Southern Africa's Indigenous Plants

Seductive Jasmine...

Plant Jasmine and experience the delight of a very fragrant spring and summer garden. The sweet fragrance of the jasmine flower makes it a welcome plant in many gardens. The plant parts have several uses from making tea to perfume, cosmetics, medicines and food flavourings. The name Jasmine is derived from the Persian yasmin which means ‘a gift from God’ — so named because of the intense fragrance of...

Alluring Agapanthus...

Easy-to-grow Agapanthus produce glorious clusters of lily-like blooms that last throughout the summer. The six or so species that comprise the genus Agapanthus (African Lily) are found growing wild along the coastal belt and inland mountainous regions of southern Africa. These clump forming perennials have been collected from their natural habitats and developed into many spectacular garden hybrids that adorn landscapes...

Magnificent Floral Dinosaurs...

The ancestors of today's proteas were present hundreds of millions of years ago. The Proteaceae are an ancient family, probably one of the oldest groups of flowering plants. Scientific probes into the early history of plant‑life have shown that the ancestors of today’s proteas were present in Gondwanaland long before it began breaking up 300 million years ago. Paleontological studies indicate that this...

Gratifying Gerbera daisies...

In the right conditions, the plants will flower for many months through summer and into winter. Vividly coloured Gerberas (also known as Barberton daisy or Transvaal daisy) are highly decorative and have a long flowering season. They are ideal for indoor arrangements because they last for a long time. The familiar and attractive Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii) is a member of the Compositae family. The genus, Gerbera...

Strelitzia — the Bird of Paradise or Crane Flowe...

Strelitzia is an easy plant to grow in the garden. This striking perennial is one of South Africa’s most successful plant exports! It forms sturdy clumps of grey‑green banana‑like leaves and boasts unique and wonderful bird‑like orange‑and‑blue flowers. STRELITZIA REGINAE The fascinating blooms of Strelitzia reginae are sold as cut flowers by the million. In Los Angeles strelitzias are so extensively...

Fantastically easy ferns...

There are at least 10 000 species of ferns growing throughout the world. In shady places, and in containers on verandahs or indoors, ferns create delicate patterns of green and mix well with other shade‑loving plants. Ferns are among the most ancient plants on earth, first appearing over 400 million years ago. They reproduce by means of minute spores, which usually develop on the undersides of the...

Superb Scabiosa...

Scabiosa bloom from late spring through to the first months of autumn Easy-to-grow Scabiosa must be one of the prettiest garden flowers. Growing in small clumps, the flowerheads stand above the foliage, gently moving with the slightest breeze. On warm summer days, butterflies are often seen on the flowers, for Scabiosa is one of their favourite nectar plants. The Dipsacaceae or Scabious family is found in...

Clivia — an elegant winter bloomer...

Clivia flowers are usually orange with yellowish centres, but there are forms that bear scarlet, dark red, salmon, and yellow flowers. Clivia is a wonderful flowering plant. Elegant and imposing, it’s easier to grow than an orchid and more unusual than an amaryllis. A Clivia plant will produce dense clusters of lily-like flowers. Equally important, the strap-like, dark evergreen leaves are virtually blemish...

Growing heathers and heaths...

Easy-to-grow heathers bring year-round colour to gardens in almost any climate. Heathers are incredible plants that offer real value for money. As a group they flower all year round and individually can be in bloom for several months, with few other plants able to rival the winter-flowering forms for sheer flower power at that time of the year. The flowers vary from the purest white, through pinks and reds...

Grow a Butterfly Garden...

When quizzed on the subject of butterflies a small child was heard to say, 'butterflies are worms with wings'. Well, that about explains it! Butterflies are among the most beautiful and interesting creatures on Earth. By planting a butterfly garden with all of the right kinds of plants and flowers that butterflies love to feed on and lay eggs on, you will certainly have a yard full of butterflies throughout...

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About This Site

Gardening really is fun (even though it requires a certain amount of work). To have a wonderful, colourful show garden you don't have to be a garden specialist or know all the Latin names for plants. Here we aim to provide easy to understand guidelines, tips and ideas for gardeners living in the southern hemisphere and other temperate regions. The site is filled with useful monthly gardening diaries, events news, plant profiles, special sections on trees, shrubs, herbs, succulents, vegetables, indigenous flowers and plants and more. We will constantly be adding more content, so come back often and explore the many categories and pages — remember its all about fun!

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