[ FAVOURITES IN THE GARDEN]

Karin says it’s difficult to single out just a few of her favourite plants as there are simply too many, but these stand out: •My white bougainvillea that generously covers the front of the house was one of the best plant choices I have ever made. I used to admire one a few houses from ours and with the renovation I was determined to plant my own.

• Irises make a beautiful show from afar as well as up close; each flower is a masterpiece in design.

• Pelargoniums are delightful and old-fashioned, and come in the most wonderful array of colours.

• Wisteria in full bloom is overwhelmingly beautiful!

• When it’s in its peak flowering season, Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha) is a fountain of purple happiness.

• Daisies remind me of my childhood and they are such cheerful, unpretentious flowers. The white daisies also show up nicely in the evenings after the sun has set.

• The butterfly bush, also known as tall wild violet (Rotheca louwalbertsii) is a lovely indigenous shrub with blooms that resemble butterflies.

• I also love hibiscus because they are so effortlessly decorative.