Nature bursts free in October
Prepare for flowering plants to put on a major show this month
SO FAR, we have had a lick and a promise of spring, with tight buds and delicate blossoms on bare branches. But in October Mother Nature goes into overdrive and turns this promise into colourful reality when gardens and veld alike burst into full bloom.
Have a ball in your garden and enjoy the beauty around you, while feeding, pruning, watering, keeping a watchful eye on pests, and planting in earnest for summer.
Eastern Cape
IF YOU enjoy heady perfume in the garden, plant a patch of tuber roses ( Polianthes tuberosa ) close to your bedroom window or patio. These old-fashioned, summer-flowering bulbs enjoy full sun, but will also grow successfully in light shade. They start flowering from mid-summer, when tightly packed cylinders of waxy, very sweetly scented flowers tip the tall and sturdy flower stalks (up to 1m high).
Colour for the garden
THE following plants can be planted with confidence to add sizzling summer colour: Limonium perezii (perennial statice), with bright purple flowers in summer. It is ideal for picking for the vase and can cope with drought conditions.
Hemerocallis species (daylilies) provide masses of brightly coloured flowers throughout summer.
Acanthus mollis (wild rhubarb) has large, glossy and serrated leaves. Tall mauve-white flower spikes tower above the foliage in summer and autumn. It does best in a semi-shaded position.
Agapanthus is a reliable perennial with large flower heads ranging from white and light blue to deep, velvetblue shades. It can be very eye-catching when planted in bold groups.
Use pruned branches: Instead of dumping or chipping long branches after pruning, use them to build a row of tepeeshaped trellises in the veggie garden. They will not only form lovely focal points and add vertical interest, but can be used to support annual vines and trailing crops while also creating cool shade for lettuces planted beneath them.
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