“Why are you still working at your age? You should be resting and enjoying time with the people who are important to you.” My answer to this well-meant question recently was, “What else would I do? I live my work.” This reminded me of my musings in a previous newsletter; in January 2018, it turned out.
A nursery, like any other retail business, calls for regular restocking. Perhaps this is a chore for other business owners, but I must confess that my regular expeditions to stock up on plants are one of my favourite parts of the job.
To start with, there is the pleasure of getting out of town and driving through the lovely countryside where most of my sources are located. The fun of sharing trade secrets and gardening gossip with plant suppliers is followed by the supreme satisfaction that only retail therapy can bring. Then there is the leisurely drive home with jolly flower heads bobbing in my rearview mirror and perhaps a gorgeous perfume filling the car. And if a friend comes along for the ride, the three or four hours of uninterrupted conversation are the cherry on the top. The irritated, world weary faces of the drivers around me as I head back into town just add to how blessed I feel to be doing what I do!
It is rather sad to think that for many people, work is something they can’t wait to leave behind so that they can eventually really start enjoying their lives. There is certainly plenty of humdrum routine and boring admin about running Petal Faire, but I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. The joy that the plants bring me and the companionship of the gardening community enrich my life more than idly sitting around ever could.
IN THE GARDEN
The garden seems have responded a bit too well to the strange weather we have had. Lebo got stuck in with the secateurs and cut back many overgrown shrubs and perennials, and we have also had to move some that were outgrowing our small garden. When I walk out in the early morning I almost feel as though I am entering a different world with all the insects, bees and butterflies flying around, but the plants are healthy and pest free.
Stigmaphyllon
Calamentha nepeta
Euphorbia cotinifolia
Stemadenia littoralis
Barry Slabbert recently sent me a photograph of the thunbergia grandiflora used as a cover over a pergola. It works so well, with the large vibrant leaves and the stems of the clusters of flowers just long enough to give a cascading effect.
Pergola draped with thnubergia grandiflora
Needless to say, it took no more than 24 hours for a spot at our pergola to be cleared and a blue and white thunbergia to be planted on either side! Both plants are growing nicely - tied up with fishline. We will hopefully become slightly more innovative with our supports, and will post pictures in a month or two.
IN THE NURSERY
Click here to view all the plants in this newsletter on the website.
Indigenous plants
Bauhinia galpinii is useful as a screen or to cover a pergola, but can also be pruned into a gorgeous shrub. Evergreen and hardy, this robust trailer with lobed leaves and brick red flowers from spring to summer, reaches three metres in height and wants full sun. Indigenous to Mpumalanga.
The multi-stemmed approximately 50cm high perennial Chironia laxa has wiry stems, slender leaves, and bright pink star-shaped flowers in summer. Evergreen and very hardy, it likes full sun but moist soil.
Senecio oxydontus is a scandent shrub that grows about 120cm high and has lovely feathery foliage and panicles of yellow flowers from spring to autumn. Evergreen and very hardy, it is happy in sun or semi-shade.
Another Senecio worth considering is Senecio voigtii – Ezra. This is a gorgeous perennial with soft scalloped variegated leaves and clusters of yellow flowers from autumn to spring. Evergreen and semi-hardy, it reaches an average height of 60cm and likes sun or semi-shade.
Exotic plants
Amsonia tabernaemontana is a multi-stemmed deciduous herbaceous perennial with upright stems, strap-like leaves, and true blue flowers in spring to summer (from whence its lovely common name of woodland blue star). It is very hardy and is happy in sun to semi-shade. Plant it now for a glorious display next summer.
One of the joys of autumn is Japanese anemone flowering season. The sprays of slightly cupped pink flowers of Anemone – September charm attract butterflies and do well in the vase. A suckering clump-forming deciduous perennial with oval palmate mid-green leaves, it is very hardy and reaches about one metre in height with its flower stems. Plant in semi-shade.
The bright yellow flowers of Reinwartia indica guarantee winter colour in the garden. This upright semi-hardy evergreen shrub with finely toothed grey green leaves grows about 90 cm high and likes part shade.
As the name suggests, Thunbergia grandiflora alba is the form of the vigorous evergreen climber that has white flowers, not the more familiar mauve. It flowers from summer to autumn and wants full sun.
SNIPPETS
After already having been through heatwaves and floods in the first two months of 2023, it feels as if we can look forward to sitting back and enjoying the balmy autumn days that lie ahead.
We still have some Seabright chickens for sale if you have been postponing taking us up on the offer in our last newsletter. They really are dear, and earn their keep by controlling the snail population in the garden without being at all destructive in the flower beds.
One of our handsome Seabright roosters
Happy gardening!
Leoné
082 482 0257