Johannesburg - Gauteng gardens have been drowning under the onslaught of continuous rain.
Ironically, National Water Week (Monday to Saturday March 17 - 22) and World Water Day (Thursday March 20) were celebrated against the backdrop of the Vaal Dam reaching 105 percent capacity and visions of six sluice gates at the Vaal being opened for the fourth time in two decades.
Former US vice president Al Gore was at the Sandton Convention Centre for three days training over 500 South Africans as Climate Reality Project leaders for Africa. In an era of climate change, violent fluctuations in droughts and floods are predicted to become normal.
It’s time to embark on strategic measures to protect the investment in your garden going forward. This has been a wet season - so take time out to prepare and plan your garden for tough times ahead. Take a look at your garden. Can you do more to group plants with similar water needs in different water-use zones?
Water-wise efficiency can be achieved in every garden. Whatever the size of your garden, there are microclimates operating which make corners warm or cold, sheltered or more exposed, wet or dry. Assess your microclimates and consider these when buying plants.
Water-wise
A water-wise plant can survive with little water. The deeper the plant’s roots, the deeper the water must sink to reach them.
Garden centres use a national rating to divide plants into low, medium and high water users.
l “One Drop” plants have low water needs. They include abelia, agapanthus, arctotis, buddleja, Carissa macrocarpa, euryops, felicia, gaura, gazania, lavender, marigold and others.
l “Two Drop” plants have medium water needs. They include argyranthemum, Barberton daisy, Celtis africana, coprosma, cuphea, day lily, dianthus and zinnia.
l “Three Drop” plants have high water needs. They include aquilegia, azalea, camellia, clematis, tree fern, ferns, foxglove and white arum.
The right place
Grow plants that need moisture on the south and east side of buildings and drought tolerant plants on north and west-facing areas. Use shelter from north-facing walls to grow plants that need protection from the cold. Group plants that need the most water near the house, and in containers on the patio.
An enriched, well-drained soil will help with water retention. If a shallow basin is made around newly planted trees, shrubs, and vegetables, water will collect and slowly filter down.
Sprinklers cannot always reach small plants. A hand-held hosepipe is often a better choice for watering. Water tanks that collect rainwater off roofs, and “grey” water recycled from bath and laundry water, can be used to water the garden.
A blanket of mulch 8-10cm thick helps keep soil cool, retains moisture, discourages germination of weeds, and insulates soil from temperature extremes. Organic mulches come in the form of compost, shredded bark, cocoa husks, peanut shells and pine needles will break down in time and return nutrients to the soil. A fabric weed barrier might not suppress all weeds but is more environmentally friendly than plastic.
The right plant
The low, spreading growth habit of water-wise annuals, alyssum, nierembergia, nasturtiums and verbena are useful as edgings, in pots, on banks and between paving. There are also low-growing plants from the Mediterranean with leathery, hairy or narrow leaves that are able to withstand wind, salt spray and drought, and that require minimal water.
Where grass is not growing well, consider paving the area, leaving occasional spaces for plants. Paved areas retain heat, so hardy, heat-resistant plants are the answer. These include arctotis, felicia, festuca, gazania, lavender, rose-mary, strelitzia and verbena.
Grow water-wise plants that are indigenous to your region or have adapted to local conditions. Agapanthus, Anisodontea scabrosa, arctotis, Bauhinia galpinii, bulbine, Eriocephalus africanus (wild rosemary), euryops, gazania, Salvia africana-lutea and tulbaghia need little water once established.
The leaves, stems or roots of succulents have been adapted and modified to store nutrients and water, and to reduce moisture loss. The spekboom (Portulacaria afra) is a 2-3m shrub with succulent stems and leaves, and pink flowers in early summer. It is a useful screen or hedge in dry gardens.
With their striking form and narrow leaves, yucca, cordyline and phormium are useful in low rain landscapes as accent plants among large rocks, in pebble or gravel mulch, and as a contrast with plants of rounded shape.
Silver and grey foliage plants can be used in many places in the garden. When grown amongst red, orange and yellow flowers they help cool down these “hot” colours.
GENERAL GARDEN TIPS
* Rejuvenate soil in the vegetable patch with lots of compost. Plant beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, cauliflower, leek, peas, Swiss chard and turnip.
* Mix Namaqualand daisies with blue flax (Heliophila coronopifolia) for an attractive indigenous early spring show. Sow seed thinly so that each plant can grow without competition from its neighbours, in full sun and in ordinary garden soil. Daisies follow the sun, so make sure they face you and not your neighbour!
* Major Garden’s clivia (Clivia gardenii), named after a Major Garden who discovered this species, blooms in autumn and into early winter. The slightly pendulous flowers are usually orange-red, but there are also apricot and yellow forms. The curved petals are tipped with green. Plant in containers.
* Autumn is the ideal season for planting and moving trees and shrubs while soil is still warm so that they have time to establish strong root systems and settle in before winter. By the time spring arrives, these established plants will send up strong new growth that will stand up well to wind and heat. - Saturday Star