Jhb North - Feb 24

The design trend of naturalistic
planting is gathering steam. It
makes use of swathes of grasses
and perennials that add movement,
texture and colour, combining
indigenous and exotic water
wise varieties.
In South Africa, succulents should
not be left out of the mix and thanks
to them we have developed our
own style of naturalistic planting,
together with indigenous grasses
and perennials such as agapanthus,
wild irises, kniphofias, crocosmia,
indigenous daisies, gaura, daylilies,
and salvia.
While naturalistic gardens appear
to be wild and free, they actually
need careful planning and placing to
achieve the desired effect. However,
once established they are low
on maintenance and sustainable,
needing only to be tidied up in
winter or spring. It’s all about
diversity, working with nature and
local conditions, letting nature take
the lead. The fun part is when plants
self-seed and each season brings
new surprises.
We’re going vertical ...
with indoor plants that trail or climb.
It could be that all available indoor
table space has been taken, so we are
left with air space. The bonus is that
hanging plants are less likely to rot
because of better air flow, and most
are happy with minimal water.
Naturalistic planting including succulents
Bee-friendly flowers including Sunflowers and cosmos
One of the stars of trailing plants are our own indigenous senecio String of
Pearls. Also look out for trailing monstera Adansonii and Siltepecana, as well as
trailing philodendron Minima and variegated Hoya.
We’re nurturing ... pollinators and garden wildlife, and although this has been
on gardeners’ radar for a while the threat to habitat posed by climate change,
keeps this a priority.
Dwarf mandarin
And one can see this by the interest in
naturalistic planting, the highlighting
of bee friendly flowers and the move
towards pollinator friendly organic
and biological insecticides. The next
time you visit a garden centre look
out for pollinator plants like salvia,
rudbeckia, buddleia, cosmos, yarrow,
sunflowers, alyssum, single or double
roses, lavenders…the list goes on!
We’re cultivating ... edimentals,
which is the term given to plants that
are both ornamental and edible, such
as the dwarf patio citrus, gooseberries,
striking foliage plants like artichokes,
rhubarb, and shrublike perennial
herbs like lemon verbena, pineapple
sage, rosemary and lavender.
The nice thing about edimentals is
that they are mostly trees, shrubs
or perennials which are hardier,
and easier to look after than annual
vegetables. From an aesthetic
perspective they can be easily
incorporated into a garden, adding
texture, form and colour.
As you can see, plenty of room
for eco-optimism!
February 24 Get It Magazine 29
Text: ALICE COETZEE