Blackwood Nursery's Aloe Festival

GRAND DESIGNS Live is all set to serve delicious decor this weekend!

Grand Designs Live, SA’s leading contemporary home show, will open its doors from 24^th – 26^thMay 2013 at the Coca-Cola Dome and as always promises to deliver a unique, award-winning show packed with even more design and inspiration for your abode.

Click here to book your ticket today!

Rock Pots KZN – helping you create your Eden

Rock Pots KZN offers a range of garden pots, vases and water features that are perfectly suited to nurseries, landscapers, interior designers, gardens and home owners.

With the strength and durability that can only come from the cement fibre from which they are created, Rock Pots are quality that can’t be matched. They are available in a range of colours and styles ranging from earthy and rustic, perfect for indigenous gardens, to the more classical and contemporary shapes and finishes.

But it’s not just about pots! Rock Pots KZN also manufactures a range of rustic wooden garden benches, bird feeders, pot plant stands, arches, etc.. Everything you need to create your own Eden.

Click here to learn more about Rock Pots KZN or here to contact them via email.

Lovely bird feeder DIY

This little DIY is perfect for those of you feeling a little lovey-dovey at the mo – there are only 13 days until Valentine’s after all!

So what’s the DIY? It’s a beautiful metallic bird feeder from the folks over at Penelope & Pip, a blog focused on arts, crafts and pretty paper goods. Click here for the tutorial and enjoy your month of love.

DIY concrete stepping stones

The start of a new year is always marked with resolutions, renewals and reinventions. If you’re thinking of taking this philosophy into the garden then we recommend you keep reading. Below you’ll find an incredibly easy tutorial about creating concrete stepping stones from the peeps at Home Dzine.

You'll need:

A large leaf from any plant that has large veined leaves.
Quick set cement
Large cardboard tube or cake ring
Spray 'n Cook

Note: Whatever you use as a mould for the stepping stone should fit nicely over the leaf. You want to show as much of the veins on the back of the leaf as possible. The more veins your leaf has, the more detailed the stepping stone will be.

Instructions:

Spray the inside of the mould with Cook 'n Spray to make it easier to remove once the cement has set. Place the leaf on a flat, level surface and position the mould on top of this.

Mix up the cement and pour into the mould. The cement doesn't need to be any thicker than about 4cm, any thicker and the cement may not set properly. Leave to cure for the recommended time and then carefully remove the mould to reveal your detailed stepping stone. Now you are ready to make the next one.

Growing a wall garden

“I live in an apartment with a fairly large balcony that gets lots of sun. I love the idea of vertical gardening, but am not sure it would work in my case? Please help.”

House & Leisure put the question to Tarryn Rice, who started Wall Gardens in 2011.

‘I have always had a love of plants and derived great pleasure from the time and energy that was put into the garden in our home in Johannesburg. When faced with the prospect of moving to a house in Cape Town with no garden, we started exploring alternate ways to keep plants as part of my life. Here I discovered the potential of wall space as a blank canvas and was able to combine my passion for gardening and art.

A sunny balcony is an ideal space for a vertical garden, as they are perfectly suited for urban living and people with limited garden space.

Types of Vertical Gardens

There are many different forms of vertical garden systems, with varying degrees of complexity and cost. At the top end of the scale you get large installations that use an artificial growing medium and have fully integrated irrigation systems. You also get smaller, simpler gardens like the ones we make at Wall Gardens, which don’t cost an arm and a leg. They are compact, self-contained, and can be installed in a matter of minutes and moved around if needed.

What you choose will depend ultimately on your space, budget and appetite for doing things yourself.

Choice of Plants

Your choice of plants is largely determined by your local climate and how much sun your wall gets. Great plants to use for vertical gardens that get lots of sun are South Africa’s wide variety of succulents. These come in many shapes, colours and textures, and I find that they are ideal for creating beautiful living artworks. These water-wise, hardy plants are also easy to maintain.

You can also add herbs to your vertical garden to add a delicious, fresh dimension to your kitchen. Hardy perennial, sun-loving herbs, such as oregano, thyme, marjoram and chives, work really well. Annuals, like basil and parsley are also an option, but these need to be watered more often.

Care & Maintenance

Because your plants are growing in a contained system, periodically they will need a nutrient boost. If you have an artificial growing medium, you will need to add nutrients to the water that cycles through your irrigation system as per the supplier’s instructions. For soil based gardens, these nutrients can come in the form of worm leachate or tea, or any commercially available organic liquid fertilizer. Be careful though- usually these products need diluting and only a small amount needs to be mixed into water and fed to the plants. This can be done once a month.

Your plants are also living, breathing organisms. Be nice to them and they will reward you with their bounties. Check them for pests and disease regularly, and remove dead or damaged leaves. If you see any bugs or insects eating your plants, remove them.

If you’re interested in a Wall Garden or would like to find out more about Wall Garden’s products and what they do, go to wallgardens.co.za or find them on Facebook.

*This article appeared in the Ask Us category of House and Leisure website and can be viewed here. 

Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure Show 2012

The 37^th Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure Show will take place at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg from 21 to 24 September. Although the Show traditionally runs for three days, it has been decided to extend the event to include the Heritage Day public holiday on the Monday following the weekend.

