Leonotus, also known as wild dagga, a reference to the mild psychoactive properties of the plant. This popular garden shrub is widepread in South Africa and in addition to it’s many medicinal properties attracts sunbirds to it’s bright orange inflorescences.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, Eco-friendly, flowers, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, Plants, Sustainable
Calpurnia aurea being attended to by a pollinator. This small evergreen tree is indigenous to the eastern cape, natal and gauteng provinces of South Africa. It grows to 4m. It is fast growing and produces yellow pea-like flowers from 2yrs, making it the ideal ‘instant’ tree. It can be pruned into a compact shape and is frost tolerant.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, Horticulture, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, organic, Plants, Sustainable, Trees
This popular garden shrub attracts birds and butterflies to it’s tubular flowers, especially sunbirds!
It makes an effective hedge when trimmed but bushes out if left natural. Farmer’s encourage it’s growth along fences where it is kept in check by grazing animals.
Also called Cape honeysuckle, it is widely cultivated and very easy to propagate from cuttings or root suckers or runners.
It likes semi-shade to full sun, is drought tolerant and should be pruned back in late winter to encourage new growth.
The species occurs naturally in South Africa, Swaziland and southern Mozambique.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s award of garden merit.
Plant with Plumbago.
Posted in FEATURED PLANTS
Tagged Africa, flowers, Indigenous plants, Medicinal plants, Plants, Sustainable, water-wise
The carrier handle on this wine box makes a good plant tag !
Grass Roof
Succulent Garden
Succulent Garden
Succulent collection
Succulent Nursery
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Eco-friendly, flowers, Indigenous plants, Plants, Succulents, Sustainable
Hanging Hessian planter at Towerkop Nursery
Tagged Bio-degradable, Plants, Recycling, Succulents, Sustainable
Wall Garden
I made this wall garden for a client as a feature to distract from an imposing wall. I recycled some left over and damaged guttering (the square type).
How to construct the wall garden:
I cut the guttering into equal lengths and fitted each length with end pieces so each length becomes a container
Be sure to drill drainage holes before affixing them to the wall
Drill holes for drainage
The gutters are the spaced equally on the wall, marked off and attached by their own brackets.
Fix the gutters to the wall equidistant
The wall was north facing in a hot climate, so I built a screen to shade the wall garden in summer but allow the winter sun to reach the plants. To do this I positioned the gutters vertically but this is not necessary. They could also be arranged in a stepped pattern, for instance.
Screen made from fencing poles
Screen attached to wall
I then cut chicken wire to fit the bottom of each gutter over the drainage holes to hold the soil and prevent the drainage holes from becoming blocked.
Each gutter is filled with soil
I then filled the gutters with first gravel, then finer river sand, then composted ground to assure good drainage.
Water the soil in well and begin planting.
Planting
Water in well
Group plants in each container
Recommended plants:
I recommended smaller hardier plants at the top and plants with more foliage at the bottom to avoid a top-heavy look
Gutters 1-2
Glottiphyllum longum
Echevaria (Desert Rose)
Stapelia sp.
Hawarthia sp.
Sedum sp.
Aptenia cordifolia
Crassula sp.
Gutters 3-5
Senecio sp.
Geranium
Epiphytes (Air plants)
Bulbinella
Nustertium
Gazanias
Strawberries
Lobelia
Posted in ORGANIC PRODUCE
Tagged Eco-friendly, Plants, Recycling, Sustainable, water-wise
Towerkop Nursery 