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Bold and Beautiful

Tired of drab? Everything is so “correct”, even harmonises, but the picture is not perfect? Add some drama, bring in some colour and surprise yourself as well as the Joneses next door!

A great garden doesn’t have to be full of flowering colour. Foliage with a wide range of shapes and colours is another way to add appeal to any garden. Nature is not timid – it offers everything on a platter. Revamp corners of the garden where plants have served their purpose and lifetime. Don’t waste precious water on keeping old plants alive and trying to make them look good. Rip out, discard and prepare the soil afresh.
Contrasting colours can be used with great effect to make your garden glow. Consider your winter and summer temperature and select plants accordingly.


Dark leaf canna

The following plants are all water wise, drought - and cold tolerant:

• Ipomoea batatas (ornamental sweet potato) some with apple green foliage, black, purple, red, tri-colour.
• Phormium (New Zealand Flax) striped green, wine red.
• Ornamental grasses such as Pennisetum rubrum and Ophiopogon ‘Black Dragon’.
• Dark- or striped leaf Canna.
• Heuchera (shade tolerant as well).

Ipomoea batatas

Can you imagine the effect if you add lower growing plants in the foreground with soft-grey foliage such as Curry bush or Artemesia? Beautiful for shady spots are Coleus and Plectranthus Mona Lavender.
Love succulents? Sedum and Crassula have the most amazing colours and shapes.

Revamp old pots or perhaps a garden bench by painting it cheerful colours. The same can be done with affordable cement balls in various sizes. Toy with pebbles in terra cotta, charcoal and white.
Add some humour with garden ornaments, aka “kinky kitsch”!

Water restrictions is not the end of the road!

• Use a fertilizer high in potassium such as Efekto’s 3:1:5 to encourage strong, deep root growth for optimal use of available water.
• Apply surface mulch around plants and in bare soil areas.
• Avoid excessive watering, this makes plants lazy and results in a shallow, poorly developed root system.
• Zone irrigation systems to water plants grouped - where possible by their water use and soil type.
• Increase mowing height of lawns to allow grass to develop deeper root systems.
• Control all weeds that “steal” water.
• Watering cans help minimize water wastage.

Maria Nel
Ferreira’s Garden Centre
Tel: 061-234900



Efekto
Riaan Momberg
Cell: 081 124 0288