Spring garden inspiration to brighten your season
July 2, 2026 3:29 pmAugust is National Women’s Month in South Africa, and what better way to celebrate than with flowers that bring beauty, fragrance and…
Dutch Irises
April 30, 2025 11:38 amDutch irises have been and still are an inspiration for artists and painters around the world. There are around 260…
Dionaea Venus Flytrap
February 17, 2024 7:43 amIn this final in the series, we discover the fascinating world of Dionaea Venus flytrap. Let’s find find out more…
Summer Colour In A Pot
January 30, 2024 2:15 pmLet’s take a look at this beautiful ‘summer colour in a pot’! The plants in this group all love the…
Drosera Sundews
October 5, 2023 2:21 pmSpeculation on the history of carnivorous plants still exists, but with little fossilised evidence. With advanced molecular science technology, researchers…
Dyckias
October 27, 2022 3:30 pmNot without gloves! Dyckias are technically not succulents, but bromeliads hailing from Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. They produce…
3 Flower Bombs
August 11, 2022 10:00 amAugust or early spring is the best time to flower bomb your garden and patio with three homegrown flowers! Cape…
How To Overwinter Dahlias
May 12, 2022 11:07 amRead in Afrikaans If you want to see those fat pom-pom dahlia blooms the size of a soup plate in…
5 Purposeful Groundcovers
January 21, 2022 2:09 pmRead in Afrikaans Indigenous groundcovers are cheap, functional, and tough as old garden boots. Plant these in your pretty spaces…
Indigenous Spring Beauty Nemesias
September 14, 2021 10:37 amSpring flowers the world over have a softness and beauty that captures the spirit of the season itself. Our indigenous…
Daffodils for Your Spring Garden
April 22, 2021 12:00 pmAll your fundamental questions answered! Daffodils (Narcissus) are synonymous with spring, joy and (luckily for gardeners) hardiness. These beautiful bulbs…
Border Charmers
December 17, 2020 4:40 pmEdging Plants to Complement Good edging plants that either calmly complement or create a bright colour contrast are just what…
How to Create a Topiary
December 17, 2020 4:03 pmReady-made topiaries are much admired but fairly expensive. Luckily it is not too difficult to create your own topiary at…
Dianthus
April 2, 2020 2:47 pmDianthus needs to be added to the list of garden toughies that are water-wise, don’t mind neglect and outlast most…
Save space (and your back) with a raised planter
September 19, 2019 11:41 amWell made the most of the large capacity of the Elho Grow Table by packing in a diverse selection of…
Three small indigenous trees
December 18, 2018 12:43 pmLees in Afrikaans Gardens around the globe are shrinking in size, necessitating the planting of smaller trees and shrubs to…
Searsia crenata
January 11, 2018 1:11 pmDune Crowberry The Searsia Crenata is a spreading and stocky coastal plant with a rounded shape. It survives against all…
Senecio elegans
January 11, 2018 1:02 pmWild Cineraria Senecio is a member of the Asteraceae (daisy) family, which is the second largest family of flowering plants…
Monstera deliciosa
January 8, 2018 10:45 amSwiss Cheese Plant, Delicious Monster These are completely at home in a retro-style décor setting, the Delicious Monster is a…
Leucanthemum – Shasta Daisies
January 8, 2018 8:47 amThe Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum) is every gardener’s favourite summer perennial, because it flowers non-stop and never gives its…
Felicia amelloides
December 19, 2017 10:22 amKingfisher Daisy This is a little gem from our local shores. Felicia plants grow into sprawling or cascading sub-shrubs up…
Dichroa versicolor
December 18, 2017 1:09 pmEvergreen Hydrangea Dichroa Versicolor – the ‘Evergreen Hydrangea’ – is a close relative of the Hydrangea and originates from China,…
Duvernoia adhatodoides
December 18, 2017 1:04 pmPistol Bush Duvernoia adhatodoides grows easily and is ideal for shady, moist spots. It has large dark green leaves and…
Dissotis canescens
December 18, 2017 1:00 pmThe cosmopolitan family Melastomataceae is a very large group of more than 3 000 species of perennials, climbers, shrubs and…
Digitalis purpurea
December 18, 2017 12:54 pmFoxglove Described as a biennial or short-lived perennial, the common Foxglove is always assured of making a stately feature in…
Dieramas
December 18, 2017 12:47 pmHarebells, Fairy Bells Dieramas are members of the iris family, Iridaceae, and are noted for their graceful, arching sprays of…
Diascia barberae
December 18, 2017 12:40 pmTwinspur The Diascia Barberae is a dainty little perennial plant originating from the Drakensberg mountain range. It produces numerous upright…
Dianella tasmanica
December 18, 2017 12:38 pmTasman Flax Lily Dianella Tasmanica, commonly known as the Tasman Flax Lily is a grass-like, evergreen perennial that provides a…
Dasylirion wheeleri
December 18, 2017 12:35 pmDesert Spoon The Desert Spoon has a thick, short trunk. The leaves are a cool, grey colour with spiky, dry,…
Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata’
December 18, 2017 12:33 pmWinter Daphne Daphne Odora Aureomarginata has a delicious and unique fragrance that, once experienced, will never be forgotten. This is…
Dichorisandra thyrsiflora
December 18, 2017 12:30 pmBlue Ginger Gardeners have always enjoyed and admired plants with blue flowers, possibly because of the apparent scarcity of blue,…
Duranta
December 18, 2017 12:14 pmThe genus Duranta includes a number of tree and shrub species that originate in the tropical Americas and include many…
