Garden sheds and other stuff

I love keeping a Gardening Journal - mine contains anything from garden design to new planting tips, names of flowers and shrubs that I've planted with dates to leaves of something I'm looking for and sketches of plants and birds in my garden.

I also make notes when something has been killed by the frost to remind me not to plant that again! I hate losing a plant and cannot even kill those I don't particularly want in the garden. Keeping a Journal tells me a story when I look back over the years and sometimes I will pick up a forgotten idea I never implemented and fit it into an empty space that I was wondering what to do with.
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My gardening journal
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A page from one of my journals with pressed Nasturtiums
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I am also mad about garden sheds - whether it's a big shed with lots of space or a small little corner set up somewhere to keep all the gardening tools together, it's a joyful experience setting one up. Gathering all the tools, tables, terracotta pots, seedlings, chairs, wheelbarrows, shelving, birds' nests that have fallen out of the trees and boxes and crates together, scrounging for anything pretty, is a great past-time for me.

Setting up a garden shed can be as simple as just organising all your tools in one corner or it can be an elaborate affair - an old disused shed maybe, or an out-building or store room that's standing empty. Even a disused carport can serve as a garden shed by adding some sides to it for protection or enclosing it completely.
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I converted an old disused carport into a garden shed, complete with a table and chairs, a couple of shelving units, hooks for all the tools, sun hats and garden gloves and a little cabinet for pencils and watercolour paints. It was very low budget, as everything came from the store room or hand-me-downs from friends and family. I set up the old kitchen sink lying in the one corner on an old cabinet, laid on some water and a tap and had a wonderful space for rinsing flowers after picking or washing hands and dirty used tools.
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A corner in my garden shed

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Growing Clivias from seed

Clivia miniata
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Common names: Bush lily (English); Boslelie (Afrikaans)

My Clivias have grown so beautifully in the last couple of years that I've become interested in growing them from seed to try and expand my collection. From the original three plants, I now have ten. They've been clumping nicely and I will also try lifting some to transplant to another area in the garden.

The world's love affair with South Africa's Clivia began in the 1800's when specimens were sent back to England from Kwazulu-Natal. In Victorian times this beautiful plant was very popular for indoor use in England and Europe. The discovery of the yellow flowered Clivia miniata (C. miniata var. citrina) in the late 1800's fuelled an interest which still persists today.

Part of the fascination has been with the breeding of Clivia, both between the four species (C. nobilis, C. gardenii, C. caulescens, C. miniata ) and between forms and colours within the species. Breeders select for specific traits in each generation which produces pronounced qualities such as huge, broad petalled flowers, red, yellow or apricot coloration, broad leaves, fan shaped leaf arrangement, variegation, dwarfism and many others. Internationally, the most advanced breeding of Cliiva is happening in the Far East, most notably Japan.

Clivia miniata is a clump forming perennial with dark green, strap shaped leaves which arise from a fleshy underground stem. The flowering heads of brilliant orange (rarely yellow), trumpet shaped flowers appear mainly in spring (August to November) but also sporadically at other times of the year. The deep green shiny leaves are a perfect foil for the masses of orange flowers.

Clivias are endemic to Southern Africa, meaning that they do not occur naturally anywhere else in the world! The wild bush lily grows in the forests of Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Swaziland. The habitat may vary from subtropical coastal forest to ravines in high altitude forest. The bush lily grows in dappled shade, often in large colonies. The soil is well drained and humus rich. Occasionally they may be found growing in the fork of a tree.

Sadly, in many areas, colonies of wild bush lilies have been destroyed by harvesting for traditional medicine and also by plant collectors. The rhizomes are reportedly extremely toxic but are used medicinally for various purposes.

I have at last picked my fruit, which now seemed ready for harvesting and extracted some seeds from the soft pulp inside

Harvesting Seed
Pick the fruit as soon as it starts to change colour or when it turns soft. Open it carefully and remove all the soft pulp as well as the loose fitting membranes that keep the Clivia seeds together. This is quite a messy job and one's fingers can get quite slippery, so keep a cloth at hand to often wipe your hands. Clean the seeds properly and wash the seeds with an anti-fungal solution or a weak solution of dishwashing liquid. I used the dishwashing liquid.

Germinating Seeds
If the Clivia seed have not yet sprouted, put a teaspoon full of damp compost in a sealed plastic bag with a few seeds. Place the bag in a warm place or on top of your fridge, near the back where the warm air rises, to speed up sprouting.

