Category: Reviews

Starke Ayres Garden Centre Visit

Post author By Barbara
Post date September 29, 2015

My favourite outing – going to buy plants at my best-loved nursery – Starke Ayres Garden Centre. If anyone has it, they do! A great selection of seeds and seedlings (where I always go to first!) Every plant I have bought here has been well nurtured and tenderly cared for, from the supplier to the helping hands at Starke Ayres Garden Centre.

My first impression was that they support organic gardening, first and foremost. The variety of all things natural – from feeds to pesticides – is heart warming and gives me a secure feeling that I can confidently shop and find what I am looking for. The huge barrel of organic worm tea on tap was a great addition and if I didn’t have my own worm farm, I would be tapping this tea for sure!! The best compost can only be found here – Reliance. When I started my organic gardening, I did a lot of research on compost and the one that came out tops was RELIANCE. The ONLY nursery that originally stocked it was Starke Ayres. So, for being the most progressive in organic gardening…. I shop here a lot.

[one_half]Set in the suburbs of Cape Town[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Great pots and garden accessories[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Indigenous plants display is beautiful[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Seedlings is where I spend my money[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Always full of colour when entering the nursery[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Worm Tea! Keeping abreast with best practices[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Best selection of seeds anywhere![/one_half]

[one_half_last]A true variety for all gardens and homes[/one_half_last]

I forgot to mention that they also have a popular tea garden, with great food and great coffee – so do yourself a favour and spend an afternoon at Starke Ayres Garden Centre, in Rondebosch Cape Town!

To find out more about Starke Ayres, link here.

Happy gardening xxx

Tags garden centre, nurseries, nursery review, Starke Ayres Garden Centre

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

My Visit to Seebauer Garden Centre in Munich, Germany

Post author By Christine
Post date November 4, 2012
7 Comments on My Visit to Seebauer Garden Centre in Munich, Germany

I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to Munich in Germany which included a two-day stop in Paris on the way home. Of all the fabulous things we did and saw over the two weeks, for me, a visit to Seebauer Garten Center was one of the highlights. Even if you are not a plant-nerd, this Nursery is impressive, not just for the sheer size and scale of the offerings but for the quality and presentation of plants. I didn’t take my good camera with me but the little Canon Ixus managed to capture some of the outstanding features of the Nursery, but regretfully, not the size and scale of it all.

The multi award-winning Nursery was awarded “Bestes Gardencenter Deutschlands” in 2005, 2006 and again in 2008 and wow! it shows! Started in 1864 by Georg Seebauer, today it is still run by the family. The love of plants instilled in her ‘in the crib’, the Nursery today is run by his family, at this time by Gertraud Gerstenkorn and her husband Lutz and their son, Bernhard.

Lets take a look around …

[one_half]At the entrance to Seebauer[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I love what they’ve done with these pots[/one_half_last]

[one_half]A look at the potted plant section[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Loved these “soft pots” (fancy grow bags)[/one_half_last]

[one_third]Potted plants display[/one_third]

[one_third]More potted plants[/one_third]

[one_third_last]Ginkgo Biloba[/one_third_last]

[one_half]A highlight for me … the Tree Nursery[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A fabulous Autumn showing of Acer[/one_half_last]

[one_half]This display was simply beautiful [/one_half]

[one_half_last]I really, really want one of these![/one_half_last]

[one_half]Bamboo – We thought of you, Alan 🙂[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Beautiful grasses – a stunning display[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Rows and rows and rows …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And more rows of beautiful plants[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Beautifully displayed plants …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]I came away inspired and full of ideas[/one_half_last]

[one_half]This was my favourite display – ‘Heide’[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Lots of ideas and beautiful plants[/one_half_last]

Looking back at these photographs I now wish I had taken the fancy camera. I have really not done justice to this impressive Nursery with my amateurish photos. The Tree Nursery, for example, spreads out at the back of the centre and looks like a little forest – row upon row of magnificent trees, all in their finest Autumn wear. It was a beautiful sight. I could have bought so much …

We stopped off for tea at the Cafeteria which was upstairs and afforded a birds eye-view of the centre (and a few little birdies joined us for tea).

