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Gardening and More: Draft agricultural protection plan is released and other news

BUFFALO — Erie County’s Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board has released its Draft Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan.

The goals of the plan are to:

– Create innovative strategies to guide the county to identify and protect agricultural land with development pressure.

– Support new farms in and attract new farmers to Erie County.

– Identify strategies to increase the financial viability of agriculture in the county.

– Connect rural and urban farmers with consumers and new markets.

– Increase the accessibility of healthy, local food for consumers.

View the draft plan on the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning’s website, www2.erie.gov/environment/index.php/q=AgPlan.

Succulent show, fall plant sale at Botanical Gardens

The annual succulent show will be held from Saturday, Sept. 8 – Sunday, Oct. 7 at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, 2655 South Park Ave., in Buffalo. The show will run from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Designed by Botanical Gardens’ Gardeners Julie Hughes and Teresa Mazikowski, the succulent show was visitors’ favorite last year. The Botanical Gardens will be full of interesting container gardens, hanging shapes covered in succulents, wreaths, window boxes and small landscapes. Highlights include a “succulent lady” and a tribute to Buffalo.

Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, 55 and older, and students, 13 and older, with ID, $5 for children ages 3 – 12 and free for members and children younger than 3.

The Botanical Gardens will also hold its second annual fall plant sale from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21 and 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, in the new administration building. The sale will include fall interest perennials, flowering shrubs, spring bulbs and more.

Free landscape classes available at Arbordale

Create outdoor living spaces, increase your property value and love your yard, with help during free classes at Arbordale Nurseries and Landscaping, 480 Dodge Road, in Getzville.

The 45-minute class will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 and Saturday, Sept. 29.

Bring photos and measurements of your own yard to discuss in class.

Preregistration is required. To register or for more information, visit Arbordale, email info@arbordale.com or call 688-9125.

Share views on sustainability plan for Western New York

The Cleaner, Greener New York Program, which aims to create more sustainable communities by funding smart development practices, is looking for input on its draft plan.

The plan is considering the areas of land use and livable communities, agriculture and forestry, transportation, waste management, energy and water management.

Read more about the draft Western New York Regional Sustainability Plan at www.sustainable-ny.com.

You can mail comments to Deepali McCloe, Ecology and Environment Inc., 368 Pleasant View Drive, Lancaster, NY 14086, or email dmccloe@ene.com.

Take a garden tour at Martin House estate

Take the “Landscape Tour: Plants, People and Design” at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15 at the Martin House estate, 125 Jewett Parkway, Buffalo.

It will be led by Nellie Gardner, Horticulturist Martin House and Director of Operations Margaret Stehlik.

Visitors will view three distinct types of gardens, all with the same theme. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s love of the natural world is expressed in his vision for the gardens and influenced by the desire of Isabelle Martin, owner of the home, to bring the beauty of the gardens indoors. See what is planted, what is planned and the backdrop and structure that prompted the design.

The tour will last for 90 minutes. The cost is $25 for non-members and $20 for members.

Connie Oswald Stofko is publisher of Buffalo-NiagaraGardening.com, the online gardening magazine for Western New York. Email Connie@BuffaloNiagaraGardening.com.

YK gardeners recognized with multiple awards

Yellowknife, N.W.T. -Some Yellowknife residents were recognized with awards for their garden work they present at the Lawn and Landscaping Competition.

Awards were given out for the best residential and commercial landscaping, best lawn, best vegetable and rock gardens, as well as the best greenhouse and the highly coveted people’s choice award.

This year’s winner of the commercial landscaping award, Faith Embleton, explained why she and her husband decided to enter this year.

“Our friends are also encouraging us saying you should entre, so this year I relented and entered. But the landscaping and gardening that my husband and I do it really isn’t about this contest, it’s about pride of ownership of our property and of the city of Yellowknife.”

Embleton said getting this recognition from the gardening community is good for her business as well.

“It’s actually very good it does help advertise your business for one, and I think it just promotes our community pride of what our community looks like. And I think it’s not a horrendous job to get out in your yard and beautify it.”

She also said she gets comments from tourists who are staying at her bed and breakfast on their garden.
 

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From The Ground Up: Gardens clubs are back at it in September

Area garden clubs are back in business!

