By Annisa Essack
17:06:2021

Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing ornamental, artificially dwarfed trees.

Masahiko Kimura began creating his first bonsai designs in his mid-teens. He broke the traditional rules that date back centuries by featuring dead wood sculpted by his design tools.

Nicknamed “The Magician”, Kimura’s unique style was accepted and even revered over time.

These days Kimura, in his 80s, is one of the country’s rare bonsai masters, and he has apprentices all over the globe.

WATCH the video to tour Kimura’s bonsai garden.

By Annisa Essack

11:10:2020

For beginner gardeners, it’s hard to know when to start gardening, and when to finish. The garden is always there – what needs doing when? You may assume that the key gardening seasons are spring and summer, and you’d be right. But there are significant jobs to do in autumn and winter, too.

What’s more, gardening is not just about jobs. Being familiar with the gardening year is as much about knowing what to enjoy at key moments. Not all gardeners garden throughout the year, but there are many benefits in doing so, not least the physical and mental advantages of being outside and enjoying all the garden has to offer. But it’s important to do what works for you.

Listen here – Gardening for Beginners

By Annisa Essack

25102020

Looking for ways to stays fit and healthy? Lifting weights or yoga can help to maintain and even strengthen muscles but whilst they can boost your flexibility and balance. But have you ever thought of gardening?

No matter what your age, gardening, is a physical activity that can reap many unexpected health benefits – the most obvious benefit is getting outside and into the fresh air. But there are plenty more benefits for the mind, body, and soul.

Caring for plants can also do wonders for your own wellbeing, an abundance of scientific research suggests. The physical exercise can contribute to a healthy weight and blood pressure levels, and just interacting with flora can improve your mood and mental health.

Listen here – The Gardening Show 251020

1 cup water

peppermint oil

cine member

sunlight soap

shake the contents vigorously and spray every 7 days 

2 litrs water

1 Tbsp bicarb

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp sunlight liquid

vigorous shake 

spray the under side if the plant, repeat every 7 days 

Remedy for mildew:
Spray with clean unpasteurized milk

Or

30gram bicarb of soda on 1 liter of water

Ants and bigger insects:
1/4cup molasses on 9liter of water

The fragrance and flavour of basil have made it one of our most popular culinary, household herbs. It also has has many health benefits especially as a cleansing tonic for the system.

There are now so many different type sof basil and what fun it is to experiement with the new varieties and new tastes in addition to the culinary stalwart sweet basil

Growing basil

All basils are equally easy to grow; they prefere morning sun in hot areas and full sun in coller areas. Basil does best in fertile, well composted soil that drains well.

Basil need more water than other mediteranian herbs so should be watered regulalry – the best time being in the morning.

Monthly feeding allows the herb to produce lush leaves and pinching off the growing tips of small plants encourgaes bushy growth.

Annual basil and some perennial varieties are frost and cold – senitives while the perennial pink basil and sacred basil will survive winter of planted in a sheltered, sunny part of the garden.

Basil is a good companion plant for tomotoes repudately increasingl the flavour of the fruit and promoting healthy growth. it also helps repel aphids white fly fruit fly and beetles.

Sowing Basil

Basil germinates easlily and is quick to grow from seed, but should only be sown after all danger of frost has passed.

– Prepare the bed by digging in extra compost, rake it level and remove stones and sticks
– seed can be sown in rows or scatter sown at a depth of 3mm. Lightly firm down the soil and water gently,
– keep the soil moist until germination which usually occurs with in seven days.
– thin out plants until the final ones are 30cm apart. the thinned out plants can be eaten as micro and later baby salad leaves.

Pests
Basil is generally pest free but may be attacked by spider mites aphids and beetles. Too much water and poor drainage in excessively wet weather can make it susceptible to botrytis, which menifest as black patches on the leaves and stems. Deal with insects by cutting back the plant or spraying it with insecticides. Improve drainage by adding milled bark or coarse compost to the soil.

Harvesting
Ideally one should pick the leaves as they are required because they don’t store well in the refrigerator. Leafy stems can be put in a jug or bottle of water and kept for a few days.

To extend the harvest of leaves do not let the plants flower as this can cause the leaves to become bitter. Remove the flowering tops as they appear.

Once your second and subsequent plantings are producing enough leaves for picking allow the first batch of basil to flower so you can enjoy the flowers as well.

In the kitchen

Basil is most associated with Italian and Thai cooking and goes particularly well with tomoatoes, whether fresh or cooked up as sauces. Add the leaves at the end of cooking. The leaves can also be used in salads and to flavour herb vinegar, herb oil and herb butter.

