Category: Design

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Christine's garden Design Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous Products

Non-plant garden things and some non-garden plant things

Non plant Bird Bath

Hi Barbie – your post about Non-plant Garden Things you did last week motivated me look around the garden and see what photo-worthy “Non-Plant garden things” I have. I have a few but I don’t have as many as I would really like. Right now I’m dreaming of a statue for my deep-shade garden, maybe a fair maiden carrying a water jug, surrounded by some lovely ferns and moss, a few lillies at her feet, you get the picture? But when I mention that idea here at home I get raised eyebrows and weird sidelong glances, so I haven’t pursued it any further. But I’m sure my gardening companions would welcome it – for Hercules it would be another spot to watch for possible bird landings and as for Dexter … well, he’s been to known to cock a leg at strange objects and another would suit him just fine I’m sure.

But besides imaginary garden statues, what do I actually have? Here are a few favourites …

Non-Plant Garden Things

[one_half]Froggie (he’s tiny, about 6 inches)Froggie[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A place to read …A place to read[/one_half_last]

[one_half]And one to sitA place to sit[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The hidden bunnyThe bunny[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Still new, the bird bathNon plant Bird Bath[/one_half]

[one_half_last]For the BirdsBird Nest[/one_half_last]

Posting these few favourite items that live in my garden but are non-plant related made me think a bit about the things that are not in the garden but are plant related. Are those classified as “Non-Garden Plant Things”? Like all the gardening books I’ve managed to collect in the last few months, the  now well-thumbed sample “Gardening Journal” I use daily and my watering can? What about my lovely chest that holds all my gardening paraphenalia and the iPad Apps for gardeners? Can I post those too? heck, you know what … this is my blog and I can post what I want to – so here we go …

Non-Garden Plant Things

[one_half]Lots of magazinesMagazines galore[/one_half]

[one_half_last]and plenty of booksGardening books[/one_half_last]

[one_half]iPad Apps for gardenersiPad Apps for Gardeners[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Gardening journalGardening Journal[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Plant things insidePlant stuff inside[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Watering CanA Watering Can[/one_half_last]

Enjoy the cooler weather and have a lovely weekend!
Happy Gardening
xxx

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Annuals Barbie's garden Design Gardening Home page features

The great big gardening makeover!

Grasses

Hi Chris, I have been so busy with work and stuff this past week, I hardly had a moment free! So now I have to catch up on all my posts I have been saving up! I am so inspired and excited to let you in on my BIG gardening makeover. After our trip to Elgin I have been reading and researching on grasses and paths and designs and permiculture. I am ready for a totally new garden. I have even inspired my wonderful hubby – when he took one look at the beautiful grasses I bought at Fairholme Nursery. I also wanted a tree for this area and remembered I saw this beautiful tree when we took that trip to the Cape Garden Centre and I fell in love with this one tree. I had to know what it was – asking the nursery staff for the name. I knew I had to have it. Then you told me about this place that sells big trees!!! Yes, I went to Trees-SA in Stellenbosch today to order my tree – the Leopard Tree/Brazillian Ironwood. Well, I am so in love with this tree I had to have TWO! So they are going to deliver them next week! Yey! You will love this place! We have to add this to our list of places to visit!

So here is PART 1 of the Grass Feature Project! We are removing the overgrown lavender bushes in the front of the garden. The next post will be on the grasses. This is going to be a beautiful feature! I can’t wait to show you the final look! Here you can already see the grasses all lined up on the deck and I’m giving them a watering! You can also see the dried river bed feature I added to this bed when the lavender was still small. You could not see it anymore, so just as well the lavender is now gone.