Bruce Crawford of Rutgers will speak about autumn perennials in Tenafly.

Most North Jersey-area groups take the summer off to allow their members more time to attend to their personal gardens and volunteer projects. But once the calendar turns, clubs reconvene by offering a multitude of happenings — talks, workshops, seminars and meetings for their members and the public.

Here is a sample of what’s going on for the rest of this month:

* The New Jersey Botanical Garden will sponsor two hands-on Lilac Workshops from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today and Sept. 15. Attendees will work with lilac expert Daniel Ryniec, former lilac curator at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, to restore and improve the garden’s collection. Ryniec will give a lesson at 10 a.m. The NJBG is at Morris Road in Ringwood. Information: 973-962-9534 or visit njbg.org.

* Bruce Crawford, director of the Rutgers Gardens in New Brunswick and an adjunct professor in landscape architecture at Rutgers University, will be guest speaker at the next Tenafly Garden Club meeting 7 p.m. Monday at the Davis Johnson Park and Gardens, Westervelt Avenue and Engle Street. Crawford will present a program about autumn perennials.

* Rocky Bilyeu, maintenance division manager at RS Landscaping in Midland Park, will discuss the contrast between traditional and new lawn renovation methods 7 p.m. Wednesday at Backyard Living, 235 Franklin Ave., Ridgewood. The workshop is designed for homeowners who want to use natural practices. To reserve a space, call 201-447-6205.

* Think it’s too late to plant some beautiful trees and shrubs in your garden? Think again. Daryl Kobesky from Allentown’s Pleasant Run Nursery will show off his favorite plants 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum, 353 E. Hanover Ave., Morris Township. $15. To register: call 973-326-7603 or arboretumfriends.org.

* The Demarest Garden Club will hold a “Croquet Garden Party” 3 to 6 p.m. next Saturday. Admission is $5 per family. Reservations required. For locations and reservations, contact Luisa Pittaluga at 201-966-9816. Information: demarestgardenclub.org.

* Dr. Edith Wallace will take attendees on a “virtual New Jersey garden tour,” through information and pictures, of many of the premier and “secret” public gardens in the Garden State at the next Backyard Garden Club meeting 7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the River Vale Library, 412 Rivervale Road. Information: 201-391-1263 or 201-391-5402.

* The September meeting of the Wyckoff Area Garden Club will feature “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” of the Wyckoff club. Members will discuss the successes, failures, surprises and lessons learned over the gardening season. The 7 p.m. Sept. 19 meeting will be at the Wyckoff Public Library, 200 Woodland Ave., Wyckoff. Information: 201-723-1065 or wyckoffgc.org.

Autumn the perfect time to plant veggies

A: This is the perfect time to be getting ready for your fall garden. Fall truly is the best and easiest time to grow veggies in North Central Florida. The temperatures will be cooler, the sun will not be quite as intense, and the weeds and insects will start to wane. When we think about the fall garden, our minds instinctively go to the leafy vegetables such as collards, cabbages, kale and their kin, cauliflower and broccoli. But if you hurry and use transplants, you can get what I call a “second spring” garden in. With good gardening skills, warm-season veggies such as cherry tomatoes, beans, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and squash will produce before the first frost. Since we do this every year in the local school gardens, it really isn’t that difficult. I suggest that you select varieties of vegetables that have smaller fruit and short maturity days. Fertilize them along the way, at least three to four times during the growing season.

Remember to save room in the garden for the true fall crops that you want to get in. Later in September and into October is the right time to plant collards and other greens, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Swiss chard, spinach, beets and carrots, and other cool-weather lovers. You can use seeds or transplants. Seeds are for the more patient and will require thinning, and transplants are great for those in a hurry who like the more instant garden. Either way, the plants will need watering to keep the soil moist but not soggy, and regular fertilization. Use the succession planting technique so that not all the vegetables are harvested at the same time. Do this by simply staggering your planting dates by a couple of weeks. This is the best way to handle your arugula and lettuces. Use loose-leaf types of lettuce such as red oak leaf, and semi-heading types such as romaine and butter head for the best success.

For more information about fall gardening, get the “Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide” from the UF/IFAS website, www.solutionsforyourlife.com, or from your local county extension office. In Marion County, call 671-8400.

