Gardentalk Issue 1, 2017

INSIDE Hedge with Buxus • Mulching made easy • Children’s gardening • Attracting bees to your garden • Edible herbs and vegetables • GardenShop Menlo Park

FindGreeneryyour

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GardenTalk is published on behalf of GardenShop (Pty) Ltd by: First Wave Media ccTel: 011 640 7354Web: firstwavemedia.co.zaPostal: PO Box 28845, Sandringham, Johannesburg, 2131

Contact us on 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N

(427336)

Editor: Deborah Helee-mail: deborah@gardenshop.co.za

Publisher & Ad Sales: First Wave Media cce-mail: gardentalk@firstwavemedia.co.za

Queries: To provide you with excellen t servic e, we have a team of dedicate d and passionate gardening experts and there are several ways of directing your gardening queries to us:

Online: gardenshop.co.zaCall 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)Email us on info@gardenshop.co.za

Connect with GardenShop! Daily gardening posts, updates on new plants, trending gardening ideas and seasonal pictures from our garden centres.

Finding your ‘greenery’ with GardenShop is not only a highly rewarding and enjoyable experience but one that enables you to create inspiring and beautiful gardens with great ease.

Pantone’s 2017 Colour of the Year is a bright and powerful green and we’re excited to be celebrating this colour trend with you. A symbol of life, growth, nature and rejuvenation, our different hues of green – such as apple, lime

and olive green – will transform your home into a harmonious space. Complement your garden style indoors with botanical-inspired ceramic pots, while on the patio, introduce modern, classical and traditional flower pots and other indoor containers to enhance the green effect indoors and outdoors to provide the ideal sanctuary.

This colour also reflects the organic movement, so start your own herb and vegetable garden! And for those with limited garden access, consider growing your own edibles and herbs in containers on a balcony, patio or terrace.

Discover our GardenGuru - our qualified horticulturist who will meet with you to discuss your unique gardening challenges and find solutions; learn how to attract bees to your garden, feeding options for birds, mulching for cooler months and the Cherry Tomatoes Gardening Club for ‘little gardeners’!

Find your greenery now!

first wave media

GardenShopSA

GardenShopTel: 011 516 9700Fax: 011 516 9701PO Box 70966, Bryanston, 2021

GardenShop proudly supports:

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Love the environment, please recycle this copy of GardenTalk after you have read it!

Editor’s lettter

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Trends Wonderful green gardening ideasGardenShop Buxus Collection Discover the classical beauty of BuxusEdible herbs and vegetables Grow your own and reap the rewardsGardenShop GardenGuru Our qualified horticulturist at your service Attracting bees to your garden Create a bee-friendly water-wise gardenCherry Tomatoes Gardening Club For little gardeners

PS: Don’t forget your complimentary R100 discount voucher (towards any purchase over R500*) with this issue! *T&C’s apply

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Fields of Cosmos abound in South Africa during the months of autumn. There are over 20 species of Cosmos, their lands of origin are from the meadows of Paraguay, Central America and parts of southern America. Their large, showy flowers come in whites, lilacs and purples. Put on your bucket list to view our famous Cosmos fields, they fill the roadsides and illuminate our beautiful South African landscape.

Cosmos magic

Seed is available at GardenShop. You can create your own Cosmos field at home!

History of Cosmos in South AfricaThe South African Anglo-Boer War brought many battles, skirmishes and ambushes to this area. Boer families took shelter in the sandstone caves around Clarens and hid from the invading British columns and their scout-ing parties. Who would have thought then, that in the midst of all this bloodshed, this notorious war would also give rise to the Cosmos flower in South Africa? In the years from 1899 to 1902, the Cosmos seed came over in the horse feed shipped across from Mexico for the British forces. So wherever you see banked rows of cosmos, you will know that there’s a good chance that a British cavalryman may have passed there!

Inspired by nature, the colour is ’symbolic of new beginnings’ and the growing desire to reconnect with the natural world through architecture, lifestyle, design choices as well as gardening.

GardenShop is encouraging you to incorporate the authentic beauty of the environment ‘Greenery’ into your gardens and homes. Add to the design and architecture of your living space. Different hues of green – such as apple, lime and olive green – will transform your home into a harmonious space. Complement your garden style indoors with ceramic pots while on the patio, introduce containers to the enhance the green effect.

