
Plant a striking combo. Meet your new favorite autumn ensemble!
February 19, 2025 9:56 amAnchor a charming ‘Jennifer Susan’ in a prime spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, dot a few royal ‘Magic…
Anchor a charming ‘Jennifer Susan’ in a prime spot with morning sun and afternoon shade, dot a few royal ‘Magic…
December is here and it’s time to focus on key gardening tasks for the last month of the year. Sow…
Consistent flowering and easy to grow, is what HibisQs is all about. Summer is synonymous with alluring hibiscus flowers covering…
Following on from our balcony feature, here are designer Karen’s top choices for container plants that can cope with the…
With a few tools, a little reclaimed timber and Woodoc 50, you can make this stunning wall of pots DIY…
There is nothing that lifts the spirits more than planting up window boxes – it’s like creating a miniature garden…
The existence of potted plants as contained gardens must surely stretch deep back into time immemorial. Imagine, if you will,…
What is wrong with my houseplant? This is probably the most common concern in indoor gardening. There are many culprits…
Indoor plants are considered to be part of the décor, so why not make them shine? Here are three ways…
If you really want to know how to make a splash with begonias, visit parks and gardens in summer and…
How to enhance your interior with plants. The choices for indoor plant-scaping are endless – a large potted palm, a…
‘Firecracker’ This vibrant plant, Russelia Equisetiformis, is made up of clusters of scarlet tubular flowers; resembling small firecrackers, that provide…
Help your Roses to Keep their Cool • Hot nights bother the roses more than the heat during the day.…
Gladiolus are known for their tall elegance in a garden bed, and as Australian TV personality Dame Edna Everage’s favourite…
Combining the varied colours leaves and textures of these dramatic foliage plants in a pot is not only a good…
To celebrate spring and inspire you to play with colour, Tanya and I spent a happy, flower-filled afternoon in her…
July is a great time to plant up pots and containers for a spring pot display of the highest order.…
A pretty, flowering everlasting, and a collection of bright succulents, were the inspiration for this colourful pot. I wanted to…
Plant lovely containers to match specific water zone needs. Responsible gardening hinges on good water management to get the best out…
Rhododendrons, or Azaleas as they are referred to here in South Africa, are amongst the most beautiful of all flowering…
Container Plants Instant gardening with pretty plants and a variety of containers immediately raises the spirits, and this month garden…
Autumn and winter are the best seasons to use pansies to add happy colour to garden beds and pots. These…
The colours of this design were inspired by those of the desert rose – take a close look at one…
Growing Peanuts in Containers Peanuts are a good novelty plant to grow as they sprout and grow very quickly. They…
The natural habitat of the beautiful forest lily (Veltheimia bracteata) is the forests and coastal thickets of the Eastern Cape.…
Tweedia Caerulea (also known as Amblyopetalum or Oxypetalum Caeruleum). This is an untidy, rambling, scrambling little sub-shrub from Uruguay that…
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Sansevieria trifasciata is a tough, hardy and enduring succulent from Africa is making a strong fashion statement in…
Sedum spectabile is a rewarding, easy-to-grow herbaceous perennial with succulent foliage, which originates from China and Korea. Commonly known as…
Common Houseleek, Hen and Chickens, St Patrick’s Cabbage A low, mat forming succulent comprising many rosettes of attractive grey-green leaves…
Wild Cineraria Senecio is a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family, which is the second largest family of flowering plants…
Blushing Bride, Pride of Franschhoek First recorded in 1773, the Serruria Florida, a well-known plant belonging to the Proteaceae family,…
In the days when we quickly had to order a few flowering shrubs to fill the instant colour aisles of…
Cape Primrose This little, indigenous forest plant, Streptocarpus, was first discovered in Knysna in the 1800s and also occurs naturally in…
Sunflowers There’s nothing more breathtaking than a field of golden Sunflowers holding up their heads to the sun. These regal…
The decorative leaves of indigenous aquatics, like the Nymphaea Nouchali, and the showy blooms in season always command attention. They…
Fairy Water Lily The decorative leaves of indigenous aquatics, like the Fairy Water Lily, and the showy blooms in season…
Virginia Stock, French Forget-me-Not As gardeners, we are always in search of fragrance so it’s a mystery why the sweetly-scented Virginian…
Gazanias are the dream plant for low maintenance gardens. Their vivid, cheerful blooms guarantee a sunburst of colour and the…
Mother of Pearl plant or Ghost plant The Ghost Plant is a low growing, clump forming succulent comprised of rosettes…
The ‘Kumquat’ Tree The ‘Kumquat’ is a most useful and versatile plant that bears attractive fruit. It’s neat, compact growth…
Indian Laurel or Curtain Fig The medium-sized, leathery, lush green leaves of the Ficus Microcarpa plant create the perfect head…
African Milk Tree, High Chaparall, Cathedral Cactus Euphorbia Trigona – a tall, slender and erect succulent from Namibia. The dark…
Harebells, Fairy Bells Dieramas are members of the iris family, Iridaceae, and are noted for their graceful, arching sprays of…
Croton Croton are one of the well-known sub-tropical foliage shrubs regularly purchased by up country holiday makers whilst on vacation…
Sabie Lily Crinums are members of the family Amaryllidaceae and have a very wide distribution in the tropics of Asia,…
