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nelson mandela bay's family lifestyle
author:
brenda plakonouris & kim tucker
indigenous spring garden
photography:
iky's photographic
issue:
7, spring 2008
Together, Brenda Plakonouris and Kim Tucker, is 100% indigenous. They landscape gardens, all across Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape, into indigenous wonderlands. They are the ideal gardeners to share practical information and advice on making our own garden, the easy to maintain & beautiful living space we want it to be. As committed indigenous gardeners, the highlight of our year is most certainly spring. Not only are the days longer, giving us more daylight time to spend with our fingers in the soil - this is a time when the earth awakens. At this time of year we feel like kids in a candy store, as around every corner there is a colorful and very captivating surprise. Having just gone through a very mild dry winter brings the reality of “climate change” and the effects thereof, right into our gardens. In the Eastern Cape our winter is known for its mild, warm temperatures, but not the hot and baking 30oC days we had this past winter of 2008. Let's hope we do receive enough of those spring showers that are typical of our region's natural climate and will help our plants see in a very hot summer. In the Eastern Cape and especially Nelson Mandela Bay, spring is the time to invest a bit more effort into watering your new plants. This will help these new plants to establish healthy root stock, enabling them to flourish for years to come. Water is such a scarce and vital ingredient to a healthy garden, we need to make judicious use of our water resources. Be mindful of the time of day when watering is done. Early morning and early evening is ideal, as evaporation is limited. Watering should never be done at midday and remember that a good soaking is far more beneficial and effective than a light sprinkling. The perfect complement to any indigenous garden is rain water, of which we usually have abundance, in this region, but you do not have to be entirely reliant on nature to water regularly. The avid indigenous gardener would “save rain” and utilize this natural water for gardening. Over the years we have planted many local bulbs in our gardens. These local bulbs include Chincherinchee (Ornithogalum thyrsoides), Ixia, Sparaxis and Watsonias. At this time of year they start to shine. Although they are short-lived, they bring much to the spring garden. Once these are established in the indigenous garden, they will provide years of springtime pleasure. The entire mesembryanthemum family, or “vygie”, is of great importance, as their bright purples, yellow and oranges create such a spectacular show of spring-time color and splendor. If you take a drive along the William Moffet Expressway, you will see the stunning Namaqualand daisies and “vygies” of different variations, flowering amongst the rescued aloes. This is a magnificent sight to enjoy – imagine how much more beautiful it would be under the protection and nurturing of your own indigenous garden. One of the big advantages of these plants are that they are completely water wise and maintenance free, creating more time to enjoy your garden's natural evolution. Granted, the spring garden is definitely a planned garden that evolves, with each year building on the effort and planning of the previous. So take this spring as a time to discover which plants you would like and start planning for next spring and many more spring-times that will be announced with colour and light. Part of your planning should be to examine the eastern side of your garden as this is the direction of our blustery, spring winds. Here we recommend planting well positioned trees that will also provide much needed shade in our hot summer. Ideally what you need are small growing trees that can be used in an area near your pool, as shade is beneficial in high summer and also near your child’s play area to create a cool welcoming environment. Some of our favorites are Pittosporum viridiflorum, Vepris lanceolata and Nuxia floribunda. All of these are evergreen; they have non invasive roots and maintain a neat shape. In short, they are perfect. Spring also brings an opportunity to under plant your trees with popular Eastern Cape stars, such as the Clivia miniata and Veltheimia bracteata. They add a wonderful colour burst in your dappled shade and once established, are remarkably hardy, showing beautiful deep greens right through winter. For the hot windy sections of your garden, the Proteacea family can be very rewarding. As their popularity as garden plants has increased, we have more varieties to choose from. We have had great success with the pincushion variety, even planting some in large pots, creating a beautiful show throughout spring and summer. In these areas, we often call our “fynbos”-areas, we like to add plants such as the Salvia Afrikaner-lutea with its unusual brown flowers. Another winner is the stunning Polygala myrtifolia with its gay purple flowers. When planting, ensure a generous square sided hole with compost and organic fertilizer. It is always a good idea to water the hole if the general area is very dry. Ensure that there is a shallow basin around the base of the plant, so that you can soak it well without losing water. You could also add mulches now, to aid water retention. When we plant shrubs and trees, we use organic mulches such as leaves, twigs and bark. Stones are very popular for succulents as they also enhance the overall appearance of your garden. For the overall health of your entire garden, Spring is the perfect time to add organic fertilizers. We generally use pellet-form fertilizers, as they are easy to spread and they are often available in a slow release-version. But organic fertilizers come in many different disguises – just make sure that it is organic – your garden and the environment will reap the benefit. The fertilizing helps to maintain the plants for a longer period. Also a thorough inspection throughout the garden with your secateurs, pruning vulnerable to strong winds and dead branches, will improve the overall health and longevity of the plants. The greatest benefit of including all these various indigenous plants into your garden will be reaped by eager and hungry birds and butterflies, who will find your garden to be a 100% indigenous and completely stocked pantry, that will sustain them after the hard winter. Their benefit will be your benefit – since a garden that comes alive with the excited flutter and tranquil sounds of birds and butterflies, is really the most fantastic place to relax during our Eastern Cape spring and summer. Happy indigenous gardening!
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