[one_half]My Mom getting us tea at the Cafeteria[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Even the grown-ups keep texting!![/one_half_last]

[one_half]In the Cafeteria at Seebauer[/one_half]

[one_half_last]A view from the top level[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Another view from the upper level[/one_half]

[one_half_last]They had plenty of Roses on display[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Everything here is accurately labelled[/one_half]

[one_half_last]An impressive range of hardware[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Rows and rows of pots and decor[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Not a speck of dust, anywhere[/one_half_last]

I had to get special permission to take photographs which was given to me after I had signed a register and explained that I was a tourist from South Africa. It took incredible self-restraint not to go completely crazy in here. I could honestly have bought so much if I were allowed to bring this back to South Africa. Sadly, it is not permitted to bring plant material back home, understandably so. But it was great fun imagining and I came home with lots of ideas. First one is that I absolutely have to get an Acer Palmatum for my garden. They thrive in the same conditions that Azaleas do well in, so it seems like a no-brainer for my garden. And perhaps a Ginkgo Biloba too? How beautiful they looked together here.

[one_half]The Orchid display was impressive[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Orchids seemingly everywhere[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Orchids and accessories[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Start of the fake flower section[/one_half_last]

I did buy a few odds and ends of the non-plant variety. They had an impressive ‘Christmas Shop’ and I couldn’t resist a grow bag. My daughter’s wish for artificial Cherry Blossoms was realised – they had the most impressive range of silk flowers I have ever seen. I’m not a lover of fake flowers, but these impressed even me, so I squashed and bent 10 huge sprays of fake cherry blossoms into my luggage and after 24 hours of resting they are standing tall and proud, ready for a massive glass vase – Daughter loves them! I think I do to …

Tags garden centre, nursery, nursery review, Seebauer

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

Book Review – Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners

Post author By Christine
Post date September 26, 2012
5 Comments on Book Review – Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners

Today I am once again I’m joining Holley of ‘Roses and Other Gardening Joys‘ in doing a monthly book review on a favourite gardening book from my personal library. My chosen book this month was a Birthday present from my Brother last year – and how I love this book.

Exoting Planting for Adventurous Gardens by Christopher Lloyd & friends is a beautiful book full of rich colourful photographs showing the exotic plantings of Great Dixter. My copy is hard cover with beautiful glossy photographs and has pride of place as a “coffee table” book in my living room.

[one_half]Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Book by Christopher Lloyd & friends[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Master Gardener, Christopher Lloyd[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Pages from the book …[/one_half_last]

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[one_half]The view from my ‘reading sofa’[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Sherrie keeps me company on a rainy day[/one_half_last]

I haven’t tried to replicate any of his work (i know my limitations), but it is an inspiring, beautiful book that will enthrall any avid gardener.

From the book sleeve

Christopher Lloyd (1921 – 2006) was one of the twentieth century’s most influential and adventorous gardeners. Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners tells the story of his exotic garden at Great Dixter, which has delighted, and sometimes shocked, summer visitors since it replaced an eighty-year-old, Lutyens-designed rose garden. The bold foliage of palms was combined with handsome, cut-leaved sumach and arching New Zealand flax; statuesque cannas and bright dahlias, threaded with mauve verbena and infilled with annual climbers, added dazzling color from June until the first frosts; and the whole feeling created was one of being wrapped in a voluptuous living community.

For everyone who loves Christopher Lloyd, this book is an unexpected bonus. His last and most adventurous work was almost complete at the time of his death in 2006, and a handful of his gardening friends gladly finished the task. Illustrated with stunning photographs by Jonathan Buckley, Exotic Planting for Adventurous Gardeners both inspires and instructs. Few gardeners will be able to resist Lloyd’s call to “do something outlandish, to splash out, and be freer than ever.”

About Garden Bloggers Book Review

Garden Bloggers Book Review is a monthly meme hosted by Roses and Other Gardening Joys (20th day of the month). Whether its vegetable gardening, flower gardening, specialized gardening, design, landscape, or even fiction (that includes a garden, such as ‘The Secret Garden’), Holley invites you to share your take on the garden books you have read. “Each of our gardens are different, and each of our tastes in garden books will probably be different – but I think if we tell what we like (or not) about each book, we can get a good sense of the books we might want to add to our collection”. Join Holley on the 20th of the month and share one of your books with us all.