[one_half]Old lavender[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Hubby help[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Clean patch[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Grasses[/one_half_last]

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Christine's garden Design Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

A Garden Pathway

Pathway

PathwayHi Barbie – this one is especially for you. Here are the photographs of the garden path you asked me to take at Fairholme Nursery in Elgin on Wednesday. I love this look too and am seriously considering doing something like this in my back garden. The lawn I have there is not really doing it for me anymore and it guzzles huge amount of water to keep it looking even half-way decent. That’s before I even mention that it is not growing well in some of the very shaded areas. I think something like this would be a good low-maintenance, water-wise solution for that whole area, and a bonus is that I could plant some more pretty perennials on the right hand side seeing as I am running out of space in my garden for all the plants I would actually like to have!

It’s just an idea at this stage – I’ll wait and see how my lawn does in the next few months and see how you do your path!

[one_half]The pathwayThe Pathway[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Detailed viewPath detail[/one_half_last]

Happy creating!
xxx

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Barbie's garden Design Gardening Miscellaneous

Plan for the front patch

Drawing

DrawingHi Chris, Your suggestion about adding grasses into my front patch has really got me thinking. I’m going to totally revamp this old lavender patch – shame, they have had a good 4 years. So – I am going to pull all that out and start fresh! I sat having a coffee and sketched out, more or less, what I see for this front section. I have the dry river bed effect that has already been done (just totally hidden by the lavender) and adding grasses beside it and my special Leopard tree in the one corner, bringing in some hight and a tree in the front area. I just love the look of this tree. The patchy bark and the soft foliage. Just beautiful. But the winner will be the selection of grasses. I have to be very careful with this to get the right effect! I would appreciate any professional advice on this topic. Me being a total novice at this!

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Barbie's garden Design Gardening Home page features Products Reviews

The Magic Seeder

Magic Seeder

Magic SeederHi my friend. I had the chance to test the Magic Seeder you bought for me – and what a GREAT product! You know how I find the whole process of sowing the seeds and then having to separate the seedlings quite difficult ….. when they are so delicate. I also tend to put too many seeds down and when they grow, the mass of seedlings are too compact, reason for the need to separate them. I end up leaving them as is and find it stunts the growth of all the new seedlings. Not a good way to start new life!!

So this little gem of a product is just the best!! AND I don’t get my hands full of dirt! I was able to plant my seeds in the seedling trays in a jiffy! No mess no fuss!

It’s called the Magic Seeder and is new in South Africa. It is a simple to use and extremely efficiet hand-held seeder. It can cope with seeds up to 2mm in size.It is ideal for accurately sowing seeds in plug trays, pots or seed trays. It is also used by the Royal Horticultural Society.

To order one at R79.95 contact Dani at dani@ecofootprint.co.za or visit the website at http://www.ecofootprint.co.za/. You can also see exactly how to use it! I see that the Gardening Magazine had an article on it!  It should be for sale in EVERY Nursery and in every gardeners toolbox! I highly recommend it! What a nifty gadget!

Happy Gardening!!

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Design Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous

Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

Water Lily at Stellenbosch Botanical Garden

Water Lily at Stellenbosch Botanical GardenA dear friend of mine, Wanda of the award-winning South African Eco-directory and blog, Urban Sprout, sent me these photographs she took on a recent visit to the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden. She has very kindly said I may use the photos here on the blog to show our non-South Africa friends this very small but gorgeous garden tucked away in the second oldest town in the Cape. As I was born in Stellenbosch, this picturesque town has a special place in my heart, added to which it is utterly charming, lies surrounded by mountains and is arguably one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa. (In case anyone is interested there is lots more info here: Stellenbosch Attractions).

But the point of this post is not to wax lyrical about the town of my birth, but to share these lovely photographs and some information about the Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens. The Stellenbosch Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanic garden in South Africa. The Garden is beautifully maintained and includes three glass houses (tropical-, succulent- and karoo houses), Lotus lily / Koi fish pond, Japanese Garden, Herb Garden and arboretum. The garden is widely regarded as an open-air laboratory and serves as a centre for training, science, conservation and recreation. For this purpose, rare plants have been imported from all over the world. The garden is small and compact, but time and again visitors are surprised by the atmosphere and the variety of plants and plant products found here.