Calandiva
December 15, 2017 12:04 pmDouble Kalanchoe Calandiva plants are ideal ‘no-brainers’, pleasing the intrepid indoor gardener with long-lasting displays of hundreds of double-petalled, brightly-coloured flowers…
Abelia x grandiflora
December 13, 2017 2:22 pmDwarf Glossy Abelia Formal gardens have been fashionable around the world since the times of early civilisations and still today…
Myrtus communis
November 20, 2017 2:06 pmCompacta, Dwarf Myrtle, Myrtle A well-known healing herb, Myrtus Communis, which is more often referred to simply as ‘Myrtle’, is…
Dymondia margaretae
November 15, 2017 2:03 pmCarpet Daisy, Silver Carpet Dymondia Margaretae, is a mat-forming ground cover with curly, greyish green leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers in…
Cinerarias by any other name
April 19, 2016 11:55 pmThis beautiful flowering plant with daisy flowers in a spectacular range of bright colours is still affectionately called cinerarias by…
Tecoma Capensis
January 18, 2016 6:23 amExpect a lively concert from the garden wildlife if, perchance, you end up alongside a Tecoma Capensis, or Cape Honeysuckle…
Syzygium paniculatum
January 15, 2016 11:09 amSyzygium Paniculatum is a well-known garden shrub with a multitude of uses. It is evergreen, has dense foliage, and grows rapidly…
Senecio cineraria ‘Silver Dust’
January 14, 2016 12:11 pmDusty Miller Senecio Cineraria ‘Silver Dust’ (Dusty Miller) is a low-growing sub-shrub that is often treated as an annual. It…
Rhus crenata
January 14, 2016 8:38 amDune Crowberry The Rhus crenata resembles a bamboo with thick clumps with slender side branches and delicate rosettes of foliage…
Rhamnus prinoides
January 14, 2016 8:32 amDogwood or Blinkblaar Rhamnus prinoides are bushy with shiny dark green foliage. Its small greenish, insect-attracting flowers are followed by fleshy…
Portulacaria afra
September 4, 2015 6:38 amElephant Bush, Dwarf Jade Plant, Porkbush and Spekboom The spekboom or porkbush, also known as elephant’s food, olifantskos, soetspekboom, suurspekboom, igwanishe…
Osteospermum
September 1, 2015 12:31 pmOsteospermum are very popular late winter and early spring bedding plants, commonly known as Cape Daisies. Many daisy-like plants have…
Ophiopogon
September 1, 2015 12:17 pmOphiopogon, or Mondo Grasses have thin, curved, ribbon-like leaves and grow in dense tussocks. They are evergreen, exceptionally hardy, produce…
Monanthotaxis caffra
August 31, 2015 8:53 amDwaba Berry, Dwababessie Type: Medium shrub, 2m.Form: Woody scrambler with sparse foliage.Flowers: Insignificant cream flowers, from December to March.Why plant…
Euonymus Japonicus Microphyllus
June 8, 2015 11:03 amJapanese Euonymus, Dwarf Japanese Spindle, ‘Gold Dust’, ‘Aureus’ Euonymus Japonicus ‘Microphyllus’ is a rounded, very compact shrub with small, glossy…
Eucomis vandermerwei
June 8, 2015 10:54 amPineapple Lily The mountainous area around Dullstroom in Mpumalanga has yielded a very unusual dwarf Eucomis. The Eucomis Vandermerwii grows…
Elegia Tectorum
June 1, 2015 10:40 amElegia tectorum is technically not an ‘ornamental grass’ but a reed-like plant, and is part of the indigenous Restionaceae family,…
Dovyalis caffra
June 1, 2015 6:50 amUmkokola, Kei Apples, Kai Apples, or Kau Apples Kei Apples have dense, glossy, oval leaves with a leathery feel –…
Dombeya rotundifolia
May 11, 2015 9:05 amDombeya Rotundifolia, one of the most attractive and reliable of the indigenous trees suitable for suburban gardens, has long been…
Dodonaea angustifolia
May 11, 2015 8:19 amSand Olive A Dodonaea Angustifolia, or Sand Olive, is a large shrub which grows fast and can handle wind and…
Distictis buccinatoria
May 8, 2015 7:59 amThis showy climber, the Mexican Blood Trumpet, from Mexico was planted extensively by local gardeners during the latter half of…
Diospyros whyteana
May 8, 2015 7:57 amBladdernut The Bladdernut is one of those small trees with so many uses in both small and larger gardens. Its…
Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’
May 8, 2015 7:48 amThis plant is a ‘dramatic’ ground cover with a cascading habit. Its thin stems are sparsely clothed in silvery-white, round…
Dazzling dahlias
April 23, 2015 6:58 amFor years, dahlias were unfairly overlooked, but that is changing fast. These striking flowering plants are finding favour again with…
How to grow and care for Day Lilies?
April 23, 2015 6:52 amDay lilies are no longer seen as simple, ordinary garden plants. While they remain popular for being hardy and easy…
Davallia mariesii
April 23, 2015 6:40 amSquirrel’s Foot Fern Prominent, creeping rhizomes on the surface of the soil is a feature of the Squirrel’s Foot Fern. They…
Acorus gramineus
August 22, 2014 9:32 am‘Golden Edge’, ‘Mini-Gold’ & Variegatus Acorus gramineus ‘Golden Edge’ is a grass-like evergreen perennial with delicate, slightly curved foliage that…
Dais cotinifolia
August 21, 2014 6:05 pmThe slender Pompom Tree is the perfect size for a small townhouse garden. It has a rounded crown, blue-green leaves…
Agapanthus africanus ‘Double Diamond’
August 14, 2014 8:00 amAgapanthus Africanus ‘Double Diamond’ was developed in South Africa and suits most of our climates, except the extremely cold areas.…
Abelia x Grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’
August 14, 2014 6:18 amAbelia x Grandiflora ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a dwarf hybrid (70 x 90 cm) with ever-changing foliage. The new growth in spring…
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