Acknowledged to be the largest horticultural event of its kind – modelled on the Chelsea concept – in the southern hemisphere; the Show includes up to 50 designer gardens, the quality (of most) ranking with the best in the world.

The theme in 2012 is ‘Out of my Paintbox’ and whilst being largely non-restrictive; it is anticipated that designers will include consequential elements of colour.

With an emphasis on inspirational show gardens, visitors are exposed to the latest landscaping techniques, innovative design features and displays of indigenous and exotic plant material.

Aside from a number of corporate participants, the occasion is the showpiece for the Parks Departments of many of South Africa’s municipalities. Amongst others, these include Tshwane (Pretoria), Ethekwini (Durban), Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg), Cape Town, Mbombela (Nelspruit), Mogale City (Krugersdorp), Sol Plaatje (Kimberley), Kwadukuza (Stanger), uMhlathuze (Richards Bay) and Khara Hais (Upington).

One of the many highlights of the occasion is the Hall of Orchids and with an international array of exhibitors, this is a must-see for anyone who is interested in what is sometimes referred to as the ‘perfect blossom’.

For the enthusiastic gardener who does not aspire to being a technical expert, the Show caters for the design of 4 square metre gardens for individuals or groups, interested in displaying their talent in a relaxed but moderately competitive format.

2012 will see the inclusion of a new component focused on sustainability, this to be choreographed under the banner of the Happy Earth Hall.

Internationally the ‘green conscience’ continues to evolve and by way of initiation in the formative years, the Show will again focus extensively on youth development via the inclusion of mini horticultural exhibits by school-going youngsters, many from rural areas, spanning grades 4 to 12.

To complement horticultural design, the Show is also a base for numerous nurseries and specialist growers, who utilise the opportunity to display the latest plant material available.

The Sunday Tribune Garden Show has long been renowned for hosting the premier floral cake icing competition in the country and this, together with a meaningful participation of leisure-type exhibits will afford any visitor an all-encompassing experience.*

When: 21 – 24 September 2012 | 09h00 – 17h00 daily

Cost: Adults R 50 | Children U12 and pensioners R 35 | Pre-school children enter free of charge

For more information please visit the Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show website.

*Press release issued by the Office of the CEO – Royal Agricultural Society (10 July 2012)

Prepare your garden for spring

by Janice Anderssen

As we move into August, there’s no better time to get out into the garden and start preparing beds for spring planting. Even if you have an established garden, there are going to be tasks and projects that need to be done before the days start hotting up.

I might not be a gardening expert but I do have a garden and have been flexing my green fingers and thumbs for many years. This time of the year is one of my favourites, as it allows me to walk around a blank slate and decide where I want annual colour and foliage. And a bed or border full of beautiful colour does so much for a garden!

Pruning trees and shrubs

If you haven’t yet pruned trees and shrubs, or cut back straggly growth, you need to do this before it warms up. Cold weather reduces the risk of infection by giving cuts time to heal. It is always better to prune in the colder months of the year.

You don’t need to be a landscape designer to cut back a few branches, think about how you want the shrub to be shaped, or where excess growth needs to be removed and then use a pair of sharp secateurs or trimmers to cut.

Always cut about half to one centimetre away from a leaf node. This leaf node will eventually sprout new growth, so it’s important to pick a leaf node that faces in the right direction. A leaf node pointing up will obviously sprout up, whereas a leaf node pointing down will grow down. If you are shaping a tree or shrub prune at the right spot. If you are unsure about how to prune a particular shrub or tree, ask your local garden centre or nursery for professional advice.

Annual pruning is essential for removing dead wood, cutting back overgrowth and giving trees and shrubs a healthy start for the flowering season. Pruning shrubs not only beautifies them, but in some cases helps in increasing their flowering and stimulating the production of new flower buds or a second round of colour.

Don’t throw away larger branches, you will find plenty of recycling and DIY projects for putting cut branches to good use!

Weed-free garden

Although it’s not possible to have a completely weed-free garden, by taking the time to remove weeds as and when they appear you can control the amount of weeds that pop up here and there. If you don’t give weeds time to seed or spread they can be contained and controlled. During the winter months, when most bedding plants have died down or are resting you have a better chance of spotting and pulling out persistent weeds.

Use a trowel or garden fork to loosen the soil around weeds so that you can pull out the weeds and their roots. If you leave the roots behind the weeds will just grow again.

Enrich the soil

I have mentioned previously that I like to incorporate leaf-fall into my garden beds. It not only cuts down on the amount of work that I have to do, but also enriches the soil with nutrients. I suppose you can say this is my way of going organic without having a compost heap.

If you have been clever enough to establish a compost heap, now is the time to check if it’s ready to be added to borders and beds. During the summer months your plants absorb all the nutrients they need from the soil and it is essential to put back those missing nutrients if you want a good show of flowers for the following summer. Adding your own homemade compost is an easy and affordable way to ensure that your garden soil is rich and healthy without using chemical fertilizers.