Alternatively, place clean damp (not wet) coarse sand (river sand is ideal) in a plastic container. I opted for this method, but I used some potting soil, no river sand at hand, as I cannot seem to see that the seeds will be OK in a plastic bag!, although I did take a few and put them in a bag with a bit of damp soil to see what happens. and I covered my container with some plastic as I did not have a lid for it.

Press seeds 50% into sand making sure that the eye (small dark round spot on seeds where germination will take place) are facing to the side. Don't plant the seed under the soil surface.

Close the lid and place in warm spot for 1 to 3 weeks until the seed has germinated. Do not water again.

When the seeds have sprouted
Take a pot or seed tray, about 15cm deep and put a layer of small stones or coarse bark chips in the bottom. Fill the container with a slightly acid growing medium, such as equal parts of coarse river sand and finely milled bark or a potting mix available at nurseries. (Clivias are not very fussy).

Firmly press down the mix and water well. Then make small holes, at least 2cm apart, to take the little taproots. Gently press each seed into the medium so that half the seed rests below the surface. Handle the seeds very gently.

Place the pot in a shaded position and keep moist by watering once or twice a week with a fine gentle spray.

Seedlings can be left in the pot for up to two years and at the beginning of the third year can be transplanted into permanent pots (especially the yellow ones) or into the garden. Alternatively they can be moved into well-drained individual black bags or pots after one year, in fresh growing medium adding a small quantity of bone meal. (Use one teaspoonful on each 15cm pot). Miniata, Gardenii, Robusta and Caulescens seedlings should flower at three to four years old with slightly longer for the yellow varieties. In pots Clivias prefer a well drained, slightly acidic potting mix such as composted pine bark. If grown in the garden they grow in virtually any soil type with varying degree of success, provided that they are not over watered.

How to identify the Yellow seedlings
When the first leaf of the seedlings is about 2cm tall, you will be able to identify the yellow seedlings by looking at the stem. The stems that are green and show no colouring will produce yellow flowers. Mark these seedlings at this stage. This also applies to genuine peach seedlings.

On the other hand, if the stem has a purplish colour, you know the plant will not produce yellow or peach seedlings, but will be pastel, orange or red flowers. This purplish colour disappears when the seedlings are about two to three years old.

Position
Remember that Clivia do not like direct sun, so they MUST be planted in full shade or dappled sunlight. They flower better in lighter shade. A little early morning sun is acceptable.
Keep your “collector’s quality” plants in pots, which will allow you to move them around easily, they could be brought indoors for display or to show off when in full flower or displayed at a show.

This is what I'd like to aim for eventually, a large bed of just Clivias!

GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY YOUR CLIVIA!!

(Some of the growing from seed information from CliviaPE)

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It’s never too late to plant a tree

Celtis africana (White Stiinkwood) planted in my garden in 2005

It’s Spring. The trees herald the change of season by bursting forth with their new foliage, many preceding the soft greens with breathtaking shows of delicate blossoms that produce the fruits and seeds which will be welcomed by man and beast alike in the summer that lies ahead. It's time to plant a tree.

But how many will last long enough to provide homes for birds and animals in their lofty boughs, or provide us with much sought after protection from the elements all year round? How many will bear fruit?

Around the world, over thousands of years, man has impacted on the great forests by felling huge swathes for living space, fuel, building materials and cropland. Mankind is continuing ‘the old, old story’ of what happens when forests are cut down - rivers silt up, the land turns into desert or scrubland; civilisations succumb to environmental degradation.

Somebody once said “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” So how can we do our bit? Here are a few creative, low-cost ideas on how to get tree planting going :

• Plant a tree on your birthday.
• Plant one over the festive season, instead of spending your time and money in shopping malls.
• Give trees as gifts to show how much you care.
• Teach other people how to plant and take care of them.
• Save seeds; take cuttings. It will reduce the cost of planting trees. It may take a bit longer, but your patience will be rewarded.
• Plant a tree from a truncheon (small branch) taken from another tree. It takes a shorter time to grow a tree.

by Pat Featherstone, Soil for Life

You can find some info on how to plant a tree here.

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The promise of spring

Some Daffodils I had in my garden a few years ago

As the days of winter grow longer and lighter, we instinctively yearn for assurance that spring will come again. Like the Victorians before us, we strive to brighten our homes and our daily lives.

Searching for ways to fill their rooms with the blooms and fragrances of spring, the Victorians began experimenting with forcing bulbs. This skill became an important addition to the Victorian housewife's list of domestic accomplishments. Bulbs were sold by door-to-door salesmen and through mail-order catalogues as early as the 1830's.

