“To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower”. – William Blake.
We returned from holidaying in KwaZulu-Natal last month with vivid memories of the Natal Midlands aglow in autumnal colouring, and the last of swathes of cosmos lining the freeways.
Cosmos (Bidens formosa) means “beautiful” in Greek, and originates from Mexico, but this plant has become so well established in KZN that it forms a lovely feature on the long trek to the coast.
A friend who visited Texas recently remarked on the wild flowers growing alongside the road edges there – rudbekia, gaillardia, coreopsis, together with Texas bluebonnets (a form of lupin) and drifts of pink evening primrose.
Apparently Lady Bird Johnson had been a driving force to establish the planting of native wild flowers along every highway and in many parks and cemeteries.
How wonderful it would be if we developed such a culture here, and even decorated our own verges to delight the passer-by and improve the neighbourhood. A sprinkling of Namaqualand daisies, for instance, would be a start.
And what about those desolate, prison-like grey walls which have proliferated? A screening of plants makes all the difference. Bougainvilleas, and our indigenous agapanthus are options, as is the evergreen, willowy Rhus pendulina, which develops into a small tree.
Now that winter is officially here, it is wise to consider stocking up the herb garden. Herbs are not only essential culinary additions, especially to hearty soups and stews, but many of them are packed full of health-giving properties to combat colds and sore throats.
Parsley is top of my list in this respect, followed closely by thyme. A relative newcomer is Parcel, a herb that looks like a vigorous Italian parsley, but which tastes of celery. All three grow best in sun (though mine seem to do equally well in semi-shade), take up little room, and are altogether undemanding.
Colourful annuals for winter planting include violas, snapdragons, gazanias, French marigolds and Bokbaai vygies for sunny areas, and for shady ones, cinerarias, Fairy primulas (P. malacoides) and the shorter, stiffer Primula acaulis that comes in vivid tones and is often grown as a house plant. - Cape Argus