The Gardener Magazine

You will have often heard the saying that ‘the only constant is change’. Oh my goodness, how apt this saying is now! Our lives have changed, we have changed, the people around us have changed, and our relationships have changed. Our most intimate env

If you are an avid gardener and spend time in any good fertilizer department, you will have noticed a ‘new’ brand on the shelves: Kynoch. But Kynoch is actually anything but new, having been around for over 100 years! The Kynoch story started in the

Every year we look at what we can do to start the year off with a bang. This year the simple idea of ‘Change’ gave rise to several thoughts on what this means today and how we can embrace it. When you look at the trends in gardening coming through in

Those familiar with the architecture of Antoni Gaudi* will first be amazed by the organic design of this Plettenberg Bay house, and then by the fantastic, award-winning garden that surrounds it, blending the two together to create one inspiring homes

Anyone who has ever been to buy plants from a nursery knows that gardening isn’t cheap. Plus, there is no guarantee that the 2m-high magnolia in full flower that you just had to have and took out an extra bond for will actually survive in your garden

Makhro Home and Garden has introduced Aquafix, a polymer planting gel that absorbs up to 300 times its weight in water and acts as a reservoir in the soil. Along with water, it also absorbs water-soluble nutrients and fertilisers and then slowly rele

Technology, innovation, products and just thinking differently can help us to reduce our water usage. We are already choosing species with a better drought tolerant factor, like those with grey foliage that reflects the sun’s rays away from the plant

A lone gardener can’t do much to change anything, but if we all pull together we might create a more positive outcome. The first place to start is with the eradication of invasive alien plants, which are still enjoying free boarding and lodging in ou

Some of the potential hazards of climate change are heatwaves, long periods of drought, strong winds and heavy storms. This could mean an increase in flooding, erosion, pollution, food scarcity and water scarcity, as well as declining numbers of poll

When we picture an edible garden, we typically imagine neat rows of grouped vegetables, tidy orchards or raised beds overflowing with produce. These gardens have their own designated spaces, and a clear identity that most gardeners recognise. But wha

Planning your New Year’s resolutions? Exercising or becoming healthier in general probably features somewhere on the list. Before you splurge on an expensive year-long gym membership that, in all honesty, you may not end up using, take a glance at yo

We’ve said it countless times before: healthy plants need healthy soil. If your garden is blessed with beautiful, rich, loamy soil, then good for you. If not, you might need to improve it to get the most out of your garden. The good news is that even

Large pot Potting soil Pebbles or piece of shadecloth 1 block palm peat Organic fertiliser • Moss-curled parsley (Petroselinum crispum) – this plant is hight in antioxidants like vitamins C, A and E, which fight inflammation. It also helps to settle

What goes well in the background with the pretty and tough salvias, and has the same growth requirements? The vivid-blue phlox-like flowers of the all-time favourite Plumbago ‘Royal Cape’, of course! This is an excellent background or hedge plant wit

For summer entertaining, Florence fennel is a deliciously different salad vegetable that is also full of flavour when slowly roasted. Its large white edible bulb has a subtle anise flavour and crisp, crunchy texture when eaten raw. When roasted, the

(Helianthus annuus) Sunflowers grow quickly and easily, and can be sown from early spring to midsummer. Garden centres will even have some of the modern and dwarf varieties in colour bags now, ready to plant and nearly in flower. Plant tall varieties

Whiteflies are a pest that every food gardener dreads. They infest the leaves of tomatoes, brinjals, cucumbers and squashes, stunting the plants and deforming new leaves. They also spread viral diseases. Two organic sprays that can be used to eradica

Cupheas (false heather), hailing from Mexico, are simply special as they grow without fuss, are totally free of pests and disease, and are always covered in their masses of dainty, star-shaped flowers (except in the coldest winter months). They are p

✓ Remove old flower stalks and dead material around the base of spent perennials to curb mildew, rust and red spider mite. ✓ Watch out for hawkmoth caterpillars feeding at night on impatiens, arum lilies and fuchsias – remove them by hand. ✓ Lawns wi