Publications
Partners
It will not only feel good to get outdoors, but some groundwork now will go a long way to brightening your garden for when spring and summer arrive.
For a burst of colour in late winter and spring
Plant and sow:
- Plant pansy and viola seedlings now in well composted beds – the rewards are a welcome splash of colour to warm up the winter blues.
- Sow the following seeds for colour in summer: alyssum, linaria, Shirley poppies, impatiens, vygies and calendulas.
- Winter veggies ready for planting are cabbages, leeks, peas, turnips, carrots, radishes, beans, broccoli, Swiss chard and Asian greens.
- There’s still time to plant lilium bulbs. Get them into the ground before the end of July.
Feed:
- Feed all flowering plants with 3:1:5 to boost flower production.
- Water camellias and azaleas and deutzia regularly to prevent bud drop. Also remember to keep the soil around these plants well mulched.
- Feed spring and summer flowering bulbs with bulb food once every two weeks.
- Fertilise hydrangeas with an application of 3:1:5 and compost.
Prune:
- It’s time to prune your roses. Aim to get your pruning done between the last two weeks of July and the first week of August. Follow link to watch a step by step guide to pruning your roses:
- Prune and shape deciduous fruit trees like peaches, apples, pears and apricots. Spray with lime sulphur a few days later.
- Summer and autumn flowering climbers and shrubs like cassia, clematis, golden shower, barleria, ribbon bush, wild dagga and westringia also need pruning now
Cold customers:
Based on the near freezing winter temperatures we have been experiencing in the Western Cape recently, it makes sense to consider adding a few winter stalwarts to your garden.
Plants that cope well with cold temperatures and will soon form the backbone of your winter garden include:
- Deciduous trees such as oaks, maples, birches and plane. As an added bonus, they offer lush, new spring growth and gloriously rich foliage colours in autumn.
- Conifers cope well in the cold and many varieties turn a wonderfully warm bronze or orange colour during the winter months. They grow best in full sun in an area where there is good air circulation.
- Hardy evergreen shrubs which look good all year round include nandina, viburnum, camellias, hollies and
- Roses cope surprisingly well in cold weather. Remember to prune them this month so that you are rewarded with a wonderful flush of blooms in October.
Indigenous plants that cope in winter are river stars, sagewood, mountain sage, white stinkwood and the euryops species.
Invest in a blossoming tree now. They love cold weather and in spring you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful display. Try flowering peach, plum, quince, cherry or crab apple.
Meet the indigenous plant that’s an eco-warrior:
Portulacaria afra (commonly known as spekboom or elephant’s food) is a hassle-free indigenous shrub with a host of wonderful features.
As one of its common names indicates, it is particularly favoured by elephants and is found extensively in the Addo Elephant Park, where elephants feast on it to their heart’s content.
Scientists have recently discovered that the spekboom is particularly good at mopping up the excess carbon in our atmosphere that contributes to climate change.
Most plants help to absorb excess carbon but the spekboom is extra efficient at this task. A single strand of spekboom can absorb as much carbon as an entire forest of other deciduous trees.
Besides its environmental credentials, spekboom is also an incredibly attractive shrub with small round green leaves and red stems. It produces star-shaped pink flowers from late winter until spring.
The nectar of the flowers attracts many insects to the garden, which, in turn, attract insectivorous birds.
It is an incredibly versatile garden plant which can be planted in rockeries, on slopes, in garden beds, or even trimmed into bonsai form. No South African garden should be without this wonderful plant!
Indoor colour - Perfectly pretty primulas:
Primulas are excellent indoor potted plants for winter or spring blooms. They are commonly known as English primrose or common primrose and are the ideal way to add a bit of brightness and cheer to any living area.
Available in a variety of bright colours in single and double blooms, they are inexpensive, easy to grow and long flowering. The flowers grow in tight bunches and are ideal for any potted container.
Primulas needs plenty of light, but not direct sunlight and moderate to cool temperatures. Water regularly, as the plant prefers soil that is consistently moist, but not soggy. Fertilise with a liquid fertiliser during growth and flowering season.
Primroses are sturdy plants that seldom have any insect or disease problems, but it is always advisable to look out for them.
Last words...
“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.” – Hanna Rion
For more information, Like Stodels on Facebook or visit their website.
