
arrives. Roots have time to regrow and take up nutrients and water
needed to feed and cool the plant optimally in the first few weeks. This
minimises planting stress which in hot weather, often results
in plant loss and dejected gardeners!
So let’s get planting, feeding and collecting
autumn leaves to make mulch and
compost in this time of plenty to be
ready for a wonderful winter season.
Contributor: Jenny Slabber
from Talborne Organics
• CanIfertilsemygardeninwinter?
Vita Organic Fertilisers can be applied any time of
the year. The scientific explanation made simple is
that water-soluble, fast release chemical fertiliser
is salt based so nutrient uptake is by osmosis
which requires a capillary action to move the high
concentration of nutrients from the water in the
soil through the roots to all parts of the plant. Cool
weather reduces the transpiration from the leaf
surface which reduces the circulation of plant sap
so plant tissue can be scarred or damaged as a
result. Vita Organic Fertiliser does not contain salts
so nutrients are mostly released by microbial soil life,
which naturally adjusts release in cool soils when
plant growth slows.
• HowcanIprotectplantsfromfrost?
Many of our favourites plants only flourish in cooler seasons. So just
like we need to eat, so plants which are living creatures also need to
continue feeding. Potassium is important to ensure strong and hardy
cells before the winter season as well as promote lots of flowers so
apply Vita Fruit & Flower 3:1:5 in March or April for cool bloomers!
•Willmyleafyveggiesnotburnwhenapplyingnitrogeninautumnorwinter?
A: The nitrogen in Vita Organic Fertiliser is formulated for
a sustained release over about four months. The nitrogen
sticks to soil particles which acts as a buffet so when
the plant needs to take up nitrogen it can access it on
demand. Nitrogen in Vita fertilisers should never burn
if applied as per directions. Go ahead and feed leafy
greens and herbs with Vita Veg 6:3:4 with planting or
with Vita Green 5:1:5 as a topdressing after four months
when required.
•Gettingthebestbloomwhenplantingcolour
seedlings
The Eco-Green Seedling Food is an all-in-one compost and fertiliser
ideal for planting winter colour beds, containers or hanging baskets.
The 1kg pink packet covers an area of 5m2 and ensures blooms
continue throughout the winter. Apply more seedling food as a
topdressing after three months to maintain the blooms.
Be garden wise and fertilise!
Growing T
oget
he r
Vita Veg 6:3:4 (16)
Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer
Fertilizer for Certified Organic Growing
Best for:
a Planting vegetables, herbs + berries
a Feed vegetables, herbs + berries
a Feed lawns, tropical gardens + trees
a General application: 100g/m2 every 4 months
healthy soil = healthy plants = healthy people
8
Naturally Good
www.talborne.co.za
www.facebook.com/Talborne
Just a bit more for
Azalea Encore
ON
PROMOTION
Plant Encore Azaleas in our cooler months to enjoy their spring flowers until the first frost as well as giving
them time for their roots to establish without damage from cold temperatures in winter. With the
summer heat winding down and cooler temperatures on the way, autumn is the perfect season
to plant Encore Azaleas.
Tips for growing successful Encore Azaleas:
•
Azalea Encore prefer an area with good filtered shade or in a sunny position with afternoon shade. Azaleas require 4 to 6 hours of sun
to produce their flowers. However in the summer it is important that they are not exposed to the harsh sunlight to maintain their flower
vibrancy.
•
The soil should be acidic and well drained to promote healthy growth and to prevent root rot. Add nutrients to the soil with organic
matter, but not fertiliser (fertilise in spring). Azaleas have a shallow root system, which means roots are shallow. It is advisable to dig a
hole that is twice the size of the root ball so that the roots grow wide and not deep. This will prevent the risk of root rot.
•
In the first year of growing to protect your Azalea through their first winter as well preserving moisture in summer, apply a 3cm layer of
mulch after planting. You may also want to place protective covering in winter to allow strong root growth.
•
Fertilise your Encore Azaleas after fear of frost and watch them flower and grow.
•
Following spring’s first showcase of flowers, lightly prune to encourage growth and increase flowering for remaining seasons.
GardenTalk
9
South African
Gardenshop – proud supporter of locally grown and manufactured products.
We give you an abundance of beautiful indigenous choices!
Inspiring garden ideas all year round.
10
Bring
the Birds
home
There is nothing on earth that can replace the joy of watching different birds make their way into our gardens.
Children delight when they see birds return to stock up on some food. We love to sit outside and watch how
they chatter, feast on berries from our trees and dig their beaks into the soil for fresh earthworms.
