Blossoming time
There are many plants that need little care and not a lot of water, writes
LAST Sunday, I was sitting on my deck in Kloof thinking about the February flowering Inanda lily which I wrote about last year in February.
I got out my binoculars and looked across the gorge to the cliff faces and was astounded by the number of plants in flower. I had to try to get closer so I went for a walk along the path that leads from the picnic site to one of the waterfalls that flows through the gorge.
All along that path and hanging from the cliff faces was the best flowering I have ever seen of the Inanda lily, Cyrtanthus sanguineus.
If you have a chance this weekend, do take a walk through the gorge and look at these plants in flower.
February leads up to one of the best flowering periods of not just bulbs but also street trees and shrubs.
In the Upper Highway area you will see at least five species of trees in flower, from the most spectacular pink and purple Tibouchina granulosa from Brazil, to its close relative Tibouchina mutabilis, which has flowers that open pink and gradually lighten to pale pink then white.
Also flowering are the yellow cassias and in particular the weeping cassia, Cassia fistula from India, which blend beautifully with the red of the Spathodea campanulata and the pink of the silk floss trees, Chorisia speciosa.
A shrub that gives so much pleasure leading into March includes two species of plectranthus. The genus Plectranthus, which flowers in mid-March through April, is another group of flowering shrubs and ground covers that everyone should grow in their garden.
In South Africa, there are about 45 species which grow mostly east of the Drakensberg Mountains. The species you will see flowering in many gardens and along the highways is Plectranthus ecklonii, better known as the large spur-flower bush. It is a soft, erect, fastgrowing shrub that can grow 3m tall. The inflorescence is a terminal panicle up to 350mm long. Flower colour varies from bluish-purple, to pink and white. It makes a spectacular garden plant that needs very little attention and can grow in shade or full sun. A combination of the three colours gives beautiful variation in your garden with the plants flowering for about three weeks.
Gardening can be challenging, especially if you live in the Cape, which is experiencing its worst drought in living memory. Without water it is generally impossible to grow most plants unless you live in the desert and grow succulents. Even they take a hammering if too dry as all plants require some water to survive. Many clients whose gardens I have landscaped recently request a garden that is water wise and maintenance free. If it was that simple, gardening would be easy.
There are many plants you can put in your garden that require a lot less attention than say annuals that require lots of water and changing every few months.
Sadly, budgets don’t allow for this in 99.9% of gardens so here is a list of plants that are easy to grow, require very little attention and give lots of colour throughout the year. Summer flowering:
Plectranthus ecklonii, zuluensis and ciliatus, better known as the large spur-flower bush with a selection of colours from purple through white and pink.
Hypoestes aristata, the ribbon bush with a purple flower that flowers in late summer.
Strelitzia reginae or birds-of-paradise that flower for many months.
Kniphofia praecox, the red hot poker that flowers best in wet areas,
Tecoma capensis, the Cape honeysuckle, especially the orange variety.
Plumbago auriculata which comes in blue and white.
Barleria obtuse, the bush violet with blue flowers.
Becium obovatum is the cat’s whiskers, with creamy white flowers.
Bulbine natalensis or the broad-leaved bulbine with yellow flowers.
Gardenia thunbergia, white, forest or wild gardenia that flower on and off for many months throughout summer. Very fragrant.
Dietes grandiflora, a wild iris that flowers whenever it is going to rain. Fills gaps in your garden, gives form and needs very little water.
Carissa macrocarpa, the big num-num, that does best in dry sunny banks and along the coast. White flower with red fruit that you can eat and make jams from.
Erythrina humeana is the dwarf coral tree that is ideal for a small garden and which produces a lovely spray of red flowers.
Aristida junciformis is a tufted grass with mauve plumes that are very conspicuous in summer. It will tolerate almost all kinds of soil. It is a grass that offers excellent cover and is considered the best grass to make brooms. Winter flowering:
Most aloe species, which flower from late May through July. Great for birds, require very little water and form features in your garden. A few I recommend: Aloe ferox, van balenii, chaubaudii, arborescens, marlothii and thraskii.
Leonotis leonoris or wild dagga with its variations of flower colouring from orange to white.
Crassula ovata or kerkybush. Flowers June to August.
Erythrina lysistemon and caffra or coral tree with red and orange flowers from June through September.
Crassula multicarva, also known as the fairy crassula, with pinky red flowers. Feature plant in the garden:
It is important when selecting plants to find out where they grow naturally so you don’t plant a shade-loving plant in the sun. A big mistake made by many people visiting a nursery is to select the wrong plant for the garden, and it can be very expensive. Best to get advice from the experts who know their plants before going to the nursery.
This is why I write these articles and offer free advice through email if you are stuck and need to know what best to put in your garden. You have to take into account climatic conditions such as sun, shade, frost, sea breeze, wind, dry, wet, soil types, etc before going on that buying spree.
Good examples are Proteas and ericas. These plants require very little fertiliser and compost because they naturally grow in soil that has very little nutrients. Often too much fertiliser kills the plants. Be careful.