The colour also reflects the organic movement, so why not start your own herb and vegetable garden? For those with limited access to a garden, consider growing your own edibles and herbs in containers on a balcony, patio or terrace.

With the rise of apartment living in urban spaces, city dwellers, starved of outdoor space are clamouring for greenery indoors. Plants also provide physical and mental health benefits like refreshing your mood and reducing stress.

Go GREEN with GardenShop!

Find your GREENThe Pantone Color Institute, has named its hue for 2017: Greenery.

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Gardenia Classic, elegant and timeless

Lush shiny dark green leaves contrast perfectly with the fragrant creamy white flowers and the ornamental fruit. This dense evergreen shrub produces its elegant white fragrant flowers in spring and summer. They grow in full sun or semi-shade and are perfect as focal point plants

in the garden – in pots on patios or in carefully displayed hanging baskets. For the more adventurous, try them in hedges, raised beds and even espaliers!

Gardenias enjoy moist, well-drained and acidic soil. They are easy to grow and require very little water when established.

Available from GardenShop in three enchanting varieties: ‘Four Seasons’, ‘Impulse’ and ‘Radicans’.

On promotion

R99.95 each

The classical beauty of Buxus is found at GardenShop, part of our exclusive Collection range.

CollectionGardenShop

Hedge with Buxus

GardenShop’s Collection of Buxus (commonly known as the Box Hedge) are glossy, small-leafed, evergreen, medium sized shrubs that can be pruned to form a hedge, shaped into plant balls, trained into lollypop standards and columnar topiaries. Shapes that form the basis of any formal garden. You can clip them any time you like, but better in summer and not on very hot or wet days. Use a sharp pair of pruners or shears and cut away. Sprinkle some fertiliser such as Atlantic BioOcean or Vita Grow 2:2:3 (16) at the base of plants in autumn and again after their trim.

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In periods of drought and hot weather mulching is essential for the retention of moisture in the soil. This essential waterwise product is proudly made by Culterra, with 50 years’ experience in

producing top quality South African organics. Culterra’s Mulch will stabilise soil temperatures, retain moisture in summer and will protect roots from cold weather temperatures.

Culterra Mulch will also help to prevent weeds from growing.

Be Garden Wise and Mulch.

Essential Mulch for Waterwise Gardening

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Use any of these organic and inorganic mulching materials:

• grass clippings• sawdust • bark chips • fallen leaves• well-rotted manure• garden compost• gravel • crushed stone • pebbles

Be mulchwise

Mulching is an important gardening management technique in gardens making the transition into waterwise. Mulch will ultimately stabilise soil temperature, retain moisture in summer and will also protect roots from cold weather temperatures.

Your local GardenShop can assist with these products. Pop in and see which works for you.

Much more with Mulching

Keep a look out for this symbol in store for waterwise plants and products.

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Micro-Greens: So much more than decor or a pretty touch, there is method to the madness of the micro-greens craze. RAW’s Rainbow Blend of micro-greens is a concoction of flavours from beetroot, Asian cabbage and kohrabi to Italian broccoli and radish. Perfect for light salads, micro-greens are easy to grow. Sow thickly in trays and place on windowsills for best results. Sow every 5-10 days and snip with scissors when 2-4cm high. If you want something with a little more kick, try RAW’s Old Mexico version of the herbs as well - a combination of coriander, red beets, cabbage, radish and pepper cress, this variety is screaming for you to make tacos (served with a shot of tequila of course).

Spinach: RAW Strawberry Spinach grows tiny, delicate leaves that can be cooked like spinach or tossed in a salad. Sow in full sun 10cm apart and keep an eye out for the red pulpy fruit in late summer. Berries grow at the base of each stem, and a plant in full fruit is quite a sight. Wait until seeds are a dark burgundy before enjoying their sweetly unique flavour. You can get a continuous crop of spinach by making successive plantings every 10 days.

Grow your RAW urban greens

The end of summer is a bittersweet time but as the temperature starts to cool slightly, comes an opportunity for a new start in your garden. With a seed for every season, and 20 new additions to the range - here are RAW’s suggestions for late summer and autumn plantings.

