This month, we’re planting… Diascia ‘Diamond’ dark orange because it fits right into Pantone’s colour of the year for 2019.
Flower colours for autumn and winter are always warmer, and this diascia pairs beautifully with indigenous nemesia, pansies, violets and spring bulbs. The new ‘Diamond’ series has larger flowers than the species, grows 20cm high and almost as wide, and are noticeably more upright growing. Besides orange, there is fuchsia, apricot, light pink, red and white. Plants grow in full sun to semi-shade and can be used as edging or border plants, in containers, or as a border for roses.
For more information: www.ballstraathof.co.za
Indoor and patio plant: Bacopa ‘MegaCopa’ white is a great choice for patio hanging baskets or containers. Plants quickly fill a basket, covered with hundreds of beautiful white flowers that glow at night. They flower from summer into autumn and again in spring. In sheltered spots they keep going through winter. This is a long-lasting patio plant that performs well in the heat, and just needs light trimming to keep it in shape. Water daily but less in winter and feed twice a month with a liquid fertiliser. Plants do best with some morning sun or bright indirect light and afternoon shade.
For more information: www.ballstraathof.co.za
Garden tasks for March
- Rake up fallen leaves for the compost or as a mulch for flower beds.
- Water autumn flowering shrubs deeply once a week.
- Pull out tired summer annuals and sow winter and spring flowering annuals like alyssum, snapdragons, Bellis perennis, Bokbaaivygies, Calendula, Delphiniums, Iceland poppies, Evening scented stocks, Lobelia, Namaqualand daisies, Nasturtiums, Sweet peas and Virginian stocks.
- Make a magical Easter egg garden for the kids by planting up containers with flowering annuals as hiding places for Easter eggs. Choose brightly coloured flowers that match the wrappers on the Easter egg papers.
- Fertilise shrubs with 5:1:5 or 8:1:5 to strengthen them for winter. Water camellias and azaleas regularly to encourage the development of spring buds.
- Keep your lawn green during winter by fertilising now with Ludwig’s Vigorosa and water regularly.
Something to read…
Focussing on the most common, conspicuous and showy plants in our country, John Manning’s fully updated Field Guide to Wild Flowers in South Africa highlights more than a thousand species. Hugely informative – including info on plant diversity, vegetation types, a key to identifying plant groups as well as a photo, distribution map and an indication of the plant’s flowering season – this is an invaluable guide for those keen on wild flowers. R390.