Tags book review

Barbie's garden Gardening Home page features Miscellaneous Perenniels Reviews

Biodiversity showcase garden

Post author By Barbara
Post date August 3, 2012
4 Comments on Biodiversity showcase garden

Cape Town is internationally known as a biodiversity hotspot with many species occurring nowhere else in the world. The Biodiversity Garden in Green Point, Cape Town was built around the World Cup Stadium in time for the Soccer World Cup (2010). I took my sister (the one visiting from Australia) to this Showcase Garden last week where we learnt about all the elements making up biodiversity through a series of themed gardens. Instead of learning by being bombarded with wordy information boards, the design of these gardens incorporates appropriate planting schemes and visual displays that highlight the different elements of biodiversity through a combination of interpretive signage and public art which has been provided by local artists.

Enjoy with us as we took the various “trails” through the garden.

[one_half]The most amazing wire works[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The art was all over the gardens[/one_half_last]

[one_half]The indigenous grasses were spectacular[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The city lies behind this tranquil place[/one_half_last]

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[one_half]The world cup stadium in the background[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Play park for the older children[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Best mind the signs![/one_half]

[one_half_last]Bushman element also portrayed[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Trails lead you to endless vegetation[/one_half]

[one_half_last]My favourite Chasmanthe is a sunbird magnet[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Can you see the dragonflies?[/one_half]

[one_half_last]The threat to biodiversity through art[/one_half_last]

The Biodiversity Showcase Garden in the Park is at once educational and entertaining. The Garden will showcase a variety of indigenous plants that display the region’s unique biodiversity, as well as demonstrate environmentally responsible gardening and horticultural techniques.

To learn more about this splendid Biodiversity Garden – click here, and if you need a place to stay when in the Cape visit Cape-Venues Accommodation in Cape Town.

The entrance is free, and in summer the garden is open from 7am to 7pm.

Hope this inspiring garden gets your garden gloves out and your gum boots on! Happy Gardening xxxx

Tags Biodiversity Garden, Cape Town Garden, garden, grass feature

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

April Book Review – Foliage by Nancy Ondra

Post author By Christine
Post date April 22, 2012
8 Comments on April Book Review – Foliage by Nancy Ondra

Once again I’m joining Holley of Roses and Other Gardening Joys in doing a monthly book review on a favourite gardening book from my personal library. I was originally introduced to this particular book by Cathy & Steve of Our Garden Journal when they reviewed this book last year. After reading their glowing report I promptly ordered the book and was not disappointed when it arrived. Foliage, by Nancy Ondra ticks all the boxes when it comes to great gardening books. Written by Nancy Ondra with photography by Rob Cardillo, the cover will entice you to delve deeper into the art of combining plants based on their foliage to create wonderful “pictures” in your garden.

As a new gardener it didn’t take me too long to realise that experienced gardeners obviously knew things I did not. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t emulate the stunning garden beds I was seeing and realised I was missing something … and then slowly the penny dropped. Creating a stunning garden is not just about flowers and plants. It’s about how you combine the plants to create something that not only works well in nature but creates a garden scene that is pleasing to the eye.

In fact, what really appealed to me about this book is that I already had a lot of the plants featured in it. Putting them together in the right combinations to create a fabulous garden was what I was about to learn from the book. Flowers come and go – insects or the weather can destroy seasonal blooms seemingly overnight – but predictable foliage in great combinations will set the scene or background for a wonderful landscape that is not dependent on pretty flowers.

You don’t even have to read a single word in the book – just paging through it and seeing the effects created by combining plants based on colour, size, shape and texture will have new gardeners itching to get outside to change things around.

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The book is organized by colour and texture with each chapter explaining the characteristics of plants chosen for the singular appeal of their varying foliage. Colours range from, my favourite, brilliant Chartreuse to blues, silvers and the darker colours like the reds, maroon and blacks. Size of foliage and shapes of leaves (e.g. spiky, bold, medium and fine) with surface textures varying from rough to smooth or satiny, and outlines that are smooth, ruffled, irregular or uniformly even – all this is covered in this wonderful book.

Rob Cardillo’s amazing photography has to be mentioned here. With the range of colours and textures as captured by his camera, it doesn’t take a novice long to realise that season-long interest in the garden depends on the foliage of the plants you choose and how you combine them that creates the base of a stunning garden. Get the foliage plants right and then the plants you choose for flowering in combination will create magic!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about gardening with foliage and how to create a year round garden that is beautiful.