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Q: I have been using a lot of chemicals in my yard, mostly for the weeds and for insects in the grass. I really would like to find a better way to manage the landscape problems. Do you have any suggestions?

A: I get this question pretty often. Folks are trying to be more sustainable in their lives, and this includes their landscape. The University of Florida Extension service has a landscape education program called “Florida-Friendly Landscaping.” This program can teach you how to have a great-looking landscape with much fewer inputs. These landscapes help to save water and reduce pollution runoff to our creeks, ponds and, ultimately, the aquifer. A Florida-friendly landscape doesn’t have to look dramatically different from traditional landscapes. They are a blend of tough plants, (native and Florida-friendly), mulched areas, ground covers and turf grass, where it is most appropriate. The program basically boils down to putting the right plant in the right place, and matching the maintenance of the landscape to the owner’s needs to reduce pollution.

To learn more about these landscapes, consider going on the Florida-friendly tour of landscapes that will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 15. The tour begins at the UF Straughn Center, where I will give a short description of the program and tips for going Florida-friendly. Maps will be distributed, and attendees will leave on a self-guided tour of the Florida-friendly landscapes of private homes in Gainesville. Master Gardeners will be your tour guides once you reach the sites. To RSVP for this free event, call 337-6209.

Wendy Wilber is an extension agent with UF/IFAS. Email her at wlwilber@ifas.ufl.edu.

Homegrown: Abundant Safari

This pawpaw tree is located at the New Pioneer Administration Building, on the tour this Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in downtown Iowa City. (photo/Backyard Abundance)

Edible plants are making their way into the mainstream in urban environments.

Proof is especially evident in Iowa City, where Backyard Abundance has implemented a new program, called Abundant Safari.

If you’re in Iowa City on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, check out the group’s Urban Edible Landscaping Tour from 2-4 p.m.

Abundant Safari is a self-guided tour of local natural sites and innovative sustainability projects. Ten sites are already on the list; another 10 will be added next year.

The program launches with today’s tour, beginning at the City Plaza Children’s Garden next to the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn Street.

Director Fred Meyer notes that while targeting area children, it is available to all residents at any time.

Find information to design a walk, bike or car tour using the website: AbundantSafari.com.

The program highlights outstanding natural areas in Iowa City and provides a framework to explore the sites, have fun and learn about nature.

Destinations include Iowa City public gardens, parks, prairies, wetlands and recycling sites.

A sign post with a rubbing tile awaits visitors at each site. Residents can download a journal-style guidebook from the website with which they can take rubbings, learn about features at each site, and document their experiences. Families are eligible to receive a prize upon visiting all 10 sites.

This new project complements Backyard Abundance’s mission: to help build vibrant communities by creating beautiful, resilient landscapes that provide healthy food and habitat.

Key funding for Abundant Safari comes from a Community Foundation of Johnson County grant. Support from area businesses supplements the grant.

Meyer, in announcing the program, highlighted issues which prompted the development of this program. He mentioned a growing local concern about the way that children and adults are isolated from the natural world. Meyer said, “This project ties these beautiful destinations into a single program and creates a gaming framework to encourage community exploration, exercise, and learning about nature. Many people are looking for ways to make changes in their lifestyle to use fewer resources and live more sustainably. We are excited that this exploration will introduce them to many possibilities.”

Meyer pointed out that research shows that many children spend less than one hour per week outdoors in the natural world, resulting in behavior problems, higher stress levels, and decreased physical fitness. Participating in programs like the Abundant Safari can affect children positively.

Meyer also said that the cities of Iowa City and Coralville have identified water management as an important concern and provide funding to homeowners to install rain gardens and other methods that prevent runoff from property. Several Abundant Safari destinations show ways to clean and manage water through prairie plantings and wetlands. Abundant Safari sites also demonstrate sustainable recycling practices and edible landscape design.

Families and classrooms will be able to take advantage of the scavenger hunt nature of Abundant Safari and utilize the educational signage at each site for learning opportunities. Other residents can use the program to learn about the natural and sustainable features of the Iowa City community and become more connected to beautiful natural areas.