The Photographs (you can click to enlarge them):

[one_half]Entrance to Stellenbosch Botanical GardenEntrance to Stellenbosch Botanical Garden[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Beautiful walkways in the GardensWalkways in Stellenbosch Botanical Garden[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The Water fountainFountain in Stellenbosch Botanical Garden[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Little boys watching the tadpolesPlaying in Stellenbosch Botanical Garden[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Water ‘succulents’Water succulents[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Echinacea and bedsEchinacea[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Shady tables & chairsSBG[/one_half]

[one_half_last]”Coffee shop”Coffee Shop at SBG[/one_half_last]

Wanda says … “One is immediately transported into a fairyland world of roses, ferns, herbs, medicinal plants, reeds, bamboo, bulbs, trees, shrubs, bromelias, asters, fountains, sculptures, aquatic plants, olives and koi fish. The small garden (only 1.8 hectares) is the oldest university garden in the country and prides itself on being an educational garden, with both indigenous and exotic plants in amongst the specimens at which you can marvel. And it’s a sight for sore eyes.”

So if any of our new friends from Blotanical ever travel to South Africa, you will undoubtedly find yourselves in the Western Cape. A visit to the Cape Winelands is almost mandatory and it would be my privilege to show you the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden. Just let me know!

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Christine's garden Design Home page features Miscellaneous

Unusual Planters

Unusual Planters

I love creative gardening – you know, when people do creative things in their gardens with plants and planting vessels. Like these two old boats filled with vegetable plants and the other with Nasturtiums. A friend of mine was in the little fishing village of Paternoster on the Cape West Coast recently and they stopped off for coffee at a little place called “Oep vir Koep”. (For our non-South African readers, “oep vir koep” literally translated that means “open for buying”). Its a very quaint little place and popular because of its uniqueness. Here you can buy local delicacies such as fig preserve, snoek, bokkoms, koeksusters (a sweet pastry) and other local brands.

I would love to get something really unique and different to place somewhere in my garden … maybe an antique wheelbarrow overflowing with some pretty flowers!

[one_half]

Boat with Veggies

Boat with Vegetables[/one_half]

[one_half_last]

Boat with Nasturtiums

[/one_half_last]

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Barbie's garden Design Do it yourself Gardening Products Reviews

The DIY Planter

DIY Planter

DIY PlanterHere is the Planter you gave me for my birthday. I just love it! It works beautifully and I so love this that I am going to make more for the garden – they are simple to put together. And now that you have given me your dimensions, we are going to be busy building a whole lot of them. They are waist high, so you have an easy reach when you pick your ‘salad’ for lunch and no pests. What a pleasure.

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Design Miscellaneous

The Nogg Urban Chicken Coop

Nogg Chicken Coop

I just stumbled across this Urban Chicken Coop by Nogg and thought you might like this. If I was going to have chickens (would love to, but Dexter & Hercules … well, you know!) I would so get me one of these for them to live in. How cool and stylish is this?? The blurb goes … A stylish & sculptural piece of garden furniture with breakfast thrown in!

Here is a review I found about it …. “The prefabricated chicken coop from British designers Matthew Hayward and Nadia Turan offers an alternative to the traditional chicken houses of yesteryear. Dubbed The Nogg, the egg shaped chicken coop appears to focus on aesthetics over long-term functionality and practicality. Any chicken farmer, urban or otherwise, knows that the key to chicken health is a well-ventilated spacious coop that is easy to keep clean. The Nogg is constructed from locally sourced cedar and features a glass top for sunlight and ventilation“.

I think its über-cool, but it might not be the best thing for the chickens it seems …
Website: http://www.nogg.co/

[one_half]

Door open – Nogg Coop

Nogg Chicken Coop[/one_half]

[one_half_last]

Door closed – Nogg Coop

Nogg Chicken Coop[/one_half_last]