Spend time in your garden awakening your senses with the sweet scent of Gardenia and peppery taste of Summer Savory
We’re planting… Celosia Sol for its foliage that becomes a brilliant shade of burgundy or mix of burgundy-green when planted in full sun. Although this celosia does produce pretty flowers at the end of summer, it is primarily a foliage plant. It’s also a low growing shrubby plant that is ideal for beds and borders and in containers. The burgundy Lizard Leaf and mixed colour Gekko Green contrast well with sunny yellow marigolds, zinnia, petunias and sun coleus. It needs at least six hours of sun to bring out its colours and soil that drains well. Water regularly but allow the soil to slightly dry out before watering again. Fertilise once a month. Details: ballstraathof.co.za
Indoor plant of the month
Did you know that sweetly scented Gardenia can be grown indoors as well as on the patio? All it needs is to be near a window that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and feed once a month with a fertiliser or liquid feed at half strength, for acid- loving plants. It doesn’t mind being trimmed after flowering to keep it in shape. Cut off dead flowers to encourage new ones. If you need to repot, do it when the weather is cooling down and the plant is semi-dormant. Details: lvgplant.co.za
Herb of the month
Summer Savory (Saturega hortensis) is a hot, peppery herb, with subtle notes of thyme, mint and marjoram. It’s a robust herb that stands up to long slow cooking and adds flavour to red meat, game and poultry dishes as well as to vegetables. It can be mixed with other herbs when marinating meat for the braai. The very young leaves add zest to salads.
This annual summer herb, which has small, delicate light green leaves, grows in full sun or semi shade. Sow seed directly into the soil. It does best in light, loamy soil that drains well and has been enriched with compost. For a bushy, multi-stemmed plant, pinch off the growing tips when the plants are about 15cm tall. Use the tips in salad. Once established this is a heat and drought tolerant plant.
Details: kirchhoffs.co.za
Garden tasks
- Identify a place for sweet peas because next month is the time to start preparing a bed for them • Lightly trim lavender, pelargoniums, and other bushy plants that need tidying up
- Agapanthus and irises that need dividing can be thinned out now • Water camellias and azaleas regularly as they are setting buds for spring • Water containers daily and feed with a liquid fertiliser at half strength every second week • This is the last month to sow basil if you want a harvest before Winter.
