Beautiful but invasive! Garden pond plants to avoid
April 14, 2026 1:09 pmAcross the country, gardeners are reimagining their outdoor spaces with tranquil ponds, lush wetland corners and water-wise sanctuaries that support…
How to save water at home
March 2, 2026 9:42 amOn 22 March, World Water Day is observed to highlight the crucial role water plays in our lives. The global focus includes raising…
Wetlands in South Africa: Why They Matter?
January 13, 2026 11:45 amWe are often told to save our wetlands, but we don’t really know why they are important. These are some key points to consider, along with the reasons…
Saving water around the pool and garden
November 18, 2025 9:39 amSummer is the time when swimming pools are used the most, and there are many ways to minimise water loss.…
Top water-saving hacks to reduce your water bill
November 17, 2025 10:46 amUsing some simple tips to reduce your water consumption will ultimately lower the cost of your water bill. If you…
Go easy on water!
September 2, 2025 1:40 pmSpring and summer rains can hopefully be expected soon. But one cannot live on hope alone. You have to pull…
Best Grey Foliage Plants
July 30, 2025 2:05 pmPlants with grey foliage are bound to look ethereal and striking in any garden. The colour grey is broadly defined…
How To Sow Bokbaaivygies
June 2, 2025 4:33 pmRead in Afrikaans There is no more cheerful sight than a patch of one of our most famous wildflowers, the…
Managing Your Garden The Water Wise Way
August 19, 2024 12:53 pmDespite being the 30th driest nation in the world, most of our gardens are not planned with water conservation in…
Reuse Greywater For Water Conservation
June 24, 2024 11:26 amWater scarcity is becoming a worldwide issue rather than a remote concern. This is exacerbated by continuous strain on the…
Reasons to harvest rainwater
May 19, 2024 3:06 pmPeople often choose to harvest rainwater for economic and environmental reasons, but there are other reasons too. Let’s take a…
A Guide to Sustainable Lawn Watering
May 17, 2024 10:48 amAs we approach the winter season, gardeners are gearing up for the unique challenges and opportunities that the colder weather…
Compact Aloes For Confined Spaces
April 26, 2024 1:47 pmDuring the course of the last two or three decades aloes have become popular garden plants for a number of…
Climate Resilient Gardens
March 18, 2024 2:09 pmGreener Innovations for the Future Rand Water’s support for homeowners and communities in becoming responsible water consumers is ongoing. This…
Transform Your Landscapes With Rain Gardens
February 8, 2024 11:18 amSouth Africa’s diverse landscapes are both a blessing and a challenge when it comes to managing water resources. With periods…
Navigating Water Conservation
February 8, 2024 9:07 amA South African case study – Navigating water conservation in your garden during the looming El Niño As the sun…
Maintaining Kikuyu the Water Wise Way
October 16, 2023 9:29 amLawn and other turf grasses are often seen as highwater users, especially in the spring and summer seasons before the…
Succulents: Water Warrior Heroes
October 10, 2023 10:54 amRead in Afrikaans Nature has provided plants with a number of adaptations to save water. Choose succulents and plants with…
Sustainable Solutions: Reuse Water
September 13, 2023 12:50 pmRead in Afrikaans Whenever you use water, try to make sure you don’t just use it once. Here are some…
Grow Green, Save Blue
August 29, 2023 10:01 amIn a time where the environment is increasingly under threat, it is critical that we rethink and reshape our relationship…
Spring Into Action As A Water Warrior
August 8, 2023 3:14 pmYou don’t have to use litres of water to make your garden beautiful. Here are some smart techniques for responsible…
Urban Wetland Management In A South African Context
June 29, 2023 9:44 amUrban wetlands are defined as wetlands that occur in and around urbanised areas and these wetlands can either be natural…
Managing Stormwater Run-off for Landscapes
April 21, 2023 3:55 pmStormwater can be described as any accumulation of water from natural precipitation, including groundwater and spring water, that is transported…
How To Stretch Water
April 21, 2023 3:40 pmAs far as water management and keeping plants alive go, a gardener has two main concerns. One is to save…
The Beauty Of Soil
March 1, 2023 10:20 amAlways be water wise! Soil is one of the most important resources on earth. Healthy soil is a living ecosystem…
Saving Water in your Garden
January 23, 2023 10:35 amWater is the driving forceMaintaining a beautiful garden needs water. It is, however, a scarce and increasingly expensive source that…
The Importance Of Creating A Bird-Friendly Water Wise Garden
September 6, 2022 3:35 pmBirds play an important role in our gardens as many plants rely on them for effective pollination and seed dispersal.…
Mini Aloe Guide
August 3, 2022 2:47 pmThe size is diminutive, but the appeal is ginormous! If you are amped to start a collection of succulent plants…
Veggie Gardens, Roofs and Social Upliftment
July 15, 2022 11:05 amProducing fresh, organic and healthy food does not need to be limited by a lack of space. While a lack…
Hydrozone Definitions
May 3, 2022 10:10 amPeople have begun to understand that landscapes can be sustainable and still maintain their aesthetic appeal and function, by hydrozoning.…
Zone your landscape!
March 7, 2022 3:11 pmDividing your garden into high/medium/low/very low water-use areas is responsible and efficient. A hydrozone in a landscape refers to a…
Water Use In Ornamental Landscapes and Gardens
November 3, 2021 9:12 amOrnamental landscapes comprise a variety of aspects, such as design, aesthetics and functionality, and attempting to balance these features in…
The Best Plants for Retaining Walls
January 21, 2021 1:16 pmRetaining walls present unique challenges to the gardener. This is how you overcome them. Dull retaining walls The pre-cast, interlocking…
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…
Growing Echeverias
August 14, 2020 8:00 amA word of warning to the gardener who is developing a liking for echeverias. If you start collecting them you’re…
Game changer garden!
