THE year has slipped quietly into March, bringing an official end to summer and the start of autumn.
With the weather a little cooler, my indigenous garden seems energised. Last month it was predominantly green but suddenly all sorts of interesting plants are starting to flower, adding a variety of colours to all the lush greenery.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Invasives and Natives: February in the indigenous garden
I have a number of different Plectranthus species and, as autumn sets in, they are making the most of their time to shine. Many of them are shade loving and their flowers, ranging from white and pinks to mauves and blues bring pretty colour and interest to the less sunny corners of my garden.
Ernst van Jaarsveld’s beautiful and informative book on this fascinating genus is entitled ‘The Southern African Plectranthus – and the art of turning shade into glade’. It perfectly describes what these lovely species achieve when planted at the foot of trees. I have many little Plectranthus ‘glades’ in my tree-filled garden.
A rather special little plant, the Hibiscus pedunculatus, also known as the forest pink hibiscus, is starting to bloom, its bright pink bell-shaped flowers putting on quite a good show. A small, neat shrub, this plant only lasts a couple of years but it spreads its seeds generously. Once it has established itself in your garden you will never be without this cheerful little plant.
A useful and rather striking plant, the Metarungia longistrobus, has sudden burst into flower, its unusual golden brown flowers calling for attention.
Its common name is the sunbird bush and, as its name suggests, the nectar rich flowers attract nectar-loving birds. However, I find it a magnet for bees as well.
Also striking golden notes in the March garden are my Strelitzia reginae or crane flowers, sun lovers that grow easily in sunny corners. Both the regular orange ones and my much-loved ‘Mandela Gold’ variety are looking stunning at the moment. Like the sunbird bush, they have plenty of nectar and are magnets for birds and insects.
Whatever month it is, gardening always involves constant vigilance against invasions of unwanted plants. This month, I have been waging war on a colony of Rivina humilis or bloodberry.
It is an insidious perennial herb that creeps into the garden, often unnoticed then covers itself in sprays of little white flowers and hundreds of small red berries. This invasive alien from South and Central America, invades forests, river bank and urban green spaces. It is such a pest when it manages to establish itself in a garden. I seem to have managed to rid my garden of all or most of the mature plants but no doubt the zillions of seeds will start sprouting as soon as I turn my back.
Keeping alien invasives at bay is a never-ending but necessary battle.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
For news straight to your phone, add us on BBM 58F3D7A7 or WhatsApp 082 421 6033