At GardenShop we undertand the importance of attracting birds into your gardens, our birding departments
offer you the very best in bird food – nectar feed, suet, bird puddings, raw peanuts and seed.
Our extensive range of feeders, feeding stations, roosting nest boxes, nesting logs, bird baths, bird tables and
accessories will all help you to bring the birds flocking home.
GardenShop treats for our fine-feathered friends
GardenTalk
11
Our pieces of nature, whether a flowering orchid in a
bathroom, a bean seedling in the kitchen from a school
project, a courtyard with tropical plants or a swim-
1
ming pool with patio plants are places for relaxing,
enjoyment and interludes. To really ‘feel’ our places
of interludes you need to take it one step further and
start thinking of gardens that truly inspire the feeling
of tranquillity, serenity and reflection. Eastern-inspired
gardens with statue and lantern ornamentation, rocks
and stone, water and plants will give you the tools to
design and create your own Eastern setting.
Eastern gard
2
Eastern elements available
at GardenShop
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
12
Bamboo, Rocks, Gravel and Stone
Statues
Bonsai
Windchimes
Gardenia
3
dening
4
5
GardenTalk
13
Container Style
Versatile, unique and exclusive to GardenShop
Flora Imports’ magnificent range of European and Asian imported pots – from
countries including Italy, Germany, Thailand and Malaysia – are a sight to behold.
Whether your penchant is for terracotta or a glazed finish, square-shaped, round,
rectangular or something truly unique, the selection affords you gardening creativity
second -to-none. From simple to elaborate, the possibilities are limitless to help you
plant the perfect pot.
Their versatility in adding instant colour – whether you choose individual plants, mixand-match varieties even vegetables and herbs – means you can adapt your interior
or exterior landscapes as seasons change too. And of course they provide bold
focal points in your garden - and even on balconies - and add to the design and
architecture of your living space.
Visit GardenShop for your summer container makeovers.
14
The classic beauty of Buxus is found at GardenShop, part of our
exclusive Collection range.
GardenShop’s Collection of Buxus ( commonly known as the Box Hedge) glossy, small
leafed evergreen medium sized shrubs that can be pruned to form a hedge, shaped into
plant balls, trained into lollypop standards and columnar topiaries. Shapes that form the
basis of any formal garden. You can clip them any time you like, but better in summer and
not on a very hot day or a wet day. Use a sharp pair of pruners or shears and cut away.
They are very rewarding and fun to trim especially into shapes. Sprinkle some fertiliser
such as Neutrog’s BioOcean or Vita Grow 2:2:3 (16) at the base of the plants in spring
and again after their trim. If it is dry weather then the fertiliser will need to be watered in.
R995
R450
(excludes
pot)
R495
Box Buxus
R450
R695
R995
GardenTalk
15
Correa alba
There are not many plants that can claim to be drought, salt spray tolerant and frost hardy!
… add to this creamy white flowers and contrasting grey green leaves.
Could this be the perfect plant?
• Correa alba is a fast growing, evergreen shrub that has leathery grey-green leaves. It has a
dense rounded habit and can get to 1.5m in height. It is however easily pruned and can make a
good hedge or small shrub.
• Correa grows in the sun or partial shade. It is not fussy about the soil it is planted in but prefers
well-drained soil that has been enriched with compost. It needs average water until established.
Once established it is wonderfully waterwise.
• Correa is drought and salt spray tolerant and is frost hardy. It is a low maintenance shrub that
can be pruned to shape during the year.
• Cream coloured bell-shaped flowers can occur throughout the year with a main flowering period
We have over
100 different varieties
of fresh herb plants,
being autumn.
• Correa
alba is such a toughto
and grow
hardy shrub.
It is easyown
to grow .and is just the shrub to plant in
encouraging
gardeners
their
that difficult spot in the garden!
16
Why you need plants indoors
• Indoor plants purify the air
• Plants indoors can make your brain work better
• They can help with preventing allergies
• Plants are known to improve your sleep
• Plants can improve your mental health
GardenShop
Collection
Indoor Style
Uniquely planted up glass vases. Living art pieces with Maiden Hair
Ferns, Flowering Cymbidiums, Sanseveria, Firesticks and Syngoniums.
Creatively planted up, these ready to give real life vases are exclusively
R195
grown and produced for GardenShop.
R155
R295
R495
R395
R395
GardenTalk
17
Grow your Own
Growing your own food is easy and healthful.
