Indigenous Plant Gardening During the Month of May and June
Winter is a time of rest for our gardens and us gardeners alike. A time of quiet contemplation, sitting next to a warm crackling fire paging through our gardening books and planning some fresh ideas for the prospect of spring just around the corner.
One of my favourite trees is the Coastal Gold Leaf (BRIDELIA micrantha) which gets its name from the beautiful display of golden autumn leaves as well as the striking spring flush of coppery-red leaves. It is a fast growing, well shaped tree with a spreading canopy and has an extensive root system, which makes it idea for controlling erosion along damaged watercourses.
Coastal Gold Leaf
It will grow to about 15 m in the garden at a rate of 2 m per year. In summer the tree bears clusters of berries which attract fruit bats and birds. This tree will perform well in a part of the garden where waterlogging may be a problem.
You may have been impressed by the spectacular display of aloes that are flowering in your area or beside some of the roads you have travelled lately. Aloes are a group of plants that well deserve the resurgence of interest they are receiving at the moment. They make excellent feature plants, add winter colour to your garden, and the nectar attracts many birds and insects.
The French Aloe (ALOE pluridens)
Is a tall-growing species reaching about 5 m in the wild and prefers growing in semi-shade. The leaves are more glossy than most aloes and are arranged in a spiral formation and the flowers range in colour from pinkish-orange to salmon-pink.
It is closely related to the multi-branched Krantz Aloe (ALOE arborescens), which is one of the most widely distributed aloes in South Africa, growing on rocky slopes, cliffs and forests, from the coast to the berg. It propagates very easily from cuttings simply stuck into the ground.
Flowers are orange-red and make a real show as the shrubs become larger. The flowers will attract many sunbirds, so best position your plant where you can appreciate watching these entertaining little birds. Both of the above aloes are flowering at this time of year (May to July).
As a ground cover the Trailing Gazania (GAZANIA rigens) looks particularly good at this time of year. This low-growing plant (200 mm) is quick-spreading and flowers prolifically with bright yellow flowers throughout the year. The leaves are glossy green above and grey-white below. It works very well to stabilise sandy banks and is useful to cover large areas in the sunny, drier parts of the garden. Small beetles and bees are attracted to the flowers. A grey-leafed species, GAZANIA uniflora, is also available.
By Rob Sandy
Published with permission of Chris Wilkinson Graemark