I was introduced to Afri Orchids by Urna Stevenson from the Orchid Farm Stall In Alkmaar some time ago. I was so impressed by the range and quality of the plants that I needed no persuading to make my first visit to the nursery just outside Nelspruit after a lovely few days in Kruger recently.

I also had the excuse that our orchid stock was a little depleted – I must confess at least partly because my purchases have tended to find their way into the house instead of the nursery!

The expertise and care with which Jolisa and Lourens Grobler run their nursery is a delight and an inspiration. They have been growing orchids for more than forty years and in that time have collected a large variety of rare and interesting species. In the last few years, they also started growing seedlings from their own seed stock.

The Afri Orchids team pride themselves on selling only well-established plants that have been cultivated with the utmost care.  Their next Open Day is on 5-6 October. Well worth a visit.

IN THE GARDEN

I think all gardeners in the Southern Hemisphere walk through their gardens at this time of the year and say, “this is the best it has ever been!”  I certainly do – although we have had a few hiccups this year.

The beautiful ranunculus bulbs I planted seem to be more spindly and less vigorous than in previous years. We will have to consult the diary to see when they were planted and start thinking about what the reason could be for their almost stunted growth. The very cold winter, perhaps?

Secondly, the Orlaya grandiflora seeds we always scatter throughout the garden at this time of the year all seem to have come up right next to where we planted some carrots.  Now we have to wait to see whether the huge patch of beautiful green leaves will produce white flowers or a not very happy carrot harvest! As it is, some of the Orlaya seedlings potted up in the nursery seem to have suspiciously orange roots.

Carrots or Orlaya?

And then, the new puppies….  In addition to completely destroying all our water plants in the front garden, they are extremely enthusiastic earth excavators!

Ixia hybrids

Alstroemaria

Hypericum Gladys Brabazon

 

IN THE NURSERY

Click here to view all the plants in this newsletter on one website page.

Indigenous plants

The white climbing sage, Buddleja dysophylla, is a very hardy scandent shrub/climber with lovely grey-green leaves and sprays of scented white flowers from autumn to winter. It grows about 3m high and is happy in sun to semi-shade.

The very hardy perennial Gomphostigma virgatum has lovely silver leaves on slender stems and spikes of white flowers all year. This is a bog plant which needs up to 20cm of water above its crown and should be pruned back hard after flowering. It reaches an average height of one meter and is happy in sun or shade.

Pavonia praemorsa is a fast-growing upright evergreen shrub with tough stems and roughly textured leaves. Apricot buds turn into pale yellow flowers that attract birds, bees and butterflies. Indigenous to the Eastern Cape, it likes full sun and dry sandy soil, and flowers all season. It grows about 1.5m high.

The gorgeous white star-like flower clusters of the Chincerinchee (aka Ornithogalum thyrsoides) are a popular ‘ingredient’ in floral arrangements. This hardy deciduous bulb with smooth soft-textured leaves likes full sun but moist soil. It flowers in summer.

For the spring-minded gardeners out there, we also have sparaxis, tritonia and ixia bulbs for sale in 15cm pots.

Exotic plants

Cistus x corbariensis is an bushy upright Mediterranean shrub that enjoys dry sandy soil and full sun. An evergreen hardy approximately one meter high plant with crinkled oval leaves, it offers white flowers with yellow stamens which attract butterflies to the spring garden. .

Hydrangea serrata – Grayswood is a lovely 1.5m high deciduous shrub with large bright green leaves and flat flowerheads with white florets gradually changing to deep pink from the outer tips. It blooms in summer and, like all hydrangeas, likes semi-shade and responds well to acid soil.

The clump-forming perennial Libertia formosa has a basal fan of spiky sword-like leaves and spikes of white bowl-shaped flowers in summer. Evergreen and very hardy, it likes full sun and moist soil.

Sobralia macrantha is a gorgeous terrestrial orchid with bamboo-like stems, veined leaves and cattleya-type lilac pink flowers in summer. This is a semi-hardy plant that is happiest in shade to semi-shade and moist soil. We have plants in 18cm pots.

SNIPPETS

At the risk of sounding like a globe-trotting lady of leisure, I will be away again for two weeks towards the end of this month, but Lebo and Sandra will be happy to show you around our new selection.

We will be doing our last batch of online orders on Monday 23 September. If you place an online order after that I will arrange for plants to be put aside and we will send invoices and despatch them after I arrive home on 11 October.

FUN FACT

Did you know that vanilla – that indispensable ingredient in many recipes from desserts and cakes to perfumes comes from two orchid species? The beans produced by Vanilla planifolia and Vanilla tahitensis can take up to nine months to reach maturity, after which they are dried and cured.

  

Happy gardening!

Leoné

082 482 0257