Winter is not typically a gardener’s favourite season. A previously bright and happy garden can start to look run down as some plants lose their leaves and others stop flowering. But it doesn’t have to stay this way. Whether you’re choosing annuals for a quick fix of...
Sunflowers are guaranteed to brighten up any backyard. Their bright yellow blooms are irresistible, inducing smiles in anyone that sees them. You don’t need to drive past a sunflower field to appreciate their beauty either. It's easy to grow your own in your garden,...
How many times have you walked past a house in a lovely neighbourhood, and all you could smell was the aroma of the food being cooked that almost makes you feel like asking for a seat at that dinner table. It is as if the herbs and spices they’ve used are calling you,...
On the list of plants that not only tolerate but actually prefer a little neglect, Lithops certainly feature in the top spot. These strange succulents are famous for their interesting shapes that awarded them the name Living Stone Plants. They also resemble hooves, or...
The title of this article reminds us of a short children’s book by Lizzy Rockwell. The first few lines of the book say, 'I am a plant eater. Plants reach out for the sun; they grow in the ground. I eat different parts from different plants, sometimes I eat the leaves,...
Herbs are the quickest, simplest, and tastiest way to elevate your dinners from ordinary to mind-blowing. They are even more vital in winter when hearty roasts and homey veggies need a sprig of rosemary or a topping of parsley to bring a meal together. Unfortunately,...
A potato farmer from Harrismith is changing the way we look at soil. Potatoes – just add butter and you have the perfect side dish, whether they are boiled, mashed or fried. We all eat potatoes, and in most households no meal is complete without this starchy tuberous...
Thrifty gardeners like to use every part of the vegetable. Why throw away luscious beetroot tops, colourful Swiss chard stems or crunchy broccoli stalks? If you use what everyone else tosses away, then you are a ‘root-to-stem’ gardener. This is the latest trend in a...
I often think back to my school days and the excitement around the classroom when it was that time of the year to learn about sowing seeds. How we would take a peek at our beans every morning, waiting for that tell-tale sign of life. It is the one thing we all have in...
In our eagerness to grow our own vegetables, we often forget that most vegetables and herbs need at least six hours of sunlight to grow and produce fruit efficiently. This is a challenge when you live in a built-up urban area, complexes or in small apartments. But...
Micro is all the buzz, although cell phones seem to get bigger, food portions are getting smaller. Just visit any well-run restaurant and you will see. Big plates filled with small dots and brushes of liquified coloured concoctions, baby peas resting on a slice of...
We all know our gardens slow down considerably in the colder months, but there is no need for our veggie patches to slow down. There are many vegetables that can tolerate cold and be classified as winter veggies, yes even minus degrees and light frost. With a few...
Autumn is a good time to grow vegetables in containers. The milder days are less stressful for the veggies than the blistering heat of summer. Looking ahead to winter, containers can be shifted into sunny, sheltered areas, especially if the veggie garden is draughty...
Although its growing season is in the warmer months, thyme is the perfect choice for the winter herb garden. Not only is it very frost hardy but it also copes with dry conditions, and the low-growing varieties can give you a groundcover that stays green even in the...
Pruning is the most important winter task for your plum trees. Here’s how to do it properly to ensure optimal fruit production in summer. Plums need to be pruned in July and August to ensure top-quality fruit is produced consistently each and every season. Many trees...
Sowing Your Seeds Timing is critical in growing your own flower or vegetable seedlings, so make sure that you sow the seeds during the right season for your area or climatic zone because temperature, day length and humidity can all have a profound effect on seed...
Designed to feed By Anna Celliers Few gardening experiences are more rewarding than picking home-grown edibles, and the ways in how they are produced are always changing. In simple terms, you don’t need much to start a veggie patch. The basic requirements are fertile...
It’s summertime and the weather is sweet… This is the ideal time to spend a few hours outside bonding with the family. What better way to do this than to tackle a gardening project that’s not only fun, but also gives you delicious veggies in the end! Get your loved...