Everybody can grow vegetables, it depends
on your soil, seed quality, water and sun. To
ensure a successful crop from your seeds the
first consideration is your soil. Healthy soil =
healthy plants!
Contributors: Gilda & Linda Gilvad, Sought After Seedlings
What you need to know:
•
Choose the location of your vegetable planting in a position that receives at least 5
hours sunlight per day.
•
Bare in mind shadows from tall trees, buildings (especially from your neighbours) and
wind tunnels. The winter sun is lower in the sky, take this into account.
•
If your soil is not in good condition i.e.: too much clay or too sandy, add copious
amounts of organic matter e.g.: from your own compost heap, dried leaves, grass
cuttings without seeds in them. If you can get manure from a good source not
using antibiotics or hormones on their animals, that’s great! Make sure you dry your
manure out before digging it in to your soil or simply buy a good organic compost.
•
Should your area have really irretrievably bad soil, simply raise your beds with wood,
bricks, gum poles, etc or use pots - especially if you only have a patio or balcony. If
this is the case, mix your ‘new’ soil with lots of compost and fill your area.
•
Soil should be loamy and sweet smelling.
•
Germination of seeds can take place in seedling trays or directly in situ (straight into
the ground).
•
Plant your precious seeds 1.5 times the size of the seed in depth. Remember that
your tiny seeds should not be planted too deeply, as they will not be able to grow
out of the soil. Water your planting site before you plant and very lightly after you
plant. Tiny seeds can wash out of seedling trays or away in the garden, so use a fine
rose spray or your bottle top waterer to prevent this from happening.
•
A light sprinkling of sifted compost over the seeds will be appreciated by them.
•
Never omit mulch. Bare in mind that thick mulch will be difficult for a tiny plant to
push through so limit your mulch to allow space for growing.
•
Using a good quality seed will give you good germination, so don’t use too many
seeds in one planting space, as you will have to thin the small plants out, which is
really just a waste.
Water every day with love and enjoy watching your garden grow. It’s all part and
parcel of being Garden Wise!
18
GardenTalk
19
20
GardenTalk
21
22
GardenTalk
Garden
Value
Garden MORE for less
with these gardening SPECIALS
Available while stocks last.
Quantities are limited.
Valid from 1 March – 30 April 2016
Many more offers in store!
Images featured serve as a guide only. Actual colour variations may occur in some instances.
Vita Grow 3.1.5 Fruit and
Flower Fertiliser
Certified organic fertiliser
for flowering shrubs, trees
and roses. Apply every 2-3
months. 5kg.
IDEAL
for
POTS
Plants to Hedge
Range of plants suitable as
hedging. Evergreen and
hardy varieties. 4l.
3 for
Petunia ‘Cascades’
Bigger pot for better impact.
Range of perennial Petunias
for lasting colour. 25cm.
150
R
135
R
Cyclamen
Ideal for autumn
and winter
flowers. Plant
en-masse in the
garden. 14cm.
(Excludes pot).
6995
R
3 for
150
R
Peace Lily
Easy-to-care for
indoor plant. Longlasting flowers.14cm.
4995
R
Garden Wise Mix
Choose from Salvias, Violas,
Solanums, Gooseberries and
more. 15cm.
any 3 for
100
R
Assorted Roses
Be wise and choose from the
following trusted varieties: Just
Joey, Double Delight, Blue
Moon, Duftwolke and Duet. 5l.
any 2 for
150
R
Angelonia
Varieties
Perfect for pots
and flower beds.
4l. (Excludes pot).
3 for
100
R
WATER
WISE
INSTANT
COLOUR
IDEAL
for
POTS
Wonder 7.1.3 Lawn and Leaf
Fertiliser
Fertiliser for the use on all things
green. Apply every 6 weeks. 5kg.
7995
R
Angel Wings
A no-fuss, easy to care for,
free flowering perennial.
Available in 3 colours.4l.
any 3 for
100
R
Indigenous Bulb
Combo
South African gems to
plant now for spring colour. 50 x Freesia + 25 x
Tritonias Mixed Colours.
79
R
95
Azalea ‘Encore’ Varieties
Summer, autumn and spring
flowering. Many colours to
choose from. 17cm.
6995
R
Buy 1
get 1
Free
795
per set
R
Multifeed Flowergro + Classic
Soluable fertiliser for general use. 500g.
Glazed pot selection
Superior quality imported glazed
pot selection. 3 pots per set.
GardenShopSA
Rose Iceberg
Standard
Masses of
white flowers
all year round.
Free-flowering.
10l.
195
R
0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)
gardenshop.co.za