About Garden Bloggers Book Review meme

Tags book review, books, gardening books

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

March book review

I’m quite pre-occupied with my pond make-over project at the moment so I’ve been perusing “pond” books at the book store and have even bought a few. Most have been fairly useful, in one way or another, but none has actually motivated me to make the changes to the pond I know are necessary. Until I walked past a second-hand book shop and decided to look in and see what gardening books they have.

I stumbled on and old book by Peter Robinson entitled Pond Basics, paged through it and was sold. It’s a real little treasure for anyone who is completely new to pond maintenance or has decided to build a pond feature and has no experience. It’s really basic which is exactly what I need at this stage.

I’ve found the book very useful. Having read this book and used it as a starting point, I have now managed to plan what I want to do with the pond and have broken in down into a step by step list that I’m tackling one task at a time. So we now have actual “Project Pond” Progress! The book is divided into 9 sections and covers Planning; Excavation and Installation; Moving Water Features; Decorative Features; Wildlife; Planting; Plants; Troubleshooting and lastly, The Pond Year.

I have to admit that the reason this book helped me so much is that it had plenty of examples of water features that have similarity with mine, in terms of size, position and shape. I was able to start visualising what my Pond or Water Feature really could look like using the examples and combining ideas (coupled with suggestions I’ve been given by gardening friends – Amongst others, Alocasias and Cannas are on my shopping list!).

The section on plants and ‘how tos’ (where, when and how) has also helped me to create a plan for my ponds planting and how I am going to tackle it all. Well written in a get to-the-point, simple way I appreciated the troubleshooting section and the pond year which gives guidelines on how to manage the pond and what to expect in all the seasons. All this information made me realise that I can do all this by myself (mostly, might need help erecting the trellises), but it’s now a project I am capable of doing myself and I think may look quite nice once I’ve finished.

[one_half]Pond Basics Contents[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Introduction to Pond Basics[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Nicely illustrated with photographs[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Planning tips & requirements[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Many different types of ponds[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And examples of ponds I liked[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Different plants types[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And a trouble shooting section[/one_half_last]

My copy of the book is a hard cover version, published in 2004 by Bounty Books. I’ve checked Amazon and it’s available at Pond Basics by Peter Robinson on Amazon.co.za as a paperback.

I recommend this book to new gardeners who have little or no experience with a pond or water feature and are interested in adding one to their garden.

What gardening books have you read lately? Join Holley and friends the March Garden Book Review meme and share one of your gardening books with us!

Happy gardening!
xxx

PS: In my next post I’ll be showing a short video of the Starlings enjoying my pond!

About the Garden Bloggers Book Review Meme

Tags book review, books, gardening books

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Products Reviews

Lets talk about Mulch

Rooibos and Bark Mulch - Both are beautiful

Today I tried a product that completely blew me away. I am thrilled to have found Rooibos Mulch by Carmién Tea (based in Citrusdal in the Western Cape) and I want to tell you a bit about it.

[note_box](For our foreign visitors that are perhaps not familiar with Rooibos: Rooibos – Afrikaans for “red bush”; (scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos. The plant is used to make an herbal tea called rooibos tea, bush tea (esp. Southern Africa), redbush tea (esp. UK), South African red tea, or red tea. The product has been popular in Southern Africa for generations and is now consumed in many countries – source: Wikipedia)[/note_box]

A few weeks ago I saw Rooibos Mulch for sale at a nursery and saw someone walking out with a few bags. I was curious. I stopped the friendly gardener and asked her about it and she pretty much raved about it to me. As I had just finished laying bark mulch all over my garden so I decided against buying any that day but made a mental note to try out Rooibos Mulch before the next time I need to mulch all my beds.

Coincidentally, a few days later I received a mail from from Lize at Carmién Tea offering me a few free sample bags of their rooibos mulch, with no strings attached. I responded, admitted that I was considering using it and I offered to pay for a few bags to trial it. A few days later a charming young man delivered five bags of the mulch to me as a gift. The correspondence was clear – I would trial it and if I felt that way inclined I would blog about it giving my honest opinion.

