Fragrant Summer Flowers
February 27, 2025 10:10 amA garden is not only about sight but also about scent. The best fragrant plants perform their magic in summertime.…
Euphorbia milii – Crown of Thorns
February 26, 2025 3:34 pmFor an unbeatable plant, you have to try the crown of thorns. It is an ornamental plant that is drought-…
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…
Plant a colour explosion! Easy plants for your garden.
January 10, 2025 9:18 amAngelic angel wings and a dwarf morning glory can keep colour all around you from spring to autumn, and will…
Mid-Summer Fillers
December 18, 2024 5:25 pmRead in Afrikaans Turbo-boost your summer garden beds with strikingly colourful and easy-to-grow filler plants. These beauties are perfect when…
Salvias To Love
December 18, 2024 4:26 pmIf you are aiming for flower-filled borders all summer long, aim straight for the salvia displays in your local nursery…
Autumn Perennials
April 18, 2024 12:25 pmApril in Africa means warm and mild weather that many autumn perennials love. Take advantage of this by adding their…
How To Split Up Daylilies
March 21, 2024 1:26 pmWondering how to split up daylilies (Hemerocallis)? We know that clumping perennials start losing their vigour when the clumps become…
Really Resilient Perennials
February 27, 2023 2:41 pmRead in Afrikaans There are many perennials that are pretty but need constant pampering and watering. Then you get these…
Growing Hibiscuses
February 27, 2023 2:07 pmWant to take a selfie with a bright flower sitting behind your ear and another garnishing your cocktail? Then you…
Happy Bean Peperomia
November 25, 2022 10:46 amThe happy bean peperomia or pincushion peperomia (Peperomia ferreyrae) is a weird little perennial epiphyte hailing from South American rainforests,…
Phlox paniculata
November 25, 2022 8:25 amAn old but beautiful classic! Phlox paniculata (garden phlox or autumn phlox) is a typical herbaceous perennial of the high…
The Princess Lavender
August 2, 2022 12:21 pmAn award-winning plant that is fairly new on the market is the vivid pink Princess Lavender. When this plant is…
The Latest On Hydrangeas!
July 8, 2022 9:49 amGone are the days when mophead hydrangeas only flowered for a few short weeks around Christmas. They now stay with…
Poppy Enchantment
June 9, 2022 12:57 pmTime for the four P’s There are four annuals with pretty petals and names starting with the letter ‘P’ that…
Plectranthus – Masters of Shade
May 11, 2022 3:04 pmThere are not many plants that can turn shade into a fairy landscape of dainty flowers in a season when…
Celebrate the Diversity of Perennials
January 11, 2022 9:02 amStart reducing the size of your demanding lawn by filling up more garden space with a variety of flowering perennials…
Cardinal Lobelias
December 1, 2021 2:48 pmWe all know of the lobelias that are neatly mounded for edge planting or trailing for hanging baskets. Those are…
Kangaroo Paws
August 5, 2021 3:30 pmFill up your low-water zones like the gravel garden, rock garden and sunny low maintenance areas with new and very…
Autumn in Bloom – Autumn Flowering
June 3, 2021 11:57 amAutumn is often called the second spring because there are so many garden flowers in bloom at this time. Not…
Three Plant Oddities and How To Grow Them
March 11, 2021 9:01 amThese three plant oddities all have strange looks and habits, and even stranger still, nothing gets them down once they…
Pink Summer Flowers
January 28, 2021 10:54 amSummer gardens are potentially the brightest and showiest of all the seasons. Plant growth is rapid and the results are…
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…
A Leafy Love Affair – Coral Bells
November 24, 2020 10:24 pmFans of foliage will love heucheras, a genus of perennial plants also known as coral bells. These plants were extremely…
Always Agapanthus
