{"id":23013,"date":"2026-09-02T11:06:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T09:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/?p=23396"},"modified":"2026-09-02T12:01:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:01:15","slug":"sunshine-for-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/blog\/2026\/09\/02\/sunshine-for-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunshine for days!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring is here. Attract birds and butterflies and watch your plants bloom in colour.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

An explosion of blooms and colour<\/strong><\/p>\n

Namaqualand, Nieuwoudtville and the West Coast are barren and challenging for most of the year, stark but still beautiful during the dry seasons. But when the rains come there\u2019s a breathtaking transformation … a landscape blanketed in blooms, creating a explosion of colour. If a trip to see the wildflowers has ever been on your bucket list, Namaqua Self-Drive is an essential.<\/p>\n

Helene Venter has included everything you need to know – from when to visit, comprehensive maps and areas to explore, a flower index and tourist information. There are detailed descriptions on each area, ratings and fast facts. And the photographs are sublime. Page after page of wild flowers that will encourage you to plan your trip. Although the flowers start late July and August, it\u2019s not too late to get there … Namaqualand and the West Coast in particular sees blooming start in September, with some areas extending into October. As glorious for the armchair traveller as it is for the explorer. R895 from hphpublishing.co.za. HPH Publishing<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Indoor plant of the month<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bring Spring indoors with the vibrantly coloured trumpet-shaped flowers of Zantedeschia. These smaller versions of the stately arum lily, range in colour from deep red (almost black) to salmon, orange, yellow and dusky pink. Keep on removing the dead flowers by twisting the stems off at the base and new flowers will emerge. Give them plenty of bright light, even filtered sunlight and keep the potting mix moderately moist. During Spring and Summer, add liquid fertiliser to the water every two or three weeks. Once they die down, the pots can be put outdoors and almost forgotten about until they start pushing up new growth. Feed and bring back indoors when they start flowering. Details: lvgplant.co.za<\/p>\n

Garden tasks for September<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Water and fertilise the lawn to encourage new growth.
\n\u2022 Enrich the soil with compost before planting Summer annuals and perennials.
\n\u2022 Water more often as the days get warmer.
\n\u2022 Roses benefit from deep watering once or twice a week to boost their spring growth.
\n\u2022 Sow summer veggies and annual herbs like basil, rocket, coriander, chives, and dill once the danger of frost has passed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Vegetable of the month<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nothing beats the sheer pleasure of picking fresh cobs of sweet corn, steaming or boiling them in salt water and eating with a knob of butter. Cobs can also be cooked on the braai. Keep on the surrounding leaves so that the corn steams in its own juices.
\nAn excellent sweetcorn for home gardeners is sweetcorn Overland. The tall growing plants produce multiple 14cm to 16cm cobs filled with super sweet yellow kernels, and cobs are ready for harvest within 80 days.
\nTo grow: Sweet corn requires space but is ideal for the back of the vegetable garden. Plant in full sun, in an area sheltered from wind as the plants have a shallow root system and are easily blown over. Enrich the soil with compost. For a continuous supply sow, a row a week from September to December, spacing plants 20 t0 30cm apart. Water regularly and fertilise twice during the growing season. To check if the cob is ripe loosen the sheaf of leaves around the cob and if the kernels at the top of the cob are fully swollen and juicy it is time to harvest. Rather harvest earlier than later so that the pips are not dry. Details: Kirchhoffs or buy online from gropak.co.za<\/p>\n

\"\"We\u2019re planting …<\/strong> Dahlia Dalaya Maxi (Pink Starburst) for its charming double flowers that will enchant the garden all Summer long. This easy to grow dwarf garden dahlia has clean, dark green foliage that is highly resistant to mildew. It will stand out as a centrepiece in garden beds or as a feature plant for the patio. The large blooms attract birds and butterflies. It does best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Plant in compost enriched soil. Regular watering and cutting back will encourage new flowers throughout summer to Autumn. Divide the clumps towards the end of Winter, ensuring that each section has an \u2018eye\u2019 (growing tip). Details: ballstraathof.co.za<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring is here. Attract birds and butterflies and watch your plants bloom in colour. An explosion of blooms and colour Namaqualand, Nieuwoudtville and the West Coast are barren and challenging for most of the year, stark but still beautiful during the dry seasons. But when the rains come there\u2019s a breathtaking transformation … a landscape […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":23014,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,19],"tags":[3478,615,716,10741,10742],"class_list":["post-23013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-homes-and-decor-and-garden","category-lifestyle-travel","tag-garden-tasks","tag-gardening","tag-plants","tag-september-planting","tag-september-plants"],"yoast_head":"\nSunshine for days! - Get it Pretoria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/getitmagazine.co.za\/pretoria\/blog\/2026\/09\/02\/sunshine-for-days\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sunshine for days! - Get it Pretoria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Spring is here. Attract birds and butterflies and watch your plants bloom in colour. An explosion of blooms and colour Namaqualand, Nieuwoudtville and the West Coast are barren and challenging for most of the year, stark but still beautiful during the dry seasons. 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