Spruce up your spring garden
The Fish Hoek Garden Club will be hosting its annual Garden Expo and Flower Show at the Fish Hoek Civic Centre on Saturday October 5, from 9.30am till 2pm.
The club’s Sally Britten said there will be a “spectacular display” of spring flowers grown in club member’s gardens as well as beautiful floral arrangements.
The stalls, she said, will be varied including mosaics, garden ceramics, fertilisers, an Ikebana display, wrought iron work, and some home-made treats. Entry is R20 a person.
In the spirit of spring, Henry Fenn, the grandson of the late Harry Goemans and garden club committee member, shares some spring gardening tips for the southern peninsula to beat the sand, wind, and dryness.
He said with the warmer weather and longer days, it is the perfect time to refresh your garden, lawn, and veggie patch.
• Brighten your flower beds
Start by deadheading winter annuals like pansies and violas, and replace them with vibrant summer flowers like petunias, zinnias, snapdragons, and alyssum. Indigenous plants such as clivia, with their striking orange, red, and yellow trumpet-like flowers, will bloom in September, adding vibrant colour to shady spots. Now is also the ideal time to plant summer bulbs like gladioli and dahlias, ensuring a dazzling summer display.
• Revitalise your lawn
After a rainy winter, lawns may need a little TLC. Clear away dead leaves and spread a thin layer of topsoil to promote new growth. For bare patches, reseed or use grass plugs to restore a lush appearance. Alternatively, consider low-maintenance grasses like LM/Berea for semi-shaded areas, or replace grassy areas with groundcover plants, wooden decking, or pavers.
• Feed your plants
Early spring is essential for feeding plants to encourage healthy growth. Apply 2:3:2 or organic chicken manure to promote root growth in lawns and leafy plants. Flowering plants and fruit trees can benefit from a balanced fertiliser like 3:1:5 for strong blooms and a fruitful harvest. For roses, an 8:1:5 fertiliser will ensure a spectacular bloom by October.
• Protect against pests
With spring comes an increase in pest activity. Protect fruit trees from codling moths and fruit flies by spraying after 80% of the petals have fallen, safeguarding bees in the process. Citrus trees should be monitored for woolly whitefly, which can be managed with water sprays or insecticidal soap.
• Get busy in the veggie garden
Spring is the perfect time to plant your vegetable garden. In September, sow beans, sweetcorn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants, while October and November are ideal for planting cabbage, bush beans, and pumpkins. Warm-season crops like tomatoes and cucumbers thrive in the region’s spring climate, making them garden staples.
For continuous harvests, he said, plant all-season crops like beetroot, carrots, and lettuce which are all easy-to-grow options that provide fresh, nutritious produce year-round.
• Add herbs and coastal-friendly plants
Herbs like sweet basil, coriander, and parsley are great additions to your spring garden, as they attract pollinators, boosting your crop yield. Coastal gardeners can enhance their landscapes with hardy, indigenous trees like white karee and sweet thorn, or shrubs like sagewood and Cape honeysuckle, which attract butterflies and birds.
“By preparing your garden now, you'll set the stage for a beautiful and bountiful summer garden. Whether you're planting new bulbs, sowing veggies, or nourishing your lawn, these spring gardening tips will ensure your southern peninsula garden flourishes,” Mr Fenn said.
