Page 19 - The Villager May 2021

Gardening

Grewia flava – Brandy Bush/Rosyntjiebos. The common name for this plant, Brandy
Bush, is quite apt as the delicious fruit of the small to medium-sized shrub is used to
make ‘Mampoer or Moonshine’. This shrub bears impressive numbers of yellow star-
shaped flowers with fluffy-looking stamens in the middle. It can be pruned into a tiny
tree or kept as a bushy shrub. Another attractive feature is its grey-green leaves. It’s
a marvellous wildlife-friendly plant that can be used as a focal point in your garden.

Sclerochiton odoratissimus – White Lips. This attractive
shrub is medium-sized and can be used in both large and
small gardens as it takes well to pruning to keep it to the
size you need. You can even trim it as a formal hedge. It
has glossy, dark-green leaves and masses of white flowers,
like tiny hands, that are streaked with purple lines. When
Maytenus undata – Koko Tree/Kokoboom. In autumn, this in flower in autumn and again in summer, it is a sight to
beautiful, extremely hardy small tree bursts into flower. The behold. An added bonus are the many insects that visit
flowers are small but carried in attractive clusters. The fruit that the flowers. You can plant it in a sunny position or in semi-
follows splits to reveal bright red seeds. This is an irresistible shade – it can even tolerate damp conditions.
tree for a smaller garden.
Erythrophysa transvaalensis –
Crocosmia paniculata Bushveld Red Balloon. This large
– Zigzag Crocosmia/ shrub or small tree has wonderful
Waaierlelie. This lovely, grey-green feathery leaves and
deciduous, bulbous plant bears beautiful spikes of pink and
is extremely hardy and green pendulous flowers. These are
hails from the grasslands followed by large, inflated, papery
around Dullstroom. It has seed pods that turn bright red with
attractive, pleated leaves age. Although the pods contain
and can be planted in large black seeds, they are as light
clusters in a grassland as a feather. This helps with seed
garden or as a backdrop dispersal. The pods will eventually
to a pretty ‘Cottage break up, and the seeds will drop
Garden’ styled flower and sprout where they fall. They
bed. This is a bulb that grow naturally in rocky areas, in
will pleasantly surprise full sun, so they are perfect for
you when it pops up in planting on koppies or rocky slopes
the spring. – although they do equally well in
normal garden conditions.

Enjoy your autumn garden and all the seasonal changes that are happening.
For more information, visit the Random Harvest website: www.randomharvest.co.za, or call 082 553 0598.

The Villager • Issue 5 2021 • 17