 

Here is more about the tour: Sun., Sept. 9, 2-4 p.m., Edible Urban Landscape Walking Tour.  Downtown Iowa City. New urban plantings bring food, beauty, and educational activities to downtown Iowa City! Backyard Abundance and New Pioneer have created oases of greenery to inspire new uses of public and private lawn space. Each site on this walking/biking tour features different types of edibles ranging from corn to aronia berries and everything in between. The tour can be walked in 1-2 hours. Refreshments, tour guides, and informational handouts will be available at each site. For details, visit AbundantSafari.com Urban landscape sites (more to come): New Pi’s Soilmates’ Children’s Educational Vegetable Garden at IC Public Library: 123 S. Linn St., Recreation Center Children’s Discovery Garden: 220 S. Gilbert St., and Chauncey Swan Park Edible Landscape: 460 E. Washington St. Also New Pioneer Iowa City store Administration Building Edible Landscape: 523 Iowa Ave. and New Pioneer Alley Orchard along Ralston Creek east of Iowa City Co-op store. This tour is helping launch Abundant Safari, Iowa City’s new self-guided adventure through environmentally abundant landscapes. Backyard Abundance created the program and helped design and implement three of the sites on the tour. More information can be found on the website: http://AbundantSafari.com.

 

pawpaw

Gardener’s Notebook: Organic gardening lecture planned – Winston

A lecture on organic gardening will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Kernersville Library, 130 E. Mountain St. Topics will include the use of organic materials to grow vegetables, flowers, lawns and landscaping, and using a minimum amount of synthetic chemicals. The lecture is free, but registration is required.

For information and to register, call (336) 703-2850 or email gordonkl@forsyth.cc.

Reynolda to hold orientation sessions

Orientation sessions for Reynolda Gardens education volunteers will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday in the Education Wing of the Reynolda Gardens Greenhouse, 100 Reynolda Village. Volunteers are needed to lead school field trips on walks in the gardens, greenhouses and woods one or two mornings a week in April and May.

For information, call (336) 758-3485 or email gardens@wfu.edu.

Hartup to discuss making compost

Wendi Hartup, a Forsyth County Extension agent, will discuss composting in the home garden at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Southside Branch Library, 3185 Buchanan St. Learn various ways to utilize yard waste at home instead of sending plant material to the landfill. Also learn steps to creating good, aged compost. The class is free but requires registration.

For information and to register, call (336) 703-2850 or email gordonkl@forsyth.cc.

Herbal tea making topic of workshop

A herbal tea making workshop will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 15 at the Single Brother’s Workshop, 10 W. Academy St., Old Salem. Learn how to use herbs to create simple, great-tasting and healing teas. The workshop is free, but nonperishable food items will be accepted on behalf of Second Harvest Food Bank.

For information, call (336) 721-7357 or see www.oldsalem.org/garden-workshops.

Greenhouse, cold frame talk set

Craig Mauney, a Forsyth County Extension agent, will discuss the use of greenhouses and cold frames at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Lewisville Branch Library, 6490 Shallowford Road.

A greenhouse or cold frame allows for early-season crops. Learn about simple, season-extending techniques and plant protection methods that can shield plants and extend the growing season. The class is free but requires registration.

For information and to register, call (336) 703-2850 or email gordonkl@forsyth.cc.

Landscaping technique helps UT save water

Campus Planning, Harry Ransom Center, The University, Brett Gustafson, coordinator, Drought tolerance, Environment, Garden, Markus Hogue, Sustainability, Sustainable gardening, Utah, water conservation, Xeriscaping, Xerophyte

Colin Campbell was a friend to all

RARELY do we have a friend, neighbour and colleague the likes of our former friend Colin Campbell.

Queensland gardening guru Colin Campbell.

RARELY do we have a friend, neighbour and colleague the likes of our friend Colin Campbell, so we trust our readers will bear with us for a few moments as we say goodbye to him on your behalf.

He was such an amazing support to the horticultural industry, instigating the start of the Horticultural Media Association Queensland branch where we all became such firm friends, speaking at hosts of gardening events, writing columns and articles, persuading Mayor Campbell Newman to create the beautiful Roma Street Parkland, appearing on Gardening Australia, and of course being a stalwart at the wonderful Queensland Garden Expo in Nambour. There would be few who didn’t feel they knew him personally.

He’ll be greatly missed by all of us, and our sincere sympathy goes to Bev, his wife and helpmate of 36 years – Vale Colin.

