Gardening in Africa: A week of gardening ideas

Thursday, 15 September 2016

A week of gardening ideas

It's Spring! and time for cleaning out, re-organising, re-vamping and generally just getting inspired! Many of my succulents are now starting to outgrow their pots and the time has come for me to start a new succulent garden (if I can find a sunny enough spot!), so I scoured the internet for some ideas.

Pic from Palmbob

My Echeveria harmsii have been growing beautifully in their respective pots and getting a bit pot-bound, so this seems like a lovely idea to put them in the garden - I can already see them thriving and spreading!

Pic from internet

Or perhaps some of them can go into bigger, more exciting pots.

Pic from a magazine

A re-vamp of my garden path or a new path, surrounded by succulents, is also in order!

Pic from internet

A nice idea for transplanting my Aloe cooperi (Grass Aloe) amongst some rocks (the pic is Aloe verecunda)

Pic from internet

I've got some Echinopsis cacti in the garden that are not looking too well after the winter (they don't like frost) so I'll get a nice pot for them where I can keep them on the patio and tend to them until they're in perfect condition again.

Pic from internet

A sunny, north-facing wall will be ideal to display some of my bigger specimens.

Pic from internet

Echeverias planted en masse always look good!

Pic from Pinterest

A lovely idea for displaying some Echeverias and I DO have a chair similar to this!

Pic from a magazine

My little corner similar to this has succumbed to my girls' constant scratching, so time to transplant the Echeverias and add new pebbles

Pic from Pinterest

This seemed like a lovely idea for against a sunny wall, until I started worrying about all the work of maintaining and watering them!

Pic from the internet

A beautifully laid out succulent garden! Something to strive for! (Image Willem Van Greunen in 'MinWater' group on FaceBook)

Pic from Pinterest

I just love palettes! A beautiful idea for a lounge or dining room, except I haven't got any big windows like this...

The Aloe Farm's display on their side-walk (you'll find them on FaceBook)

I apologise that I don't have links for all the images, but I forgot to copy it and can't find any of them now! So if you find your picture here, please feel free to contact me! Smile!

So, armed with lots of inspiration, there's no excuse for my garden not looking beautiful this summer!

Tool tip

Properly maintained quality garden tools are a joy to use and can last for generations. And, like most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Regularly cleaning and oiling your garden tools will prevent rust, keep them sharper, and allow the handles to stay strong. Start by giving your tools a good scrubbing to remove any mud and grit from the blades and handles. Dry with old towels, then set them aside overnight so they dry completely to avoid trapping moisture. Using a clean rag, apply lubricating oil to both the wooden handle and the metal blade. Rub the oil into the surface then wipe off any excess. The oil will help prevent rust and condition the wood to keep it from absorbing water and prevent cracking. After the handle has dried, apply a second coat of oil to the wood if needed. Tools with fiberglass or composite handles will only need a good cleaning.

Wildlife Tips

PUT UP AN OWL BOX : Owls aren't common garden visitors for most, but if you know they are around, it's worth providing extra nesting sites. General Owl boxes are bigger than ordinary bird boxes. They're shaped according to the needs of the species. Barn owl boxes are large and square, or sometimes triangular, with a ledge outside the entrance for young owls to stand on. Barn owls like to nest in a solitary tree on the edge of woodland, between 3 and 5m above the ground. Keep out cold drafts by facing all owl boxes away from prevailing winds. It also makes it easier for parents to fly to the entrance. If you fix the owl box to a tree, use a strap to keep it in place so you don’t damage the trunk. As with all nest boxes, do not disturb the box for cleaning until you are sure that the young have left. Tawny owls in particular can be aggressive when protecting their young. Don’t be disappointed if your box stays empty for the first year. Birds often choose a nesting site during the autumn, winter or early spring. Leave the box where it is for the winter and it could be a nice dry place for birds to roost when the weather’s bad. Please do not unnecessarily disturb the birds and never remove any eggs from the nest.

Leave those leaves! I know many gardeners don't like the 'messy' look of fallen leaves, but they have a lot of benefit to wildlife and your garden. Many wildlife species live in or rely on the leaf layer to find food and other habitat, including toads, shrews, earthworms and many insect species. From a gardening perspective, fallen leaves offer a double benefit. Leaves form a natural mulch that helps suppress weeds and at the same time fertilize the soil as they break down. Why spend money on mulch and fertilizer when you can make your own?

More about me

I've been gardening ever since a child, when I spent time with my father in his vegetable garden. But my fascination with Echeverias started in the 1980's, when my father gave me a pot with five Echeverias, which turned out to be E. imbricata. At first I wasn't much interested in them and planted them in some obscure corner of the garden and completely forgot about them. How great was my surprise when, a couple of months later, I noticed that they had spread and made a beautiful display - I was hooked!

It is utterly forbidden to be half-hearted about gardening. You have got to love your garden whether you like it or not.

- W.C. Sellar

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Thursday, 15 September 2016

A week of gardening ideas