Gardening in winter seems to trouble a lot of people, but it needn’t be so. Here we share some direction to help your cause, and prepare for a beautiful summer garden.
Looking after a garden is an ongoing affair and like any relationship, it really does take regular and ongoing maintenance, especially at this time of the year. With all the rain, weeds grow faster than the plants so generally speaking every plant in your garden needs to be cared for specifically.
The idea was to create a succulent garden that would be water wise and low maintenance, whilst at the same time incorporating the aesthetics of a “Karoo Padstal” in look and feel – the type of vibe that they hoped to bring to the North Coast.
The service of composting can be thrown around in the garden services industry as an optional or unnecessary procedure but we see composting as a vital and essential service in every garden. This blog explains the procedure, benefits, and best timing for composting your garden beds.
How often one should have garden maintenance done really depends on each home owner. The options we, as a service provider, offer is every week in summer and every alternate week in winter if you have a lawned area. If you don’t have a lawn then every second week throughout the year is the option we advise our clients take.
The little creatures that don’t bring a smile to our faces, rather a grimace. These little miners have got a bad rap, are misunderstood, and mostly falsely accused. The little tunnels just under the surface of the soil, usually criss crossing our beautiful lawns, are the golden mole, and the heaps of dirt scattered all over the lawn is the mole rat. Believe it or not they have an important job to do, they airate the soil and eat insects.
In order to maintain my integrity and that of my company, I dare not tell a lie in regard to this matter. Let me start first of all by reiterating the fact that there is no purposely manufactured commercially produced snake repelant that is effective in repelling snakes, there are no plants or herbs that would deter snakes from coming to your garden.
all of your favorite birds. You'll be amazed at how many different species of birds you can attract just by providing a few inviting elements:
The best feeding program for birds is to plant shrubs and trees which offer nature's menu.
Nectar Feeding Birds: Flock to nectar producing plants like Aloes, Watsonia’s, Leonotis spp, Kniphofia - red-hot pokers ( spp.) and Wachendorfias
Seed eating birds: Are attracted to the seed heads of grasses and grains. They also thrive on the seeds of ordinary daisies such as the Euryops daisy.
Fruit eating birds, such as Lories are attracted to fruit producing plants. Try the tree fuchsia (Halleria lucida), dune crow-berry (Rhus crenata) or white stinkwood (Celtis africana).
Now that winter has arrived our climate is cooler, and our nights are longer. Plants respond to the winter climate and to a process called photoperiodism, where the shorter days and longer nights, signal preparations for a slowdown period.
Many living creatures in the garden slow down their body processes too. Snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, Millipede Assassin bugs and ladybugs and many other insects all slow down, so that no extra energy is used up.
Glamorise your garden by adding mirrors. Tiny mirror chips laced onto florists wire entangled into a branch add a subtle bling to your garden during day or night as they catch sun and lamp light. These little mirror reflections add movement, interest and excitement to your garden.
Drab walls can be elevated with mirrors to create a sense of space and distance. Mirrors place onto boundary walls in small gardens give the illusion of an extended garden.
Over time mirrors that are exposed to the elements, getting a spekkled back ground. Your choices are to either accept the old worl look or look at making a change. You bring a dimension that it hard to pardon.
Garden Art can easily transform a garden from ordinary to extraordinary. Garden art is anything you imagine it to be. Items of sentimental value to you and your family make wonderful pieces of garden art. Placed in a special place, either as a centerpiece or as a lovely focal point in the garden setting, can tell a story or whisper secrets of days gone by
From parrot cage to plant cage!
1. Find Polly’s old cage (that noisy parrot that drove us all insane!). Sadly, Polly left for birdie heaven years ago and his cage is just sitting in the garage collecting dust and is always in your way. You have threatened to throw it out so many times, then the guilt steps in and you don’t, poor Polly what would he think? Here’s what he would think, let’s turn it into a flower cage