Don’t forget to get social with us! Follow RAW on Facebook and Instagram while staying up-to-date with our latest offerings on our website - www.rawliving.co.za

Courtesy RAW Seeds

Cabbage: The humble cabbage is a win from both a health and diet variety perspective. Think easy and light chicken cabbage wraps, Asian slaws or pickled cabbage dishes for fresh meals and easy side dishes. RAW Savoy Cabbage, an Italian heirloom, is a variety that should be sown in late summer, in full sun when soil temperatures are between 5 and 18 degrees. Seeds will germinate in around two weeks and you can harvest around 8-15 weeks later. A friendly kind of veggie, you can grow bean, beets, celery and onions in the same bed.

Kitchen garden

RAW seeds available from all GardenShop stores.

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Growing tips

Grow Asian greens in full sun to semi-shade in rich, well composted soil.

Water regularly and don’t allow the soil to dry out.

Feed once a month with a nitrogen-rich liquid fertiliser, especially if you are harvesting the leaves daily.

Asian greens – quick, easy and healthy

MIZUNA has serrated light green leaves with a mild mustard flavour. It tolerates frost and is ideal for really cold gardens. Try this: use leaves as a topping for pizza, in sandwich fillings and burgers or in a green salad with broccoli tender stem, leeks, baby potatoes, bacon, garlic and chillies.

Pak Choi has broad crunchy white stems and dark green glossy leaves that have a pleasant mustard flavour. It doesn’t bolt easily. Try this: Simmer chopped leaves in chicken broth for 20 minutes. Lightly sauté finely chopped garlic, ginger, or chillies to release their fragrance and add to the broth. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

TATSOI forms a compact, flat rosette close to the ground. The leaves have a buttery and slightly sweet mustard flavour.Try this: use fresh leave in green salad, or lightly steam or sauté and dress with a warm peanut sauce.

Red Frills mustard has frilly red leaves, with a hot mustard flavour, and it looks almost too pretty to eat. Try this: Make Salsa Verde with chopped red frills and coriander, capers, garlic and olive oil and serve with avocado, baby potatoes, fish, chicken and red meat.

MUSTARD GREEN WAVE is a new mustard with curled and very frilly medium green leaves that stay tender. The flavour is sharp and spicy. Try this: caramelise chopped onions, add minced garlic and cook for a minute, add torn mustard leaves, 2 tbs of stock and cook until just wilted. Season and toss with sesame oil.

For more information visit www.healthyliving-herbs.co.za

Asian greens – available at GardenShop –are members of the brassica family, widely regarded as a vegetable ‘supergroup’ because no other vegetable group is as high in terms of vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid, fibre and antioxidants that reduce the risk of cancer. Their appeal is that they are much easier to grow than traditional brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli), are quick to harvest and are generally untroubled by pests and diseases. The leaves are picked as they are needed which means a constant supply through winter.

5 Yummy Asian greens

by Alice Coetzee

Kitchen garden

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How and when to use Vita Organic fertilisersVita Organic fertiliser is a convenient, easy-to-use, complete plant food which supplies all the nutrients required to grow wholesome crops. It’s easy to apply and releases sustainably to feed crops over four months, which slots conveniently into most short crop cycles from planting to harvest. For longer term crops, apply a top dressing after three months to ensure continued cropping. All Vita Organic fertilisers are available at GardenShop.

• Fruiting vegetables, trees & berries - Tomato, Brinjals, Pepper, Chilli, Pumpkins, Citrus & soft fruit trees & berries.

Need phosphate & calcium to grow strong roots & structure, nitrogen for leaf growth and high potassium to stimulate flowers and fruit. Plant with: Vita Grow 2:3:2(16) @ 100g per m2. Top dress: before flowers develop with Vita Fruit & Flower 3:1:5(18) @ 100g per m2.

• Root and bulb vegetables - Potato, Carrot, Beetroot, Sweet potato, Onion, Garlic Need high phosphate & calcium to grow strong roots and bulbs. Plant with: Vita Grow 2:3:2(16)

@ 100g per m2. Top dress with: Vita Green 5:1:5(16) @ 100g per m2.• Leafy green vegetables and herbs - Spinach, Cabbage, Lettuce, Rocket, Kale, Herbs Need nitrogen and potassium for green growth and strong cells. Plant with: Vita Veg 6:3:4(16) @

100g per m2. Top dress with: Vita Veg 6:3:4(16) @100g per m2.• Pods, seeds and legumes - Peas, Beans, Mielies, Broad beans Need phosphate and a little nitrogen to grow sturdy plants, then potassium to ensure many

flowers, pods and seeds. Plant with: Vita Grow 2:3:2(16) @ 100g per m2. Top dress: before flowers develop with Vita Fruit & Flower 3:1:5(18) @ 100g per m2.