July 12, 2020 4:17 pmIf the design brief for a typical, very modern South African garden dictates the use of a limited and tough…
10 top ideas for water conservation
July 3, 2020 9:24 amIn the house: Where to start: Click here to calculate your current water use. Draw up a plan: Take a…
Sedums
January 21, 2020 11:42 amRead in Afrikaans If we had to rate a stone and a stonecrop plant comparatively for low care characteristics, the…
Callistemon
December 2, 2019 11:52 amA beginner gardener who cannot decide which flowering shrub to buy, won’t regret choosing one of the Callistemon (Bottlebrush) hybrids.…
Gazanias Galore!
November 26, 2019 11:23 amWant to add colour to your succulent garden? Don’t know what to plant in your sandy soil? Looking for a…
Silver-Foliaged Plants
July 23, 2019 10:30 amSilver-foliaged plants are mainly planted because of their functionality – they are mostly heat and drought tolerant due to hairy…
How the whole family can save water
July 23, 2019 8:15 amWe need water to survive, and that’s why it’s so important to save this precious resource. If you have children,…
3 Colourful Kalanchoes
June 24, 2019 8:24 amKalanchoe Blossfeldiana Kalanchoe Blossfeldiana (Kalanchoes), less commonly known as the Widow’s Thrill, is often described as a flamboyant and colourful…
Crassulas For Your Water-Wise Garden
May 20, 2019 1:28 pmThe many different crassulas can confuse us no end (and probably some of the taxonomists too!). They seem to change…
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.…
Do You Have Stressed Plants?
September 21, 2018 8:36 amUnderstanding the Signs & Symptoms of Stressed Plants by Jenny Slabber A crying new-born baby is bewildering to inexperienced parents,…
Aloe ‘Peri-Peri’
May 23, 2018 10:53 amWe all love aloes, those hard-to-kill, structural beauties that are such a striking part of our natural landscape and this…
Potting by Water Zone
February 14, 2018 12:30 pmPlant lovely containers to match specific water zone needs. Responsible gardening hinges on good water management to get the best out…
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…
3 Ways to be Water Wise
January 22, 2018 9:11 am1. Build the Humus Content of your Soil to Stay Water Wise. Humus is the dark organic stuff that forms…
Ways To Save Water In The Garden
January 18, 2018 12:47 pmIn our semi-arid country every drop of water counts, and not just in times of drought. There are so many…
Trachelospermum jasminoides
January 12, 2018 2:41 pmConfederate Jasmine, Star Jasmine Trachelospermum Jasminoides is an exceptional cultivar that is not grown for its flowers but rather for…
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…
Photinia x fraseri
January 8, 2018 1:52 pmPhotinia x fraseri is guaranteed to bring a blast of colour to hedges. The foliage is the main feature on this…
Oscularia deltoids
January 8, 2018 12:42 pmSandsteenvygie The Sandsteenvygie is a ground cover that will stand up to the hottest days of our summer and still…
Limonium perezii
January 8, 2018 8:42 amSea Lavender or Statice A member of the Plumbago family (Plumbaginaceae), there are over 600 species of Limonium from around…
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…
Euphorbia tirucalli
December 19, 2017 9:13 amSticks of Fire In nature Euphorbia Tirucalli often forms almost indestructible thickets which made it a popular hedge plant around…
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…
Save water with green cubes
November 15, 2017 1:38 pmDo you want to conserve water and grow healthy plants? BERA® Urbanscape Green Cubes are your solution. This non-toxic and…
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…
How healthy soil can help you save water
May 5, 2017 12:47 pmHealthy Soil holds Water for Longer Periods, Allowing less Frequent Watering! Healthy soil has greatly been effected by water restrictions…
Leucosidea sericea
April 4, 2017 11:37 amOldwood, Ouhout Leucosidea Sericea (Oldwood, Ouhout) is a very cold-hardy, evergreen small tree that can tolerate lots of water but…
Hydro-zone: Is your Garden Zoned?
March 1, 2017 12:26 pmA Water-wise Garden should have Plants with Similar Water Requirements Grouped Together. This type of grouping is called a hydro-zone.…
Water saving
January 18, 2016 8:38 amWe all know that our fresh water resources are under threat and by saving water at home, we can not…
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…
Strelitzias – Birds of Paradise
January 15, 2016 7:51 amRead in Afrikaans From autumn to spring we know we do live in paradise. This is when the beautiful flowers…
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…
Rose Strategies – Be water wise
January 14, 2016 9:39 amMany gardeners wishing to include roses in their borders might be concerned about whether they are appropriate for a water…
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…
Kalanchoes
July 31, 2015 7:48 amKalanchoes are a succulent group of plants that are tough, heat resistant and low maintenance. Most suitable climate for Kalanchoes…
Erythrina lysistemon
June 8, 2015 10:30 amCommon Coral Tree, Lucky Bean Tree Erythrina Lysistemon, the Common Coral Tree, is deciduous, but it has the delightful habit of…
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.…
Coleonema Species
March 26, 2015 12:57 pmThere are two species of Coleonema that feature prominently in most South African gardens. Coleonema Pulchellum, or the white confetti…
Bolusanthus Speciosus
August 21, 2014 9:38 amTree Wisteria The Tree Wisteria is a truly elegant deciduous tree with a neat, elongated silhouette in the landscape. It…
Agave victoriae-reginae
August 14, 2014 9:32 amQueen Victoria agave, royal agave Agave victoriae-reginae is a very long lived, exceptionally slow-growing succulent with short, triangular leaves that are about…
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.…
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