Traveller’s Joy The Clematis Brachiata is a joy to gardeners as well, it bears masses of creamy white, fragrant flowers…
African Daisy, Gousblom, Silver Arctotis, Kusgousblom Arctotis is a fairly large genus of about sixty species within the daisy family…
Galpinii, Bowkerii, Tomentosa and Petersiana Pride of de Kaap The Bauhinia belongs to one of the world’s largest plant families,…
Foxtail or Cat’s tail Asparagus Densiflorus ‘Myersii‘ (Foxtail or Cat’s tail), which has remained popular for decades. A cultivar of…
Cape Pond Weed The decorative leaves of indigenous aquatics and the showy blooms in season always command attention. Cape Pond…
Consol’s Solar Jars are ideal little containers for plants and they make great table decorations or gifts for the festive…
Concrete basket DIY What you will Need for Your Concrete Basket • Plastic bowl• 3 lengths ½ inch (12 mm)…
This beautiful flowering plant with daisy flowers in a spectacular range of bright colours is still affectionately called cinerarias by…
Red Eye Verbena, Verbena This new Verbena, the Verbena ‘Quartz Pink Xp’, is bright and showy, excelling in the heat and dryness…
Urns carved out of stone and earthenware amphorae were used by the Greeks and Romans as drinking pitchers and to…
Syzygium Paniculatum is a well-known garden shrub with a multitude of uses. It is evergreen, has dense foliage, and grows rapidly…
When one browses through magazines and gardening books, especially those from the UK, the pictures of Clematis are always inspiring.…
Strelitzias… Mother Nature’s incredible sculptures! From autumn to spring, when beautiful boat-shaped spathes crested by bright orange sepals and deep-blue…
Coppertone Stonecrop Sedum Nussbaumerianum is an exotic species from Mexico, with unusual, copper-coloured rosettes on slender spreading stems. It is…
One Australian perennial that contributes a new hybrid almost yearly is Scaevola Aemula, and sometimes the new release differs only…
Our colleague, Gerald Schofield, once described the hybrids of Scabiosa as ‘totally loveable’ plants. Most gardeners agree with his description of this…
Roses don’t need to be re-potted that frequently because they have the ability to regenerate themselves. In winter the many…
Ferns are easy to transplant and benefit from regular repotting into slightly larger containers. They can either be planted singly…
The last couple of decades have seen many hundreds of thousands of these leafy Philodendrons absorbed into gardens around the…
‘Marvel Beauty’ – ‘Blueberry’ and ‘Raspberry’ The Marvel Beauty – Blueberry and Rasberry – are exciting varieties with unique flower…
One can fill pots and barrels with bush and king pelargoniums, and fill hanging baskets and window boxes with ivy-leaved…
Peony ‘Shirley Temple’ If you live in a very cold area, pretty peonies will brighten your day. Once you have them…
Osteospermum are very popular late winter and early spring bedding plants, commonly known as Cape Daisies. Many daisy-like plants have…
In today’s stressful world, moonlight gardens might just be the antidote we’re all searching for, so spend this month planning…
Starry Wild Jasmine Type: Evergreen Jasminum shrub up to 3m. Form: Creeping or bushy (train long shoots can be trained…
Hostas have always been useful perennials for shade gardens, especially very cold gardens. This is perhaps why, over the years,…
Falling in love three or more times a day (and not getting into trouble) is a distinct possibility when you…
The exceptional beauty and diversity of their floral form make Ericas irresistible to gardeners; these three species are well suited…
Fuchsia Shadowdancer “Marcia”, “Peggy” The Fuchsia Shadowdancer range is sold under the Proven Winner label. This guarantees that these early flowering…
Blue Freylinia, Waterberg Bell-Bush, Blue Splash, Blue Honey-Bell Freylinia Tropica with its delicate foliage and light mauve to pretty blue…
Dwarf Morning Glory Delicate, petite blue flowers cover these grey-foliage plants for months on end. Evolvulus, heat and drought-tolerant, these…
Poinsettia Euphorbia Pulcherrima is a deciduous large shrub or small tree that has rich green leaves with dentate (toothed) margins.…
Japanese Euonymus, Dwarf Japanese Spindle, ‘Gold Dust’, ‘Aureus’ Euonymus Japonicus ‘Microphyllus’ is a rounded, very compact shrub with small, glossy…
Pineapple Lily The mountainous area around Dullstroom in Mpumalanga has yielded a very unusual dwarf Eucomis. The Eucomis Vandermerwii grows…
Flamenco Samba The Flamenco Samba is a lovely compact shrub of around 40 x 60cm and flowers prolifically, bearing cherry…
Pig’s Ear, Elk’s Horn, or Round-Leafed Navel-Wort Succulent plants are still extremely popular in the garden fashion stakes, especially during periods…
In the olden days, when we were young rookies, the common Cordyline Australis would be the first plant we would…
There are a number of tough waterwise characters that thrive in containers and love being out in the midday sun.…
Bronze Form, Bronze New Zealand Hair Sedge, Bronze Perfection There are many varieties to choose from in the genus Carex. Some are stately ornamental grasses…
Japonica, Common Camellia or Japanese Camellia, Sasanqua, Camellia Japonica has dark green, lustrous, leathery leaves and its size varies according to…
‘Gold Crest’, ‘Golden Monterey Cypress’, ‘Swane’s Gold’, ‘Pencil Pine’ Golden Monterey Cypress Conifers truly come into their own in winter.…
Bacopa, Indigenous Phlox, Sutera or James Brittennia. Whatever the name, the Bacopa, an ankle-high ground cover, with tits graceful flowers…
Crazy Daisy, Bush Daisy, Marguerite Daisy, Starlight Red, Summersong White For quick colour, few plants beat the old-fashioned daisy bush,…
‘Angelface’, ‘Summer Snapdragon’ & ‘Serena Lavender’ Looking at the sweet hybrids of Angelonia Angustifolia, it is hard to believe that…