And don’t forget the worms – great for flower beds. As they tunnel through the earth, worms are a great aid in keeping the soil light and soft and allow water to reach down through the top layer into the root system below.

If you are based in KZN, Worms4Africa is a supplier of Eisenia Foetida (Red Wrigger) worms, earthworm systems (home and agricultural). They run worming demonstrations to the public over weekends and provide support and advice for worm enthusiasts.

Divide and multiply

Last weekend I decided it was time to divide up my Agapanthus. There are many plants that benefit from being divided up when a clump grows too big and August is the best time for this.

Use a garden fork to loosen the soil around the plant, making sure that you dig deep enough to loosen around the root system as well. Some clumping plants can be pulled away from the parent plant without pulling out the entire clump, but some, like Agapanthus, need to be removed whole and then divided up.

A serrated knife or sharp pair of cutters are used to break apart the clump by splitting the roots apart. From one clump of Agapathus you could end up with 4 to 6 new, smaller plants that can be added to the garden.

When planting the new plants, dig in some organic compost to replenish the soil and give them a good watering.

Lawn maintenance

I am happy to say that I don’t have to worry about lawn maintenance, lawn caterpillars, mole crickets or the like.

It’s been about 5 years since I put down artificial turf in my small garden, and it still continues to amaze me how good it looks.

Through the winter months when most gardens are dry and brown, mine is still fresh and green looking.

For those who still have to worry about lawn maintenance, it’s time to rake the lawn to remove dead growth and winter debris. Scarifying or raking the grass helps bring light and air to the soil level, and encourages lush, green growth. Any bare patches in the lawn can be re-seeded by loosening the soil surface with you rake and sprinkling the seeds over this. Keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes.

Now you’re almost ready to pop into your local garden centre or nursery to fill up your beds and borders with glorious summer colour seedlings and plants. Wait until all chances of frost have passed before planting and be sure to keep well-watered until the rains arrive.

This article first appeared on Home-Dzine, South Africa’s online source of ideas and inspiration. 

Journey into the green world with Joanne Hilliar

Jo-Anne Hilliar Landscape Design School

Journey into the green world with our correspndence programmes

Your Time & Your Pace

• Short courses now in correspondence format
• Freedom to study at your own pace
• Study in your own environment

Single or Package Courses

Study either as:

• An Individual Course

Or

• In Package format allowing you to study related subjects together

Comprehensive Courses

• Modular format
• One module at a time
• In-depth assignments
• Constructive feedback
• Personal attention

Individual Correspondence Courses

• Landscape Design Business Practise Correspondence Course
• David Stevens International Landscape Design Correspondence Diploma
• Gardening for Bio-Diversity Correspondence Course
• Landscape Maintenance and Management Programme
• Garden Workers Training Course
• Advanced Gardeners Programme
• Basic Landscape Design Programme

Correspondence Course Packages

• Package 1 - Introduction into Gardening
• Package 2 – Garden Lovers Training Programme
• Package 3 – Landscapers Training Programme
• Package 4 – Gardeners Training Programme
• Package 5 – Garden Landscapers Training Programme
• Package 6 - Complete Landscapers Training Programme

		Email us on admin@hillscapes.co.za for more information.
		Visit our website on www.hillscapes.co.za
		Call us on 031 266 4650 / 082 447 4824.

Be green with HOME

Grab yourself a copy of 'home/Tuis'....its their "Green Issue

Sale!!!

House & Garden Show

We had an adventurous day out of the office on Friday afternoon....visiting the House & Garden show in Durban. We met lovely new people and saw many familiar faces....

The Home grown fair was definitely our favourite, Terry Angelos did a stunning job organizing this part of the event and she even added a new kiddie's side this year.

Here are some of our pics....not professional but its just a taste of whats to see there.

Terry Angelos did the stunning artwork for the poster this year.

Beautiful Chair at the entrance created from plants.

Megs admiring the garden tea setting.

Vinesh Maharaj's beautiful stand all done by themselves.
What a great team.

Stunning kitchen setting.

feels like home

Lynn from Rainy Skyes and Megs 

Lots of lovely goodies and gifts

Megs and Helen from Belgotex chatting away.

Beautiful vinyl flooring

Now your grass can always been greener on the other side.

Lovely shutters from The Plantation shutter co. and beautiful stand too.

Megs and Lionel 

get there info on http://www.everythingforthehome.co.za/the_plantation_shutter_co-59.html

The home Grown Fair

Yummy food

Proudly yellow and red

for all things neat visit http://www.everythingforthehome.co.za/neat_freak-507.html

a crafty affair

Megs admiring Terry Angelos art.

stunning drawings

Megs and Terry

we loved Ikhaya's crafty sign

stunning products

stationery heaven

visit little mud hut designs blog http://littlemudhutdesigns.blogspot.com/

the name says it all...Mooi

For all things bright and colourful visit Dodo
http://www.dododesign.co.za

Loved this!!

and this....

Megs and Mike from Storm Blinds

lovely stand done by Bright Blue landscapes.

 Go Visit the show...its on till 3rd July and open from 10am -9pm in the week, 10am -10pm Fri and Sat and 10am -9pm on Sun.

for more info visit http://www.housegardenshow.co.za/