The Gardener Magazine

There is an old belief amongst gardeners that says we should only feed our plants from spring to autumn, and that fertilising in winter is a waste of time and money. That myth needs to be busted, because winter feeding with the right product will res

NEW! SUBSCRIPTION DEAL! SAVE 30% Pay R49 a month to subscribe Subscribe for an entire year to The Gardener, but enjoy the convenience of monthly payments. This deal only applies when purchasing subscriptions online. www.thegardener.co.za How do we de

Chatting with one of South Africa’s leading concert pianists, Christopher Duigan, we find out more about the treasured garden created by his late partner – Professor Barry Lovegrove. “Barry was an academic and had a special interest in the desert env

Lines are fundamental to any kind of artistic expression. They go back to basics in the form of stick figures, colouring book pictures and defining shapes in almost any kind of drawing or art. I have often expressed that gardening is art. Gardening

The autumn and winter months are wonderfully colourful in the summer rainfall areas of South Africa – and the air is filled with butterflies and other insects. Seed-eating birds make the most of the seeding grasses and there are a variety of late-sum

In modern-day suburbia with newly built homes, the outdoor accessories (apart from solar panels on roofs to generate power), have become permeable paving in driveways to filter pollutants from stormwater and to allow it to infiltrate into the soil be

When gardeners complain to rose grower Ludwig Taschner about the performance of their roses in January and February, his response is always: “Be patient the best is yet to come”. March and April are like a second spring for the rose garden. The roses

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE 30% Whether you prefer reading a mag the classical way, paging through beautiful pages, or you’re fully digital, Lonehill Media offers you both options! Not only do we have content brimming with exciting information and inspiring g

The story behind permaculture is interesting, and please look into it, should you feel the need. In this article, we are taking bite-sized chunks of the principles which you will see overlap quite well with any type of food gardening and applying the

Tinus and Nollie @plantae orchids It is always heartwarming to see when someone’s lifelong dream comes to fruition. The perfect example is the R Allen Dyer Botanical Gallery which was opened by his daughter and granddaughter on 5 November 2023. This

For wild colour in a wild garden, penstemons fit the bill. These tall perennials with several bicolour flowers in clusters along and at the top of stems, are known for their vigorous growth and versatility in the garden and in containers. It’s an awa

There are around 260 species of irises that are available, one being the true bulbs we call Dutch irises. These stunning blooms are amongst some of our favourite bulbs and it is now time to order and get them growing in the garden or pots. Plant from

Leonotis leonurus (wild dagga or lion’s ear) is a breathtakingly beautiful shrub which is willing to grow in a variety of climatic regions in our country. It produces an abundance of tubular and hairy, bright orange flowers in concentric crowns all a

Outdoor pots should never be standing directly in pot saucers collecting water, or where there might be puddles, to avoid saturated soil and water-logging which is the reason why many expensive plants die. To keep the base of the pot out of water, ra

With the common name of stonecrop, you’d hardly expect such spectacular flowers and masses of them, but Sedum spectabile ‘Brilliant’ is aptly named. It grows into an upright, water-wise shrub 50cm high and wide, with smooth grey-green leaves and clus

Phormiums which are commonly known as flaxes are old pals in the garden always providing strong texture between other plants with their curving or upright-growing sword-like leaves. The development of modern-day cultivars has given us access to small

Late summer to mid-autumn is a good time to prune deciduous hedges and those that have finished flowering. Allow the base of the hedge to be wider than the top. Gently sloping sides let light reach the lower half of the hedge, which allows it to main

Cali’s are dazzling. If you want a colour rush, these are your pot plants of choice. They produce masses of tiny flowers and don’t like to be over-watered or fussed over. The well-branched plants are vigorous growers that quickly fill a container or

Some overgrown and tough ones like Shasta daisies, echinacea, rudbeckia and yarrow can also be dug up and divided in autumn by using the back-to-back-forks method of splitting them up. Tip: In cold regions, you can leave many perennials un-pruned unt

Pots like clay or terracotta are the best option for succulents. They are breathable allowing excess moisture to evaporate and they absorb heat to keep the plants warm. The more important consideration would be enough drainage holes. Made by crushing

After moth orchid flowers fall off, cut back the flowered stem to encourage new blooms. Simply snip them back, cutting into healthy growth lower down, and to just above a healthy, bulky node. This will encourage a new flowering side shoot to develop.

By using this method of propagation, you are effectively creating a clone of the plant you take the cuttings from. It’s easy and anyone can do it, plus if you use glass containers, you can watch the roots grow, which is the very satisfying part. Here

Make sure your containers have drainage holes. Fill your containers with commercial seedling mix (available at nurseries). Sow two seeds per pot or cell about 2cm deep. Cover with seedling mix and press down. Although dyed-in-the-wool gardeners would

The last of the tomatoes can be harvested green and made into a tasty chutney. This chutney can be served with cold meats and cheese or added to your next curry. 1kg green tomatoes, chopped3 onions, finely chopped2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped10

Here are some tips to help prevent an all-out war of wills between pets and their humans. 1. If your dogs run up and down a fence line, don’t put plants in that area. They won’t last long and will only irritate you. Make that the dog run and garden a

Use the first weekend to clear summer annual beds for spring flower bulbs, and plant around Full moon. These"fertile" days are also well suited to plant roots, spring bulbs, and flower shrubs. Daysmarked "hot veg" are idea l to p lant garlic, as Luna