Heading towards winter and the tendancy to hibernate affects us all. Although some of our garden plants may join us under the covers, there is still plenty of gardening we can do and it's the best time to catch up on those pesky maintenance jobs that need doing every year like pruning or sanding and re-painting the garden bench. It's also a good time to do some indoor gardening like re-potting and feeding the aspidistra or starting a herb garden on a windowsill. Seeds can also be sown indoors to keep them warm and ready for planting as soon as the weather gets us outdoors again.
For everyone who loves a show, we have just returned from our first The Gardener Live Show which was held in the beautiful surrounds of the Pretoria National Botanic Gardens this last weekend. We have had such a wonderful response from the visitors and exhibitors who enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed meeting everyone. Our gallery of photos will be up soon on www.thegardenerlive.co.za
Sagina subulata 'Aurea'
Sagina subulata 'Aurea' is a low-growing, carpet-like ground cover with slender, self-rooting stems, fine foliage and tiny white flowers, which originated from Europe. Its moss-like appearance gave rise to one of its common names: Irish moss, but Pearlwort is probably more widely used. The plant has also been marketed under the incorrect name of Minuartia verna in South Africa.
Irrespective of name and correct identity, this charming l...
Dealing with fleas naturally
These ancient, wingless insects have been on earth for 160 million years and spend 95% of their lives in the environment. After emerging from eggs, larvae feed on organic material before weaving a tiny, silken cocoon and pupating. Adult fleas emerge from the cocoon when they sense the presence of a potential host animal. Important cues to hatch are an increase in carbon dioxide, temperature and vibrations as the animal moves nearby. Fleas use their remarkable hind legs to jump onto their animal host – adult fleas can jump up to 30cm, about 200 times their own size.
Sweet Pea Competition Use your free packet of Sweet peas to enter our new Sweet Pea Competition and win great prizes from MayFord Seeds, Builders Express, Builders Warehouse and The Gardener and Die Tuinier Magazines. See the May issues on sale from 23 April for details.
