Tips for a water-wise indigenous garden

IF you are scratching your head about what to plant for a water-wise garden, indigenous plants might just do the trick.

Providing a riot of bright and happy colours, indigenous plants are adapted to our local growing conditions:

Succulents: Use aloes for accents – bold Aloe ferox sends out tall spikes of orange-red flowers in winter, brightening up dull corners. Hardy “plakkies” or crassulas do well in pots: kalanchoe comes in a variety of hues and, even if it’s not indigenous, hardy echeveria’s pretty rosettes of leaves look great in quirky containers – old shoes to teapots.

Groundcovers: For a splendid show that lasts, mix two shades of osteospermums (such as purple and white) in a large bed. Carpet geranium (Geranium in carnum) does well even in the sandiest soils and spreads thickly to fill difficult areas.

Shade-loving plants: Plectranthus or "spur flower" is great for difficult, dry, shady spots. There’s a huge variety. Clivia is a gardener’s darling: it loves dappled light. Its dark, glossy strap-like leaves look good all year round and rewards you with beautiful blooms in spring.

High-cover areas: Plant scrambling plumbago with Cape honeysuckle, which will climb, for a glorious mix of blue plumbago blossoms with the honeysuckle’s yellow, salmon and orange flowers.

Fillers: Barleria and ribbon bushes are quick growers that add colour in autumn when other plants die down. Plant swathes of fast-growing, versatile wild irises – Dietes grandiflora (white) and D bicolour (yellow) tolerate sun and shade.