Now is the time to tidy up, protect plants and plan for the months to come.
The Garden Planner Journal and Log Book is a complete gardening organiser notebook for garden lovers, helping to track vegetable growing, gardening activities and plant details. R407 from takealot.com
Garden tasks for June
• Depending on the temperatures, water winter annuals once a week or every second week and spring bulbs once a week.
• This is the best time to move roses, shrubs and perennials that are in the wrong position.
• Protect young plants and newly planted shrubs and trees from frost with a frost guard cloth.
• Service the lawn mower and clean and sharpen garden tools.
We’re planting… Nemesia Nesia (Tutti Frutti)
Nemesia Nesia is a colourful garden companion for pansies, poppies and violas or a pretty container plant for the patio. Its large multi-coloured flowers provide a lovely show and cover the neat compact plants. Plant in a position that receives full sun in Winter and semi-shade in Summer. These are problem-free, easy-to-grow plants that are not shy to flower. Deadheading and regular watering will help to prolong flowering. Details: ballstraathof.co.za
Veggie of the month
Lettuce mini greens is the perfect veggie to grow if you need your salad fix throughout Winter. It’s a colourful mix of red and green lettuce varieties in a range of colours, textures and flavours. The mini leaves can be harvested within 15 days from germination and the leaves are highly nutritious, more so than full-sized lettuce leaves.
Sow the lettuce quite thickly in a large seed tray, cover with plastic wrap and germinate in a warm, sunny room. The plastic wrap should act like a mini-hot house and keep the soil moist during germination. Once the seed has germinated, remove the plastic wrap and move the seed tray to a warm sunny and sheltered spot. You can start cutting the leaves when they are 5cm high but make sure to leave at least 1cm above the ground so that this cut-and-come-again lettuce can resprout. Details: rawliving.co.za or buy seeds online from gropak.co.za
Winter plant cover – nonwoven frost protection with good light transmittance and air permeability so that plants can fully photosynthesise. Size 78cm by 52cm. R614 from takealot.com
Take a close look at the unusually patterned leaves of the Crocodile Fern (Microsorum Crocodyllus) and you’ll understand why it’s name is so apt. Its sure to be a talking point, as its large, glossy green leaves are striking in any setting. A mature plant can grow up to 90cm. It likes a warm, steamy or humid room with bright indirect light. It would be good for a bathroom or near a window, as long as it doesn’t get direct sun on its leaves. Keep the soil lightly moist, and let the topsoil dry slightly between watering. Details: lvgplant.co.za
Article and images by Alice Coetzee.