 

TASTY VEGIES

With the warmer weather romping in, and maybe a touch of rain or two, the vegetable garden is thriving for most people.

Some of the great successes we’ve noticed this season are the lettuces (in this column recently) and silverbeet, and in our patch they are bedmates!

For those of you who, like us, don’t have much room, we find Silverbeet Rainbow or Ruby Chard provides us with an excellent pick-and-grow again veg that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

The brilliant stem colours and chopped green leaves add another dimension to stir-fries, soups, omelettes, salads and almost any other combined savoury, as well as making a very tasty “green” third veg to serve with roasts, grills and steamed food – it even goes well with fish and chips.

Rainbow Chard is the Yates Seed of the month for September, so do yourselves a favour and add some of the quite large seeds to your vegie or flower garden now.

It’s very helpful to their germination if you soak the seeds in water for a few hours before planting, then.

As they start to grow, thin them out if necessary and feed regularly with Thrive Soluble Plant Food.

 

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Scituate’s Kennedy’s Country Gardens finally can landscape 3A rotary

Years after first attempting to landscape the roundabout on Route 3A, Chris Kennedy from Kennedy’s Country Gardens finally has the opportunity to do so.

With the help of State Representative Jim Cantwell, the town officially adopted the island a few months ago. With that in place, Kennedy can come in and rejuvenate the area, complete with a sign advertising his business in exchange for the work and plants.

At a selectmen’s meeting on Tuesday night, Kennedy outlined his plans along with DPW Director Al Bangert and Cantwell, giving a vision of what the spot would look like in a few months.

“We’re at the point now where the state has allowed us to do [landscape it], so Chris will come in and make it less of an eyesore,” Selectman Tony Vegnani said.

Although Kennedy will create landscaping for the space, while the town will move the lawn, there are still several restrictions.

“Basically, I don’t have a lot of wiggle room as far as height – they want it not to be too much taller than 24 inches. That’s hard because usually you have several layers of heights and sizes,” Kennedy said.

To cope with this, Kennedy said he will use some taller plants in the middle with grasses and medium-sized perennials. Plants may include ruby ribbons grass, blue star plants, and amsonia plants.

“I will also use some seasonal annuals where it can be a color from the time we plant them in the spring through fall. We could change colors from year to year, so it doesn’t stay the same,” Kennedy said.

The idea to spruce up the rotary started with Kennedy’s father, who after driving back and forth to Florida countless times, decided that the weed-strewn highways and ugly gateways into towns needed to be changed.

Five years later, Chris Kennedy is finally getting the chance to make an impact on a state road right down the street from his shop.

As a result, the lone Christmas tree anonymously placed in the center of the Route 3A roundabout for four months will be a thing of the past, replaced with colorful plants and a bit of advertising.

“It would be a win/win. My plan is to get people to spend money locally and go to Kennedy’s … so they can support local businesses,” Kennedy said, a necessity not only in this economy, but because the garden store is one of the few that is open year-round.

Most likely, planting will begin by the end of September, with a host of staff and volunteers.

“We should be able to get out there by the end of the month, get some compost out there and start planting … but the fall is a good time to plant, so we will try to take advantage of that,” Kennedy said.

Most likely it will take a year or two before the landscaping looks grown in and natural, as was the case when Kennedy’s replanted the islands around the train stops.

“Hopefully, down the road we can do a bit more with it. One of the ideas I had was to put a boat in there to use as a planter. Scituate has a lot of heritage when it comes to the ocean,” Kennedy said.

“Some people suggested a mossing boat or a fishing boat, or a mast with a sail. But we’re taking baby steps because the state didn’t want to see anything permanent until [we showed we were committed]. So we’ll do some small things at first and [add to it] eventually.”

Spruce up your garden with annuals

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Dianthus thrives in an east-facing or north-facing border.

Johannesburg – Would you like a garden filled with pretty pastels, bold colour combinations or flamboyant purples this summer? The warmth of spring has arrived and now is the time to plant up a garden filled with annuals.

Landscaping with annuals is like painting with colourful paint. There are so many different coloured annuals. If used boldly and creatively, you can make your garden look bigger or smaller.

If planted now, annuals will be a riot of colour by October.