Follow Women24 on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
For a burst of colour in late winter and spring
Plant and sow:
- Plant pansy and viola seedlings now in well composted beds – the rewards are a welcome splash of colour to warm up the winter blues.
- Sow the following seeds for colour in summer: alyssum, linaria, Shirley poppies, impatiens, vygies and calendulas.
- Winter veggies ready for planting are cabbages, leeks, peas, turnips, carrots, radishes, beans, broccoli, Swiss chard and Asian greens.
- There’s still time to plant lilium bulbs. Get them into the ground before the end of July.
Feed:
- Feed all flowering plants with 3:1:5 to boost flower production.
- Water camellias and azaleas and deutzia regularly to prevent bud drop. Also remember to keep the soil around these plants well mulched.
- Feed spring and summer flowering bulbs with bulb food once every two weeks.
- Fertilise hydrangeas with an application of 3:1:5 and compost.
Prune:
- It’s time to prune your roses. Aim to get your pruning done between the last two weeks of July and the first week of August. Follow link to watch a step by step guide to pruning your roses:
- Prune and shape deciduous fruit trees like peaches, apples, pears and apricots. Spray with lime sulphur a few days later.
- Summer and autumn flowering climbers and shrubs like cassia, clematis, golden shower, barleria, ribbon bush, wild dagga and westringia also need pruning now
Cold customers:
Based on the near freezing winter temperatures we have been experiencing in the Western Cape recently, it makes sense to consider adding a few winter stalwarts to your garden.
Plants that cope well with cold temperatures and will soon form the backbone of your winter garden include:
- Deciduous trees such as oaks, maples, birches and plane. As an added bonus, they offer lush, new spring growth and gloriously rich foliage colours in autumn.
- Conifers cope well in the cold and many varieties turn a wonderfully warm bronze or orange colour during the winter months. They grow best in full sun in an area where there is good air circulation.
- Hardy evergreen shrubs which look good all year round include nandina, viburnum, camellias, hollies and
- Roses cope surprisingly well in cold weather. Remember to prune them this month so that you are rewarded with a wonderful flush of blooms in October.
Indigenous plants that cope in winter are river stars, sagewood, mountain sage, white stinkwood and the euryops species.
Invest in a blossoming tree now. They love cold weather and in spring you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful display. Try flowering peach, plum, quince, cherry or crab apple.
Meet the indigenous plant that’s an eco-warrior:
Portulacaria afra (commonly known as spekboom or elephant’s food) is a hassle-free indigenous shrub with a host of wonderful features.
As one of its common names indicates, it is particularly favoured by elephants and is found extensively in the Addo Elephant Park, where elephants feast on it to their heart’s content.
Scientists have recently discovered that the spekboom is particularly good at mopping up the excess carbon in our atmosphere that contributes to climate change.
Most plants help to absorb excess carbon but the spekboom is extra efficient at this task. A single strand of spekboom can absorb as much carbon as an entire forest of other deciduous trees.
Besides its environmental credentials, spekboom is also an incredibly attractive shrub with small round green leaves and red stems. It produces star-shaped pink flowers from late winter until spring.
The nectar of the flowers attracts many insects to the garden, which, in turn, attract insectivorous birds.
It is an incredibly versatile garden plant which can be planted in rockeries, on slopes, in garden beds, or even trimmed into bonsai form. No South African garden should be without this wonderful plant!
Indoor colour - Perfectly pretty primulas:
Primulas are excellent indoor potted plants for winter or spring blooms. They are commonly known as English primrose or common primrose and are the ideal way to add a bit of brightness and cheer to any living area.
Available in a variety of bright colours in single and double blooms, they are inexpensive, easy to grow and long flowering. The flowers grow in tight bunches and are ideal for any potted container.
Primulas needs plenty of light, but not direct sunlight and moderate to cool temperatures. Water regularly, as the plant prefers soil that is consistently moist, but not soggy. Fertilise with a liquid fertiliser during growth and flowering season.
Primroses are sturdy plants that seldom have any insect or disease problems, but it is always advisable to look out for them.
Last words...
“The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.” – Hanna Rion
For more information, Like Stodels on Facebook or visit their website.
Follow Women24 on Twitter or like us on Facebook.