So where to use? My vegetable planters have never been mulched with anything other than compost, I’ll give those some of this mulch. In the garden I have been pulling out spent annuals and overgrown ground covers, so I have a few blank spots of exposed soil that could do with some fresh mulch.

I decided to compare the Rooibos Mulch with the mulch I have been favouring – Bark Mulch. After all, the objective is to see which one I will use next time my entire garden needs mulching again.

I will let the photos do the talking …

[one_half]The trial gets underway … Rooibos vs Bark[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Lets compare. Both look very nice[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Close up of Rooibos Mulch[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Close up of the Bark Mulch[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lets compare them in a flower bed[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Rooibos and Bark Mulch – Both are beautiful[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Before in the veggie planter …[/one_half]

[one_half_last]… and After with the Rooibos Mulch[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Lovely between pavers and dainty flowers[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Suberb around tender plants and blooms[/one_half_last]

[one_half]A newly mulched veggie container[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Surrounding the Lemon Grass[/one_half_last]

My “Wind Trial” shots

It was quite windy today. I only realised after I’d cut the bags open that it was gusty out. How would the wind affect the laying of the Rooibos mulch which is so much softer and lighter than the bark chips? Well lets see …

[one_half]Photo of the loose mulch taken at 16h18[/one_half]

[one_half_last]And taken again at 17h15. Not much change[/one_half_last]

Rooibos Mulch – What did I like?

It looks really fantastic! I love it! I think it looks better than the peach pips I used once and the bark mulch I currently use.
Compared to bark mulch, this was extremely gentle on the hands. I did not need to wear gloves to lay it! Wonderful!
It went down easily!! Much easier to put down than bark. Firstly, the bags are lighter and it is easy to control the flow of the mulch out of the bags as opposed to having to handle the bark to lay it. And it pours beautifully!
When laying bark I have to be careful around tender, soft little plants that I don’t damage them or even cover them completely if they are tiny. The Rooibos Mulch went over seedlings that are about 3cm tall without ease and without disturbing a single seedling. Fabulous!
Between pavers it is amazing! No mess, no fuss! Try laying those big bark pieces between a 3cm gap between pavers. Can’t be done if you want it to look nice. The Rooibos Mulch went into the gaps with ease, looks fabulous and I made hardly any mess (see Photo number 9 above – mulch laid, no cleaning afterwards).
You cannot easily “sprinkle” bark mulch around. Rooibos Mulch sprinkles easily so you can lay mulch even in hard to reach little places. It can be sprinkled over and around plants.
Its totally organic!
Snails dislike the slightly sharp stalk edges so its a good biological pest control. I have quite a snail problem so this is great news!
But … The VERY BEST Feature of Rooibos Mulch is the smell when you water it … OMG! It is absolutely wonderful to get the subtle smell of Rooibos when you water on and around this mulch. I’d buy it just for that!

What didn’t I like?

Not a single thing. Zero. Zip. Nudda.

My Verdict

I am very tempted NOT to tell you where to get it because I want to keep this little secret all to myself! Just kidding, but Im going to be a upset if they can’t supply me when I order my next load of mulch in September because y’all have bought every last bit of Rooibos Mulch in the country! I fear that once this product becomes known there will be a shortage! Please leave me some then I’ll share my secret …

Contact details for Carmien Tea

To order the Real Rooibos Mulch, contact the farm directly on:
Telephone: +27 (0)22 921 3405/7 or via e-mail admin@carmientea.co.za
The bags cost R6.00 per 3kg bag, excluding delivery. (Those are 3kg bags you see in my photos).
You can get the full details, all the features and benefits etc. from the website at: Carmien Tea – The Real Rooibos Mulch.

PS: This product is going to the very top of our “Recommended Products” list which you can see here: Recommended Products by The Gardening Blog.

Other Benefits of using Rooibos Mulch

Rooibos mulch forms a crusty layer on the soil after a few waterings. This layer reduces water loss through evaporation and is thus ideal for reducing stress on young transplants and contributes to considerable water saving in gardens and potplants.
A 10 – 15% better growth was observed on young plants when using the rooibos mulch.
The mulch is a natural organic product and will not harm the environment – it is attractive and will not blow away once watered thoroughly.
The tea reduces germination of weeds through formation of an insulating layer above the soil, thus facilitating cleaner seedbeds and potplants.
The leachate, which is low in tannins, is beneficial to plant and root development. Tea has been used by gardeners since Grandma´s days for maintaining healthy growth.
Mixed with potting soil, it provides an excellent growing medium – light and well drained.
PH is between 5 and 5.5 – ideal for plants requiring slightly acidic medium. Bonemeal or lime can be added to modify pH for plants requiring more alkaline conditions.