April 24, 2020 1:09 pmThe name agapanthus is derived from the Greek words agape which means love and anthos flower. So these truly South…
Echinaceas
April 2, 2020 2:31 pmRugged beauties, daisies on steroids, call them what you will – Echinacea purpurea, otherwise known as the purple coneflower, is…
Grow Fuchsias From Cuttings
October 21, 2019 10:24 amRead in Afrikaans Fuchsias are perfect for hanging baskets and pots, and add bright colour to a summer garden. They…
The Inca Lily
October 15, 2019 12:00 pmOriginating from South America with its home in the Andes mountains, the Inca Lily is a welcomed import to South…
How to repot anthuriums
June 20, 2019 10:44 amWhen is the Best Time to Re-pot Anthuriums? Roots are growing through the drainage holes of the pots. There is…
6 Flowers to Plant Now For a Spectacular Spring
February 18, 2019 8:00 amRead in Afrikaans Many of the most important spring flowers need to be planted out as young seedlings in autumn.…
Lewisia Cotyledon ‘Elise Mix’
January 21, 2019 8:00 amLewisia Cotyledon ‘Elise Mix’ is a strikingly beautiful addition to the range of flowering succulents for low-water gardens and containers,…
Beat the heat
January 15, 2019 11:55 amHelp your Roses to Keep their Cool • Hot nights bother the roses more than the heat during the day.…
Exuberant sun lovers
February 19, 2018 2:07 pmWe picked a large pot and filled it with some exuberant sun lovers to lead you joyfully through the quiet…
Potted Spring
February 16, 2018 11:05 amTo celebrate spring and inspire you to play with colour, Tanya and I spent a happy, flower-filled afternoon in her…
A cheery winter trio
February 16, 2018 10:36 amColourful winter annuals and perennials are not scarce at this time of the year. We went shopping and found lots…
Boxed-in Summer
February 8, 2018 2:45 pmIt’s high summer and the nurseries are filled to the brim with pots and punnets of annuals and perennials in…
Contained to Grow
February 8, 2018 1:37 pmContainer Plants Instant gardening with pretty plants and a variety of containers immediately raises the spirits, and this month garden…
Verbena peruviana
January 15, 2018 8:31 amOriginating from South America, Verbena Peruviana is an evergreen perennial that flowers prolifically from spring to autumn. The masses of…
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…
Sisyrinchium ‘E.K Balls’
January 11, 2018 12:57 pmBlue Eyed Grass The Blue Eyed Grass is a charming little clump-forming perennial comprising of narrow, sword-like leaves growing to…
Marsdenia floribunda
January 11, 2018 12:44 pmMadagascar Jasmine Marsdenia floribunda is a member of the Apocynaceae family and is classified as a vigorous climber with very strong stems. This…
Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea
January 8, 2018 12:24 pmThe decorative leaves of indigenous aquatics, like the Nymphaea Nouchali, and the showy blooms in season always command attention. They…
Nymphoides thunbergiana
January 8, 2018 12:21 pmFairy Water Lily The decorative leaves of indigenous aquatics, like the Fairy Water Lily, and the showy blooms in season…
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…
Iberis sempervirens
December 21, 2017 1:22 pmEvergreen Candytuft or Perennial Candytuft Iberis sempervirens is a charming little plant for cold, frosty gardens. This Perennial Candy Tuft forms low…
Hebenstretia dura
December 20, 2017 11:16 amCat’s Tail Hebenstretia Dura (family: Scrophulariaceae) is found from the Eastern Cape to the Northern Province. It is a hardy…
Helleborus orientalis hybrids
December 20, 2017 10:44 amLenten Rose The Lenten Rose is a perennial that forms clumps of leathery, dark green leaves comprised of 7 to…
Geranium incanum
December 20, 2017 8:32 amCarpet Geraniums True Geraniums or Crane’s Bills – from the Greek word geranos, a crane, owing to its fruit which…
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…