Visit www.talborne.co.za for more information.

Visual courtesy ‘Jane’s Delicious Garden’, Jane Griffiths (Sunbird Publishers)

A harvest festival inyour organic garden

by Jenny Slabber, Talborne Organics

Autumn gardening is a period best described as a ‘flurry’, as we rush like squirrels to plant our winter colour beds, vegetables, seedlings, bulb and root veggies while tending to our gardens at large! And getting a superb harvest organically, is really easy!

Kitchen garden

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Autumn coloursBeautiful shades of autumn foliage

Maples• Leaves change colour from green

to different shades of yellow, orange and red during the autumn.

• Flowers of maple trees can be green, yellow, orange or red in color. Insects (such as honeybees) are main pollinators of the flowers.

• Size of maple trees depend on the species. Some types of maples can be grown as bonsai, while others can reach the height of 40 metres.

• Maple trees can live to 200 years and beyond. They can survive more than 300 years under appropriate climate conditions.

• Maples produce winged seed which move like a helicopter when they fall from trees.

FUN FACTIn autumn, people in Japan group together to watch delicate changes in the colour of the maples foliage. This traditional Japanese pastime of collectively viewing the maples autumn foliage is known as ‘momijigari’.

16Varieties of Maples available at GardenShop from R595

Nandina Heavenly bamboo or Nandina is a beautiful evergreen shrub grown for its interesting colour changing foliage.

Nandina should be planted in a semi-sunny to shady position. The plant is not only a waterwise shrub, but will attract birdlife to your garden.

Nandina pygmea from R69.95 Nandina domestica 4 from R125

Nandina Fern Flame from R145

FUN FACTIn China berried sprays of Nandina are sold in the streets at New Year for the decoration of house altars and temples – sort of like ‘holly’ is used at Christmas in many countries!

GardenTalk 17Varieties of Nandina available at GardenShop from R69.95

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GardenShop recommends:

• Chinchirinchees (indigenous)• Freesias• Ixia (indigenous)• Muscari• Ornithogalum• Ranunculus• Sparaxis (indigenous)

Bulb planting timeIn March and April we start experiencing cooler temperatures and this is exactly the time to plant bulbs that will flower in spring

Remember:• Soil must be cold and

moist• Soil should be well drained

and rich in organic matter. Bulbs that are to be planted in pots should be planted in potting soil

• Whether planting in pots or into the ground, use Hadeco Bulb Food as this food contains all the nutrients that bulbs need

• Plant bulbs at correct depth - all instructions are on the packaging

• Water well after planting• Fertilise every two weeks

Choose from Ornithogalum bulbs (featured) and others from GardenShop

ONPROMOTION

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GardenShop Menlo Park

Store Focus

Find us at:

Greenlyn Village Centre Cnr Mackenzie & 13th Streets, Menlo Park Tel: 012 460 5137 Email: info.mnl@gardenshop.co.za Co-ordinates: 25° 46′ 09″ S / 28° 15′ 29″ E

The best garden shop Pretoria has to offer. When it comes to your family gardening needs, GardenShop Menlo Park has got it all covered. Top quality plants from fruit trees, herbs, bonsai trees, roses and waterwise plants. We offer expert gardening advice with our store showcasing imported home décor and beautiful garden furniture – patio sets, benches and tables. In addition, GardenShop Menlo Park has a great range of gardening tools, organics, plant food and birding products.

Neighbouring tenants• KarooLand Furniture and Interiors• The daily Coffee Café• Isabella’s Greenlyn-Petite• Hazel Food Market• Brooklyn Theatre

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As a garden-lover, we know that you sometimes need on-site expert advice to talk through nagging garden issues or changes you may want to make.

That’s where our GardenGuru comes in! Our qualified horticulturist will meet with you for a one-hour consultation service where you can discuss your unique gardening challenges and find solutions.