Tags apricot kernel mulch, mulch, rooibos mulch, sheet mulching

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

The Complete Planting Design Course – February Book Review

Post author By Christine
Post date February 23, 2012
4 Comments on The Complete Planting Design Course – February Book Review

For this month I’ve chosen to do my book review on a book by Hilary Thomas called “The Complete Planting Design Course – Plans and Styles for every garden”. I first came across the author when I did a distance learning course about garden design and Hilary Thomas was the tutor. At the time I blogged about the course here and at the end I decided to buy the book by Hilary. I’m really glad I did.

It’s a pretty comprehensive book that helped me to view plants in a different light (or with fresh eyes). The chapters / subjects were very similar to what we covered in the course, so for those who don’t have the time to do a course and submit assignments etc., this book is great as it covers pretty much everything we learnt on the course. From initial vision to finished planting, the book clearly explains the practical steps, considerations, opportunities and decisions that need to be taken. This process can be applied to ones own gardens, and it will also help you to take your skills a step further into other people’s gardens!

The key subjects covered are:

understanding plants in design
How to get the most from your site
Planting ideas for every style
Finding a theme for your location

According to the book blurb, once you’ve read this book and put into practise what you learn, you should be abl;e to design a garden. Once you understand colour, shape, texture, and form and know how to use these to best effect in a garden setting you will soon be designing your own garden and then you’ll be moving on to designing for your family friends. You will learn to create expert planting schemes using your newly learnt skills and techniques.

What I liked most about the book (and the course) is that Hilary taught me to look at the garden in a new way. Instead of planting for planting sake I learnt to plant for year-round interest. I learnt how to choose and combine plants for specific effects, for year-round color and interest, for drama and movement and to overcome site difficulties. The book is beautifully illustrated (photography by Steven Wooster) and chapters are divided and subdivided in a very simple, easy-to-follow way. I regularly pull this book off the bookshelf as the photographs are very inspiring and I seem to learn something new every time I pick up this book.

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About Gardening Bloggers Book Review Meme

Tags book review, gardening books

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

“Grasses” by Nancy Ondra – A Review

Post author By Christine
Post date January 19, 2012
12 Comments on “Grasses” by Nancy Ondra – A Review

Grasses by Nancy Ondra with photographs by Saxon Holt

This month I’m joining Holley of Roses and Other Gardening Joys in doing a book review on a favourite gardening book from my personal library. From front cover to back, “Grasses – Versatile Partners for Uncommon Garden Design” by Nancy Ondra with photography by Saxon Holt, is a visual feast. Even if you don’t read a word of this book you will be inspired to start gardening with ornamental grasses – the photography and layout of the book had me hooked from page one.

But it’s not just about the visuals. Here is why I think you should add this book to your library of gardening books …

The photography is outstanding. These are not just photographs of random grasses, they are photographs of skillfully designed garden settings where grasses (often in combination with perennials and other plants) were used to create scenes that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but, for want of a better word, WOW! I’ve added a few photographs below to show what I mean about the huge “Wow” factor this book created in my mind, before gardening with grasses was something I’d seriously considered.

The blurb on the cover says “Select beautiful ornamental grasses, combine them with perennial flower and other garden plants and care for them so that they look great year-round. Photos, plans and plant lists for 20 unique garden designs, along with more than 160 colour photographs, provide inspiration for using ornamental grasses in a variety of garden settings“. This books certainly delivers.

The book is divided into four distinct sections; Getting to Know Grasses, Colour Palettes, Seasonal Usage and Selecting for Location. In her usual very well written and conversational style, Nancy takes us through the ABC’s of gardening with grasses from identifying grasses right through to designing with and caring for grasses in your garden. Section one looks at the different types of grasses, flower forms, growth cycles through to choosing the right grass for your site. She further goes on to discuss how to plant, vare for, divide and finally cut back your grasses to ensure the best year-round display.