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…
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,…
Carpobrotus edulis
December 15, 2017 11:56 amSour Fig (Suurvy) No garden should be without the Sour Fig, an extremely valuable indigenous medicinal plant which originally occurred…
Arctotis Acaulis and Stoechadifolia
December 15, 2017 9:10 amAfrican Daisy, Gousblom, Silver Arctotis, Kusgousblom Arctotis is a fairly large genus of about sixty species within the daisy family…
Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa
December 14, 2017 11:07 amFrench Tarragon Artemisia Dracunculus, or French tarragon, is a frost-hardy perennial with narrow green leaves. It becomes dormant in winter…
Artemisia Afra
December 14, 2017 10:53 amWild Wormwood, Wildeals Wild Wormwood is a highly aromatic, many-branched and bushy upright perennial shrub. Artemisia Afra can grow up…
Antirrhinum Majus
December 13, 2017 3:04 pmThe ‘Snapdragon’ For gardeners wanting an easy growing winter annual it is worth re-stating all the good qualities of Antirrhinum…
Bellis Perennis
November 15, 2017 11:38 amEnglish Daisy The English Daisy is a dainty little perennial often treated as an annual in the warm African climate…
Tulbaghia violacea
August 31, 2017 12:17 pmSocial Garlic, Wild Garlic The hardy and easy-to-grow Tulbaghia Violacea has always been a very popular indigenous perennial, grown for…
Autumn Gardening
April 19, 2017 11:53 amAUTUMN – a busy time of year for gardening enthusiasts! The crisp morning air and longer nights is a sign…
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…
Veronica spicata ‘Heidekind’
January 18, 2016 8:19 amSpiked Speedwell, Speedwell A charming little plant that asks for very little and yet rewards hugely when flowering season arrives…
The Bearded Iris
January 18, 2016 6:45 amThe Bearded Iris is rated amongst the most beautiful of all the flowering perennials and they have also, over many…
Tanacetum vulgare
January 18, 2016 6:18 amTansy Tanacetum Vulgare is an aromatic perennial that is evergreen and frost tolerant. With its grey-green, finely divided, ferny foliage…
Stipa tenuissima ‘Pony Tails’
January 15, 2016 7:38 amMexican Feather Grass The beautiful Stipa Tenuissima ‘Pony Tails’, which is always waving in the wind, is another favourite with…
Scaevola aemula
January 14, 2016 11:21 amOne Australian perennial that contributes a new hybrid almost yearly is Scaevola Aemula, and sometimes the new release differs only…
Scabiosa
January 14, 2016 10:49 amOur colleague, Gerald Schofield, once described the hybrids of Scabiosa as ‘totally loveable’ plants. Most gardeners agree with his description of this…
Pelargoniums
September 2, 2015 8:08 amOne can fill pots and barrels with bush and king pelargoniums, and fill hanging baskets and window boxes with ivy-leaved…
Mmmm Marshmallows and butter
August 31, 2015 8:47 amMallow Family This month’s subjects all belong to the family Malvaceae; common names for this family include Mallow Family and…
Lobelia x gerardii
August 17, 2015 11:35 amBlue Lobelia The Blue Lobelia that most gardeners know is a tiny edging plant that is unparalleled for its intensity…
Hostas
July 29, 2015 11:08 amHostas have always been useful perennials for shade gardens, especially very cold gardens. This is perhaps why, over the years,…
Gaura Lindheimeri Blushing Butterflies
July 23, 2015 9:41 amButterfly Gaura Gaura Lindheimeri ‘Blushing Butterflies’ produces soft pink flowers and has leaves that are light reddish-green and become brighter…
Garden Flowers for the Vase
July 14, 2015 8:36 amCut flowers for the Home A vase of fresh cut flowers in the home adds both a touch of class…
Gaillardia Galya
July 14, 2015 8:21 amWild Fire Blanket Flower Gaillardia or Blanket Flowers, are perennial daisies. They are valued for their extended flowering season, blooming…
Euryops Pectinatus & Virgineus