Basil is also the main ingredient of pesto and a good way to preserve extra basil is to blend the basil, olive oil and pine or almonds nuts are required for pesto.

The mixture can then be frozen and the Parmesean cheese added later when the pesto is to be used.

Medicinal Properties

Basil has antidepressant, antiseptic and soothing properties. The leaves can be made into a cough syrup with honey or an infusion can be drunk to help relieve a cold.

Rubbing fresh leaves into insect bites and stings will help relive the itching.

Water melon salad

This simple recipe is perfect for a hot summer’s day. Cut watermelon into chunks then add sliced red onion, a bit of crumbed feta cheese a few fresh basil leaves. Make a simple dressing of 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice with a pinch of salt . Pour the dressing over the slad when your are done

By Kay Montgomery

An attractive verge creates a favourable first impression of your property, but with the needs to save water, this area is often the frst to show neglect. To avoid this, convert it into a water wise garden area.

Rules and regulations.

Where local councils own the land outside your property. Check if there are restrictions or guidelines to planting on your verge. Rules may also apply in gated communities, golf estates and retirement villages.

Ensure that plants on verges do not block the vision of pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. if there is foot traffic, the plants should not have thorns or sharp points. Accept that there will inevitably be some damages by careless passers by children playing ball and people walking their dogs. you might even lose plants to light – fingered gardeners.

Preparation

The most practical way of saving water is to eliminate grass and high maintenance plants and to choose drought -tolerant plants that are local to your area, or plants that grow in similar climatic conditions.

All plants need a good start, so initial soil preparation in important.

Dig a couple of spade depths and improve the soil by incorporating generous amounts of compost.

On sloping verges, prevent soul erosion by growing plants with blinding roots to anchor the soil , such as agapanthus. slopes are ideal for flowers that do not need rich soil, and cannot tolerate wet feet.

Suitable plants include agapanthus, arctotis, Aloe, gazania, mesembryanthemum, protea and leucospermum.

Planting verge

A wealth of indigenous plants is available that are low maintenance water wise and can survive harsh summers.

Low growing plants are achillea arctotis, bulbine, day lily, wild iris, gura,gazania, lambs ear , compact pelargoniums, mesembryanthemum and osteospermum.

Shrubs such as euryops, daisy, felicia, Lavendar, rosemary, santlina, beach salvia , blue sage with blue flowers would be suitable.

where there are no walls, fences or walkways depending on space, trees with interesting shapes such as the wild olive under planted with ape honeysuckle, plumbago, rosemary, westringia, can be gown at street level.

where there are walls and fences disguise them with nectar rich cape honeysuckle and upright lion’s ear.

Ivy pelargonium and overlasting with grey felted leaves given some support can be encouraged to climb walls

Create a pollinating strip

Make your verge environmentally firiendly and connect surburbia with nature by providing a corridor of colourful water wise flowers that will attract bees, butterflies, birds, beetles and moths.

Simple flowers with easy access to pollen and nectar are preferable to double flowers, the wild pomegranate has deep green glossy leaves and orange -red flowers

Flat topped red, yellow lavender and pink act as landing platforms for butterflies and weeping sage and sage wood are flavoued for rearing their young. Moth pollinated flowers are generally whote or plae and strongly scented at night.

If space is limited choose blue, yellow and mauve flowers, such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, streltzia, agapanthus.

The honeybell bush also attracts insects and birds.

Maintaining the verge

• Do not use pesticides or herbicides
• cut back any plants encroaching on pavements or road gutters.
• In periods of prolonged heat, water thoroughly so water penetrates to the root area.
• Water early in the morning while it is cool.
• Mulching saves on watering.

Proteas and pincushions are popular fynbos species, bringing colour to the garden and attracting birds, bees and butterflies.

By Kay Montgomery

if you want to create a beautiful garden, full of colour and a haven for bees, birds and butterflies, than look no further than fynbos.

Fynbos in your garden

popular fynbos families include ericas, restios, proteas and leucospermums (pincushions).

proteass are a very popular and the king protea (protea cynaroides) in our national flower.

The Proteaceae family, which includes pincushions, comprises a diverse range of plants found in southern hemisphere countries like South Africa, Australia, new Zealand, Madagascar and South Ameria. In South Africa the family contains around 360 species.

