Durban - Want to know what’s hot and happening on the KZN spring gardening scene this year? Visit the Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show where a fabulous fiesta of flower and foliage will entwine to celebrate the best of what Mother Nature has to offer.
Looking forward to sharing their passion for plants with showgoers is Pietermaritzburg’s Blackwood’s Home of Gardening.
“It’s that time of year when we all want to get outdoor living areas back into tip top shape after the winter months have taken their toll,” says Blackwood’s consultant nurseryman Gerald Schofield.
“A beautiful, well-maintained garden is the ideal space to take a little time out from our often-hectic lives and to enjoy a little peace and quiet.”
When it comes to the what, how, when and where to creating the dream garden Blackwood’s is budding with on-trend tips and inspirational ideas to transform any beds from dull to delightful in the flick of a garden glove.
“Many flowering trees, shrubs, perennials and other plants flower during the spring months so make sure that you optimise the new growing season by planting now,” says Schofield.
“Winter and spring flowering annuals are now coming to the end of their growth cycle and need to be replaced with new seedlings that will grow in summer and autumn.”
Deadhead flowers from spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, ranunculus, Dutch irises and freesias, but leave foliage to die back naturally. Plant out summer annuals like petunias, geraniums and zinnias and divide any perennials, such as agapanthus and day lilies, which have become ungainly or are reluctant to bloom.
For an eye full of colour try easy-to-grow Gaura with their beautiful pink and white butterfly-like flowers on tall stems. For charming blue throughout summer try salvia “Victoria” and for perennials, prized equally for their flower as well as their showy leaves, check out the red, white or pink varieties of Begonias.
“Remember to apply root-stimulating fertiliser (superphosphate or bone meal) to the soil with lots of compost and dig it in well before planting anything.
“There is no point in spending money on plants that are not set out into well-prepared garden soil.”
Last year was all about relishing in the joy of wandering to your garden to cut flowers for a fresh bouquet. This year, add clippings of fresh vegetables to your floral arrangements. Don’t be afraid to get creative – try radishes, carrots, flowering kale, squash blooms, spinach, sweet basil or even brinjal.
The most important aspect of growing herbs and veggies is to ensure that they get a full days sunshine, are fed regularly and get adequate water to keep them healthy, is Schofield’s advice when it comes to a happy healthy edible harvest.
“Successive plantings need to be planned in order to ensure a continuous supply. There is little point in only planting up the vegetable garden once in spring; it’s an ongoing process. Note the seasonal (winter or summer) crops and be sure to plant the correct crops in the appropriate season.”
Just like clothing, fashionable plants come and go each year. Garden designers are now growing old-fashioned and taking comfort in the nostalgia. Plants such as hydrangeas, lavender, moonflower and impatiens, are again blossoming in popularity.
Also in high regard this season is the return of a true decor favourite. The hanging basket is large and in charge. Whether it’s one variety of flowers overflowing in a basket or a mixed arrangement of blooms and veggies – the bigger the better.
Also taking root in back yards is the cultivation of landscapes friendly for birds, bees, butterflies, and other natural critters.
Be brave, branch out and get into the gardening groove with what’s haute couture in the horticultural world at the Sunday Tribune Garden and Leisure Show at the Pietermaritzburg Royal Showgrounds from Friday, September 27 to Sunday, September 29.
Show Information:
Times: 9am to 5pm daily.
Cost: R50 (R35 for children under 12 and senior citizens).
Contact: 033 345 6274 or www.royalshow.co.za - The Mercury