Major garden centres across Cape Town have joined forces to raise funds for local charity, Trees4Schools. The four-week campaign will include the Earth Day celebrations – on April 22 – and will end at the end of the month.
Trees4Schools is dedicated to planting trees and vegetables in as many disadvantaged local schools as possible across the Peninsula. The charity also aims to increase the awareness of our youth regarding re-greening, reducing our country’s carbon footprint, the effects of global warming and growing our own food.
Part of the Trees4Schools ethos is a sustainability pledge.
“We understand that the only way these projects are going to be successful is if we continually follow up and ensure that on-going education happens with the children,” says Pascale Hoare. “For this reason a Trees4Schools representative returns at least once a month to check on projects and ensure that the trees and vegetables are being maintained.”
Over the next month, participating members of the Western Cape Garden Centre Association will donate R2 from the sale of a range of individual promotional plants to the Trees4Schools campaign. Last year, local garden centres raised R105 000 for the charity and the promotion has become an annual fundraiser.
Gardening this autumn
If you are planning to plant this autumn, consider these plants for your garden:
* Trees: As garden centres are raising funds for Trees4Schools, many have opted to place the spotlight on garden trees. Look out for promotions on the classic indigenous white stinkwood (Celtis africana), evergreen wild plum (Harpephyllum caffrum), white karee (Searsia pendulina syn. Rhus pendulina), the Chinese poplar (Populus simonii) and spectacular indigenous fever tree (Acacia xanthophloea), which thrives in a garden, but can reach 15m in height.
* Go local: Choose glorious autumn-flowering indigenous shrubs. The shade-loving ribbon bush (Hypoestes aristata), lilac bush violet (Barleria obtusa) and pink bush violet (Barleria repens ‘Rosea’). Indigenous favourites such as the Cape reed (Chondropetalum tectorum), wild iris (Dietes grandiflora), agapanthus, waterwise gazanias and ivy pelargonium should be the backbone of any garden.
* Shrubs: If you want instant colour, plant shrubs and climbers that are looking great now. Bougainvillea Natalia is a winner on a sunny patio and can be grown in containers.
Easter camellias (Camellia sasanqua) start flowering this month. Get them into the ground now and watch their magnificent blooms literally unfold before your eyes.
Hibiscus are also at their best this month. If planted in a hot spot this autumn, hibiscus will reward you with Hawaiian-style tropical blooms all summer long.
Duranta Sheena’s Gold is a fairly fast-growing shrub that offers a glorious gold backdrop to any border, New Zealand flaxes (Phormium tenax) provide waterwise accent plants, and look out for the range of compact and colourful Hebes now available for filler features in a sunny border.
* Pincushions (Leucospermum spp.) are fairly fast-growing shrubs that bloom in winter or spring. Now is an ideal time to plant them so that they can establish their roots during the cool winter. Expect a profusion of flowers in the third or fourth year after planting.
* Cone flowers (Leucadendron spp.) Flowering at different times of the year, these 1m to 2m-high shrubs are an indigenous winner. Look out for Red Devil, Yellow Devil, Candles and Chameleon.
* Groundcovers: Whether you go for grassy, low-maintenance groundcovers such as the flax lily (Dianella intermedia ‘Variegata’) or the low-growing, dark-green mondo grass (Ophiopogan spp.), now is the time to blanket the precious soil in your garden with a living mulch before the winter rains.
l Climber: Possibly the best climber for local gardens is the star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), a strong evergreen climber with starry white flowers in summer that will tolerate sun and semi-shade.
* Food gardens: Every gardener should have a Eureka lemon surrounded by herbs and vegetables.
April is also a great time to sow carrots, leeks and parsnips or plant seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
For more information on where to find your local Garden Centre Association nursery, go to www.lifeisagarden.co.za.
AUTUMN GARDENING TIPS
* The garden in autumn becomes a pleasanter place in which to work. The soil is still warm, but the days are getting cooler and it is a great time to plant new trees and shrubs, and to move any that are in the wrong place.
* If summer-flowering perennials, agapanthus, shasta daisy, Japanese anemone, echinacea, phlox paniculata, dietes and alstroemeria have become overcrowded, once they have finished flowering, lift, divide and replant young outer growths in freshly composted soil.
* Late April is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs. Planting depth is roughly twice the depth of the diameter of the bulb. Plant in groups rather than singly, large bulbs 10-15cm apart and small bulbs 3-5cm apart. Mark the area where bulbs are planted with a layer of light-coloured sand to avoid damaging them.
* Plant a spring colour scheme of apricot and orange using nemesia, Namaqualand daisies, venidium, arctotis, ranunculus and calendulas. If blue is a favourite colour, then choose scilla, forget-me-not, lobelia, pansy, viola and iris.
* Be bold with your sowing and aim for blocks or masses of colour, recreating the drifts of colour that you see in Namaqualand. Liven up winter veggie gardens by sowing Namaqualand daisies in between the rows.
* Combine indigenous annuals with indigenous spring-flowering bulbs like lachenalia, daubenya, tulbaghia and the better-known freesias, ixia and chincherinchees.
* This is a good time to replace an old hedge or plant a new one. Try a mixed hedge of evergreen shrubs. - Weekend Argus