Not only did bulbs provide instant gratification, but they offered possibilities of prolonging the pleasure of floral company throughout the long, dark winter.



The Victorians were particularly partial to single Hyacinths, which are easy to grow and wonderfully fragrant. Growing other Holland bulbs (Dutch imports) - such as crocus, snowdrops, narcissus and tulips - also created drama and excitement in the Victorian home. As technology improve, allowing interiors to be warmer and brighter, more exotic bulbs (such as Calla and Bermuda lilies), were able to be grown.


Bright yellow Narcissus formed from hardy garden bulbs flourish in a natural straw setting

Today, the available range of both Holland and Cape Bulbs (originating from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa) is vastly greater than our Victorian grandmothers could ever have imagined. We can obtain both tender bulbs (planted in the spring to form summer flowers, such as gladioli) hardy bulbs (planted in the fall, requiring a cold winter treatment, such as tulips) as well as Holland and Cape bulbs, pre-potted and pre-chilled varieties. And we can use our modern refrigerators to trick our bulbs into believing that Old Man Winter has come - and gone!



What has not changed - and never will - is our sense of wonder at seeing a lowly, unpromising bulb sprout first roots, then leaves and finally, a burst of fragrant flowers - each one keeping its promise of spring.



Perfect for the novice, Paperwhites are easy to grow and wonderfully fragrant

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Mid-winter rain in Gauteng

Mid-winter, July 2015, and it's raining, it's pouring!! Unusual for Gauteng... I'm really grateful for the rain, everything has been so dry and dusty, but at the same time I'm worried about all my succulents - it has been freezing cold and together with the wet I'm not sure if they will all survive...

Here in Gauteng we're not used to cold AND wet, that's Cape weather. When I lived in Cape Town, that was one of the most disturbing phenomena for me - cold, rain and wind, all together! Here in Gauteng, the weather is organised - rain in summer, cold in winter and winds in August! I don't know if Mother Nature is confused or whether she knows exactly what she is doing... Maybe this is our first Spring rains? Yesterday I noticed tiny little green leaves on the Acacias (thorn trees), and I thought that was rather odd, right in the middle of winter.

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A misty winter's morn'

It's 7am and the morning is cold and misty. But I've heard that, when there is a lot of fog, it's going to be a beautiful sunshine day!

The now dead Zebra grass made a lovely bright contrast against the rest of the dark garden. Luckily it springs back to life early in Spring.

When I left for town at 8.30am, visibility was a mere 30-50m and one didn't see another car until you were almost on top of it. Sensibly, people were driving very slowly with their headlights on (never on bright, that just worsens the scenario as the bright lights cause a huge, impenetrable white spot making it impossible to see anything) and it took me double the time to get to town than normal.

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A walk through my June garden

After a beautiful mild Autumn, winter has struck with a vengeance, giving us -3℃ temps at night and 7℃ in the middle of the day with a couple of warmer days in between.

Thank heavens for Phormiums and Restios, the hardy back-bones of the garden!

My herb garden is feeling the effects of the cold nights. I think a total revamp here in Spring would be in order...

Lanky and shrivelled Aeoneums and Echeverias

The young Aloe ferox along one of the garden paths is also showing signs of suffering

Over-worked wheelbarrow!

Arum lilies, who do not mind the cold at all, but slightly trampled by my chooks. Why on earth would they want to walk ON TOP of the plants...?!

Whoot whoot! Two of my Aloe ferox seemed to have escaped the effects of the frost and are flowering, although the one at the bottom seems to have been burnt a bit already, just hope its flowers are OK.

The wildlife pond has sprung a leak and this is how much it has drained so far. Next step is to scoop out the last bit of water (being careful and keeping an eye open for any aquatic wildlife), but I'm waiting for a day a bit warmer than 16℃!

I am absolutely thrilled to bits! This is the first time my Aloe marlothii has flowered since I planted her in February 2012! These aloes do best in a more temperate climate and I was worried that it would not make it through our severe winters, but so far she's holding her own!

Close-up of Aloe marlothii flower

Hopefully my Aloe marlothii will manage to complete her blooming, I'm dying to see the open flowers.

My little private forest at the pond, now the trees are leafless and letting through much needed sunlight

I'm surprised that the Sword Ferns are still green and maybe it's a sign that this winter is not as severe as I perceive it to be. Just a month or two more, roll on Spring!

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