There are two ways to plant annuals: sow seed, or plant established seedlings known as bedding plants. If you are looking for seedlings, try ageratum, aster, bedding begonia, bedding dahlia, browallia, celosia, cleome, cosmos, impatiens, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, nierembergia, torenia, verbena, vinca and zinnia.

Sowing seed is not difficult, but there are a few tips for success.

Start by digging over the soil until it is crumbly and without any lumps. Add compost and a general fertiliser and rake before sowing. Water the soil well the day before planting. Sow seed in geometric rows or scatter it for an informal natural appearance. The soil will need to be kept moist until germination occurs, and the plants watered in dry weather.

For hot spots

The low, spreading growth habit of sun-loving alyssum, mauve nierembergia, yellow and orange nasturtiums, and verbena and portulaca are ideal as edgings, in pots, on banks and between paving.

Zinnias are a popular choice for the summer garden because of their ability to withstand heat. They range in height from tall cactus-flowered varieties to dwarf Thumbelinas, in colours of pink, yellow, orange, red and purple. Celosias (cockscomb) offer a contrast in flower shape and texture to zinnias, with silky plumes of pink, gold, orange and red.

Waterwise vinca hybrids (Catharanthus roseus) have a branching growth habit and round-petalled flowers in white, pink, apricot, lilac and grape, often with contrasting centres. They would blend well with taller growing white, pink, green, red and purple funnel-shaped flowers of nicotiana.

If you want a splash of red you can’t beat Salvia splendens, but if this is too bright, these annual salvias also come in cream, pink, salmon and burgundy. Use them massed, as accent plants, and in containers. The annual clary sage (Salvia viridis) has upright spikes of white, pink or purple bracts.

Need height?

Plant a quick-growing annual climber on fences and over arches. Cathedral Bells (Cobaea scandens) is a vigorous climber and needs space to show off its unusual flowers. The bell-shaped blooms that give the climber its common name open apple-green then change to mauve and finally purple.

Tall sunflowers are useful quick-growing temporary screens, and add height in a border. These are easy-to-grow annuals, given well-drained soil and sunshine.

Cosmos can also be used as temporary screens and as “see-through” plants in a border, their silky white and pink petals held above lacy foliage. Baby’s breath (gypsophila) with dainty white flowers on wiry stems, and white lace flower are two more “see-through” annuals.

An elegant choice for the back of the border is cleome, known as the spider plant because of the shape of its narrow white and pink petals and long seedpods. The cup-shaped pink and white flowers of lavatera contrast well with the flowers of cleome. Attractive Salpiglossis sinuata grows 60cm tall with trumpet-shaped flowers of red, pink, purple and yellow and prominent veining on the petals.

Colourful containers

There are a variety of annuals in single or mixed colours that can be planted in pots. Grow ageratum, bedding dahlias, salvias, zinnias, marigolds and bush nasturtiums in sun, and bedding begonia, impatiens, mimulus and torenia in light shade.

Annuals are also ideal as pot “fillers”, but for this to work all plants need similar conditions of sun, soil and water. Lime-green coleus with blue torenia works well in light shade, as do ferns with white impatiens.

Try sun-loving combinations of ornamental grasses and gazanias, Carex “Frosty Curls” with dwarf orange marigolds, mauve angelonia with purple and white petunias and purple lobelia, Browallia “Jingle Bells” and ageratum with neon-pink vinca, bright pink petunias and red-purple verbena with silver-grey santolina, and lime-green nicotiana with pink mini petunias and nutmeg pelargonium.

Indigenous annuals

Many of the plants we grow in our gardens can trace their origins to the wild flowers of the veld. Diascias, nemesias and lobelias are three well-known indigenous annuals, all with dainty flowers for edging paths, for mass planting and for pots.

Arctotis venusta is a reliable summer flowerer with rounded bushes covered in large white flowers with mauve centres. Gazanias, with their free-flowering habit and daisy-like flowers of yellow, orange, bronze and pink, are excellent as groundcovers for sunny banks, rockeries and pots.

It’s well worth a visit to a botanical garden or indigenous nursery for seeds or plants of the wild foxglove (Ceratotheca triloba), an annual that grows 2m in height with foxglove-like flowers of white and pink with lavender markings. – Saturday Star

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