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"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view."
H. Fred Ale
The November Flower:
Chrysanthemum
This favourite free-flowering annual loves the sun and is showy with bright double/single flowers. They require regular watering, rich soil and feeding with the first flower buds and can be propagated from seed.
Did You Know?
Anise boosts both your digestive system and your chest. Adding it to stews and salads, teas and cakes will combat colds, flu and indigestion. The Anise oil is also used as an antiseptic.
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Indigenous Plant Sale
7 to 9 November 2008
Pretoria National Botanical Garden
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15 November 2008
Pretoria National Botanical Garden
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Acacia karroo, Sweet thorn tree
(widely distributed)
The sweet thorn has leaves divided into plus-minus 5 pairs of leaflets, each divided into 10-plus small leaflets. The shrub or tree produces ball-shaped yellow flowers.
Medicinal properties: dysentery, diarrhoea, colds, haemorrhage, oral thrush and conjunctivitis.
Parts used: foliage, bark and gum, used in infusions or concoctions. Read more...
Start a compost heap
To start a compost heap you need to clear, level and treat a suitably sized space. This will hinder flies from breeding. The heap may be as long as permitted but at least 1,3m wide and high. Always mix soft materials together, but only add grass clippings, green vegetation and vegetable waste after wilting in the sun first. Moisten all matter thoroughly and ensure medium moisture throughout, with new additions pressed in firmly. Ensure air circulation by mixing matter thoroughly. Sprinkle agricultural lime over every 20cm layers and additional mushroom compost, manure or bark clippings over every third layer could prove very beneficial. Build two heaps for constant supply. Read more...
The Annual
Providing spectacular colour, these plants grow quickly from seed to maturity and flowering, and then they die all within one season. They mostly flower in summer or winter, and sowing times should be consulted from the seed packaging. One can plan a year-round colourful garden through the vast selection of annuals available. Manipulating flowering times is possible by sowing, for instance, in early autumn for late autumn- and winter flowering. This type of gardening is fun and always different, for it is a moving picture that works with the seasons. Read more...
Gardening for Birds
Ericas are a must for the bird lover's garden - their nectar is simply irresistible to our feathered friends. These attractive shrubs range from as small as 25cm to the 2m high Erica bauera (which also flowers most of the year!). The flowers vary from white to pink, red, yellow, green and orange. A native, the Erica needs extremely well-draining, slightly acidic soil and a planting spot where it's protected from wind and severe frost. Give them water when dry and ensure plenty of sun without humidity and also add a little organic fertiliser during spring and summer. See www.animal-info.co.za - the South African Birds List!
The Gardening Eden Team
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