Easily my favourite section of the book, the second section; Colour Palettes; looks at the various hues and shades of grasses from reds, coppers, bronzes to steel blue and silver. Each colour group is dealt with in-depth and a list of examples with descriptions is provided. Throughout this section the author and photographer provide us with wonderful inspiration in the form of outstanding photographs of colour and plant pairings with a small design detail indicating the plants used (see example in the fourth photograph below).

The third section of the book looks at using grasses in combination with perennials and other plants in any garden setting or gardening style and shows how to use grasses to create the look you want to achieve in your garden.

Finally, section four will assist you in making the correct selection for various sites (the recommendations for dry, wet, hot and shaded sites are very useful). For every garden element, from borders, pathways, and containers to location challenges such as shade, slopes and for privacy, this book offers descriptions to aid in specific grass selections and planning considerations. You will find easy to use reference lists showing you which grasses work well in different situations and under varying conditions such as hot, dry sites, shaded areas and moist and wet sites.

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Even non-gardeners will appreciate the coffee-table book quality of this wonderful book and will agree that the photography by Saxon Holt is inspiring. Most of the photographs of grasses are taken in combinations with other plant materials so you get the feel of the various grasses in the landscape. I’d rate this as a “must-have” in any gardening library. If you only buy one book this year, get this one!

Now pop overr to Holley’s blog and see what other books have been reviewed this month: January 2012 Gardening Book Reviews

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Tags book review, gardening books, grasses

Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Reviews

SA Garden Magazine on my wish list

Post author By Christine
Post date December 12, 2011
7 Comments on SA Garden Magazine on my wish list

I’ve been reading the “other” South African gardening magazine for a few months now. This one is simply called SA Garden and has the tagline – earthbound ◊ practical ◊ inspirational. The December issue was outstanding – packed full of info, and I read it from cover to cover so I thought it would be worth mentioning here, for our local followers!

SA Garden changed their layout a few months back and the new format is great! Clean, concise and beautifully illustrated – exactly what you expect from a gardening magazine. It has all the usual newsy bits like “letters from our readers”, a page on hot trends for inside and out, book reviews, product reviews, a section on going green, etc. etc., and then we get to the articles.

What I love most about a magazines is that when they do a feature it will give you far more information than a general gardening book does and the info is geared to local growing conditions. “In Full Bloom – Hydrangeas”, written by Nick Stodel covers all the ins and outs of growing Hydrangeas successfully. I’ve been babying my Hydrangeas (which I think I mentioned previously were earmarked for composting) so the article was well timed – its a wonderful four page spread with all the info I could possibly need to successfully nurse my Hydrangeas back to full splendour. Another favourite article in the mag is “How to Espalier Fruit Trees”, which gives step by step instructions (backed up with photographs) and diagrams of the different Espalier shapes (v-shaped, cordon, horizontal T, Belgian fence, etc.). Very informative – I’m inspired to give it a try!

I loved the article of the gardens at Sudeley Castle, once the home of Queen Katherine (last wife and widow of King Henry VIII). The gardens are beautiful and I got lots of inspiration from this beautifully laid out five page spread and the stunning photos. Other highlights in the magazine are the articles by Ludwig Tascher and Keith Kirsten and “In December: What to do in your garden” – also by Nick Stodel. (What a great writer – I hope he becomes a regular contributor). Other articles I enjoyed reading were: Herb of the month: Bergamot’s healing and insect-repelling properties; In full harvest: Mangoes; From garden to table: Try our summer fruit-inspired dishes; Décor: Pool play – some beautiful, doable pool trends and tips; and lastly, Nitty-Gritty: Shades of chic – sun umbrellas, gazebos and other clever shade solutions.

26 full length, informative articles besides all the regular bits and pieces, competitions (5 in total) and a few other promos kept me out of the garden for a good few hours but I returned outside inspired to keep gardening, even in the heat of summer! Well done SA Garden for a great December Issue! Your best yet!

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SA Garden has now officially become my new favourite gardening magazine, so if any of my sweet family members happen to read this, I’d love to find a subscription with my name on it under the Christmas Tree!

Disclaimer: This is an unsolicited review, I was not asked to review the mag and I pay for all my magazines myself!

Website: SA Garden Magazine
FaceBook: SA Garden on Facebook

Tags magazine, SA Garden