Proteaceae are beautfiul and diverse plants to include in the suburban garden. They are fantastic living gifts that can be enjoyed year after year.

you will not only be adding colour to your garden but inviting a variety of birds, butterflies and bees to enjoy the garden too.

Proteas are perfect candidates for a mountain slope or rockery. plants need to be watered regularly until established. thereafter, they are a delight to have in the water-wise garden. Pincushions provide stunning colour from late winter through early summer.

both proteas and pincushions are perfectly adapted to local conditions and thrive in a winter -rainfall area. always remember fynbos does best in full sun, the more sun the more flowers

Guidelines for growing Proteaceae

To be successful with fynbos in the suburban garden, you need to consider how plants grow in the wild.

• Fynbos grows naturally in a slightly acidic, sandy soil that drains well. when planting shrubs, do not add compost bone meal or any other form of phosphorus to the planting hole.
• Choose a sunny position, with good air circulation for your plant.
• Proteaceae are best planted in autum or early winter. However, if you want include some pincushions in your garden you can plant them now. Proteas will be availble in nurseries from November in onwards and may be planted then, but plants would need adequate watering to cope with the summer heat.
• After planting add a match layer of wood chips, aged pine bark, crushed rock or gravel around the base of plants.

Mulch helps to

• prevent weed growth and will help to keep the soil cool and moist in summer. Apply a layer of 5cm to 8cm, but keep away from the stem.
• Use the following watering recommendations for newly planted shrubs – water if there has been no rain for a couple of days.
• This is also dependent on your soil type. Sandy soil drains faster and would need more frequent irrigation. In summer, newly planted shrubs must be watered daily or every second day for the first one or two years.
• Never dig around the base of your shrubs – Proteaceae don’t like their roots disturbed.
• when fertilizing established shrubs, do not use fertilizers high in phophates and avoid adding compost to the soil as it can be high in phosphorus and nitrigen which can be toxic to Proteaceae.

The following fertilizers are recommended:

• Seagro fish emulsion can be added according to lowest recommended application rate. Apply twice a year – once after pruning in summer and once in the late autumn.
• Bio Ganic and Bio Ocean 150g – 200g per square metre can be applied twice to three times per year. Spread on the soil surface around the plant. Apply after pruning in late autumn and in the late winter to spring.

Earthworm castings is very diverse in microbes. It is the poo of the red wickler earthworm. Use 1 cup per square meter of soil every 6 months. Just put it over the soil and put leaf mould or compost over it

Mothballs takes away all insects and even birds. Put 5 mothballs in a bank plastic bag with 3 holes in the bottom. Hang the bag in the top op your fruittree or hang it on a pole between your vegetables. To keep insects away. Very good to fight against psylla on lemon trees agricultural lime is very important in the garden to put calcium back into the soil. Use 1 or 2 times per year. There is 3 different types of agricultural lime. Don’t use the dolomitic lime, because of too high amount of magnesium. Rather use claybuster (lime + sulphur) or calcitric lime

 Psylla, aphids, australian mealie bugs or any citrus pest…..spray 2 to 3 times a week with:  1 teaspoon of Scrubbs Ammonia + 15ml of applecider vinegar + 15ml of epsom salt on 1 liter of water. Stop spraying when the flowers start to develop

 To grow citrus trees filled with fruit and no pests: give talborne vegetable fertilizer and 1 cup of earthworm castings. Put thick layer of leaf mulch over it. Spray the leafs weekly with Trelmix….1ml on 1 liter of water

Herbs
grow herbs in containers or include them among other bedding plants. When planting up new containers always use fresh herb potting soil.

Water wise gardening
Mulching is one of the easiest ways to prevent water loss

Roses
Apply a good layer of kraal manure and mulch. Prune in mid – July in the temperate areas, wait until early August in cold frost areas.

For Container Gardening
• Use a container with drainage holes.
• Add enough Culterra Potting Soil
• Ensure the plant is at the correct level.
• Water thoroughly
Plan before planting have patience
Do not be tempted to over plant. Your garden will mature more quickly than you expect

Prune
Cut back frost bitten plants only once the threat of ice weather has passed.

Frost tips
Frost is good for the garden – it breaks up the soil and kills a multitude of pests. Learn to anticipate ba frost these are more likely in a clear still night. On freezing mornings in frost zones washed down seedlings with the hose before the sun reaches them.

Organic Compost
Beneficial organisms such as wood lice, earthworms and other bugs indicate that water is available and that you have a healthy soil. By adding organic matter into the soil you enhance its aeration and drainage making a home for many beneficial organiams.

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