June 11, 2015 7:28 amYellow Daisy Bush, Honey Daisy Euryops Pectinatus is an indigenous yellow daisy bush that will give you immense joy with…
Escallonia 'Pink Princess'
June 8, 2015 10:50 amEscallonia ‘Pink Princess’ is a smaller, more compact hybrid that grows to approximately 1 m x 80 cm and is…
Elegia capensis
June 1, 2015 10:37 amElegia is one of many plant species belonging to the family Restionaceae, a group of rush-like plants found largely in…
Down Many Garden Paths
June 1, 2015 6:55 amIn the Garden with Anna Recently, while visiting open gardens and garden shows, and judging gardening competitions, I met up…
Dazzling dahlias
April 23, 2015 6:58 amIsn’t it strange how some flowers just go out of fashion, for no good reason? That’s been the fate of…
Cynara scolymus
April 23, 2015 6:29 amGlobe Artichoke The Globe Artichoke is perhaps more commonly associated with the vegetable garden because the flower buds are usually…
Container Plants that Beat the Heat
March 27, 2015 9:58 amThere are a number of tough waterwise characters that thrive in containers and love being out in the midday sun.…
Coloured Leaves from the Tropics
March 27, 2015 8:30 amIn the tropical climates around the globe, leaves are often as bright and colourful as the flowers. The hot, humid…
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…
Bacopa
August 21, 2014 9:10 amBacopa, Indigenous Phlox, Sutera or James Brittennia. Whatever the name, the Bacopa, an ankle-high ground cover, with tits graceful flowers…
Anigozanthus hybrids
August 18, 2014 6:55 amCat’s Paw or Kangaroo Paw The cat’s paw, a plant of Australian origin, is a perennial that is available in…
Angelonia Angustifolia
August 18, 2014 6:47 am‘Angelface’, ‘Summer Snapdragon’ & ‘Serena Lavender’ Looking at the sweet hybrids of Angelonia Angustifolia, it is hard to believe that…
Anemone x hybrida
August 18, 2014 6:42 amJapanese Anemone Spectacular when in full bloom and forming ever-increasing clumps, the Japanese Anemone is easy-to-grow herbaceous perennials die down…
Alstroemeria
August 14, 2014 12:01 pmInca or Peruvian Lily As its common name implies, the Alstroemeria, or Inca Lily, originates from South America. Alstroemeria is…
Agapanthus praecox subsp. orientalis ‘Blue Velvet’
August 14, 2014 8:21 amBlue Lily, African Lily, or Lily of the Nile Agapanthus, being a plant that is reliable, tough, enduring, very easy…
Agapanthus orientalis ‘Queen Mum’
August 14, 2014 8:16 amQueen Mum Lily of the Nile Agapanthus Orientalis ‘Queen Mum’ is an exceptionally elegant plant with flowers that are blue…
Agapanthus africanus ‘Summer Gold’
August 14, 2014 8:11 amAgapanthus Africanus ‘Summer Gold’ is a slow-growing, variegated hybrid developed in California. It adapts well to local conditions, but can…
Agapanthus africanus ‘Peter Pan’
August 14, 2014 8:07 amDwarf African Lily, Dwarf Lily of the Nile, Dwarf Peter Pan Lily With all the new varieties of agapanthus that…
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.…
Agapanthus ‘White Ice’
August 14, 2014 7:54 amAgapanthus ‘White Ice’ bears large white flowers on short stems. Mature plant size about 40 x 30 cm. During our…
Agapanthus ‘Blue Ice’
August 14, 2014 7:49 amAgapanthus ‘Blue Ice’ has unique flowers that are blue at the bases, while the rest of each petal is almost…
Agapanthus ‘Black Pantha’
August 14, 2014 7:41 amAgapanthus Black Pantha bears closed buds that are almost black, opening to violet blue. The flowers are fantastic as cut…
Agapanthus ‘Amethyst’
August 14, 2014 7:34 amAgapanthus ‘Amethyst’ has soft, lilac coloured flowers with a darker, amethyst-coloured stripe running down the centre of each petal. The…
Acanthus mollis
August 14, 2014 6:55 amBear’s Breeches Bear’s Breeches comes from Southern Europe and is considered one of the earliest cultivated garden plants. It has…
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