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GARDENING

adequate irrigation. Liquid organic fertiliser
is provided through fertigation.

SUITABLE PLANTS FOR
VERTICAL GARDENS
Tania emulates natural habitats in her
designs and the plants are a cleverly
arranged mix of shade-loving species,
giving the overall feel of a rocky grassland
but focusing on herbaceous and bulbous
plants, along with ferns. A grass species
she knew could tolerate regular drip
irrigation is Andropogon eucomis, the
lovely glittering Snowflake Grass.
Insects seen on or expected to be
attracted to this suburban green wall
with its unusual choice of largely locally
indigenous species are solitary bees,
wasps, moths, hawkmoths, Brown-veined
Whites (butterflies) and honeybees,
amongst many others. Bees are
particularly attracted to flowers with ultra-
violet markings and green flowers such
as the Eucomis autumnalis (Pineapple
Flower) on the wall. Painted Lady
butterflies are attracted to the Lobelia
anceps (Swamp Lobelia), while Crab
Spiders may find camouflage in the yellow
petals of Hypoxis hemerocallidea (Star
Flower). Carpenter bees, which are quite
common in suburban Johannesburg,
favour Chlorophytum bowkeri (Bowker’s
Chlorophytum).

Gaps have been left in the vertical garden
with the hope that small birds will use
these as nesting sites... and there may
possibly be visits from rain spiders. These
negative spaces initially highlight the
diverse shapes of the plants which may
eventually grow into them.

Some other plants on this diverse and
picturesque living wall are Streptocarpus
species, the small spotted Drimiopsis
maculata, Plectranthus madagascariensis
with its white-edged leaves, the small
yellow-flowered Ifafa Lily, Cyrtanthus
pondoensis, and Carissa bispinosa (Num-
num) favoured by fruit-eating birds.
Several Crassula species can be singled
out: C. expansa (Fragile Crassula),
C. multicava (Fairy Crassula) and C.
spathulata (Creeping Crassula) with its tiny
white flowers. Curio rowleyanus (String
of Pearls) makes a wonderful showing,
along with the pink and white flowered
Delosperma sp. Haemanthus albiflos
(White Paintbrush) is another shade-
loving bulbous species appropriate for this
sheltered living wall.
Tania advises that plants should be bought
small but allowed to grow into spaces. The
Vicinity bag holds 3L, and 2L plants are
suggested to start.

Article courtesy of Random Harvest Nursery
For the full blog, visit:
www.randomharvest.co.za/en-us/News-Blog/
Random-Harvest-News-Blog/entryid/5252/
living-green-wall-vertical-garden-for-
biodiversity
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DPL