Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Give your garden a bright look for 2017
Follow these simple, easy ways to make changes to save on water and electricity costs, writes KAY MONTGOMERY
IN THE spirit of New Year’s resolutions, here are simple changes to improve your garden that are simple to implement, water and money wise and easy to maintain. Stringent water restrictions have led to gardeners searching for ways to conserve water. Create zones and group plants with similar water requirements.
Plants with low water requirements should make up the bulk. No water, or low water, zones can be achieved with water wise plants, succulents and other desert plants. Consider replacing large areas of lawn with hard landscaping to cut down on water usage and maintenance. Mulch is a cost-effective way to help retain moisture in the soil and save water. Apply a 10cm layer to beds, taking care to keep it away from the stems of plants. Choose inorganic mulch such as pebbles, river sand and gravel.
Organic mulch will decompose with time, providing nutrients for the soil. This type of mulch includes nut shells, peach pips, dried grass cuttings, leaves, pine needles or bark chips and should be replaced every six to eight months. Mulch also prevents the growth of unwanted weeds, saving you time on maintenance. Plants around the pool help to cool the area, reducing glare and softening poolside paving or decking, but when it comes to maintenance, they can be the source of great annoyance when leaves float on the surface of the water or clog the filter.
Cut down on maintenance by replacing poolside plants that drop flowers, fruit, berries or cones with more suitable shrubs, perennials or evergreen trees. When choosing a tree for the pool area, always consider its root system because invasive roots can lift paving and even damage the pool structure. Replace electric lights with solar-powered outdoor lighting where possible. Solar lamps can be used to provide illumination along garden pathways and near stairs. Some units include a separate solar panel, which is placed in a sunny location and connects to the lamp via a cable.
Solar-powered bollard lights are a good choice for lighting paths, but they need six or more hours of sun a day to operate optimally at night. Wooden planter boxes are available in different sizes and are ideal for growing vegetables and herbs in a city garden. With the right positioning, the box can form part of the overall design of your garden.
If you struggle with a poor quality soil, especially clay, growing vegetables in a box provides an easy solution. Add companion plants such as marigolds, mint, dill, sage or nasturtiums to help deter pests. Find ways to recycle or upcycle items you would normally toss into the trash. Vegetable and lawn clippings can be composted to provide nutrients for your soil. Grey water from baths and basins can be reused on plants and in vegetable gardens.
Objects such as tyres, an old wheelbarrow, a bicycle or wine barrel can be upcycled to create interesting focal points or used as colourful containers. Unwanted pests can cause havoc in the garden and heartache for gardeners. Inevitably, we reach for chemical pesticides to halt the attack, but this can be costly.
Pesticides not only destroy unwanted pests, but also the beneficial insects we need for pollination and natural pest control.
Buy or make your own organic sprays to help restore the eco-system. These natural sprays are harmless to helpful insects such as bees, ladybirds and butterflies. A good home recipe, especially for vegetable gardens, is a mix of chillies and garlic, allowed to draw in water for a few weeks, and then sprayed on to plants. A mix of water, liquid soap and vinegar can be used as a spray on plants to deter unwanted insects.
Include a selection of plants that welcome bees and butterflies to your garden. Pollen and nectar-rich flowering plants are bee and butterfly magnets. Many salvia species are in full flower and wonderful for attracting both species to the mid-summer garden.
An insect hotel will encourage various insects to make their home in your garden. Build a basic frame out of wood, then include sections of logs, bamboo, pine cones and cored bricks. Drill holes in the logs and add twigs and straw to provide safe places for insects to hide.