R450* secures your one-hour GardenGuru consulatation, payable at any of our branches. GardenGuru will contact you during weekdays to make an appointment.

* Our fee refers to visits within a 10km radius of any GardenShop branch located in Parktown, Broadacres, Bryanston, Menlo Park and Boksburg.

Our service does not include design sketches or drawings and we will happily refer to your recommended landscaper depending your requirements.

GardenGuru expert advice

The Guru’s areas of expertise include:

• Reducing water usage in your garden and cost-saving advice

• Planting for increased biodiversity

• Transforming your garden into a more indigenous waterwise space

• Dealing with awkward or odd shaped areas

• Creating a focal point

• Low maintenance ideas including which plant to remove, replace or highlight

• Caring for your special plants including any insect, fungal or weed problems that might plague you

• Lawn care

• Identifying alien invasive species and advice

• Introducing you to ‘Do It For Me’ services for landscaping changes

Contact the Guru:Cell: 072 200 5762 0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)gardenguru@gardenshop.co.za

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• Roses need full sun – at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.• They require a well-drained soil that has been enriched with compost.• To help the rose settle once it is planted out, make sure it is watered about an hour before it

is planted. • They can be grown in containers as well as in the garden.• Mulching is essential for roses to keep their roots cool in the summer and warm in the

winter. Use lawn clipping, bark, leaves, pine needles etc. as a mulch for your roses.• Roses need lots of water, give them a good deep soaking at least once a week,

supplemented by a light watering once or twice a week. • The more you water roses during their growing season, the longer their stems will be.• If the leaf develops yellow veins or yellowing between the veins, it is more than likely

a nutrient deficiency. Correct these imbalances as soon as they become apparent by fertilising. Feed with Vigorosa/Wonder 8.1.5.

• Water before and after fertilising.• In order for your rose to continue producing flowers, remove spent blooms and rose hips

that have formed.• Roses only need a light pruning in summer (December/January) and heavy pruning in winter

months. • Aerate the soil after pruning, dig in compost, superphosphate and fertilizer. • Roses tend to attract various insects and fungi, keep an eye out for this and spray fortnightly

to discourage black spot, beetles and bollworm. Protect with easy-to-use Rosecare3 RTU.• When watering, try spray the undersides of the leaves to deter bugs.• If you are picking roses leave at least 50 percent of them on the bush otherwise it may put

too much strain on the plant.

Tips for growing roses

Rosecare and Vigorosa on promotion at GardenShop

Come see GardenShop’s beautiful selection of roses.

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Bee Friendly

Bees are important for food production. They provide pollination services to the majority of the pollination-dependent crops in the country. All landowners or land managers, including urban gardeners, have a role in protecting or planting bee-friendly plants that provide food and habitat for honeybees. A lack of good quality and variety of food for bees can lead to unhealthy colonies that are at greater risk of pests and diseases. In South Africa, there is major concern over the bacterial disease ‘foulbrood’, which is spreading rapidly through bee colonies with lethal effect. The result of dramatic honeybee declines will have a detrimental impact on food security.

Create a bee-friendly waterwise gardenDifferent species of waterwise plants flower throughout different seasons and add colour to your garden throughout the year. Here are tips to attract bees to your garden:

• If you are limited by space, select plants with blue, yellow, violet, bluish-green and ultraviolet flowers, as bees prefer these colours.

• Create a few shallow water depressions in the garden – bees need clean water and prefer shallow puddles to deep bird baths or flowing water features.

• Plant and tree species which stand out for honeybees include: Aloes, Star jasmine, Lavender, Euryops Daisies, Proteas, Strelitzias, Coral tree (Erythrina lysistemon), Sweet thorn (Acacia karroo), Buffalo thorn (Ziziphus mucronata). GardenShop can recommend more varieties. Ask at our Info Desks.

Quick FactBees play a vitally important role in the pollination of our food crops. The chances are that if they don’t survive, we won’t survive.

Wildlife in the garden

With thanks to Water Wise(a Rand Water initiative)

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There is nothing on earth that can replace the joy of watching different birds make their way into our gardens. Children delight when they see birds return to stock up on some food. We love to sit outside and watch how they chatter, feast on berries from our trees and dig their beaks into the soil for fresh earthworms.

At GardenShop we understand the importance of attracting birds into your gardens, our birding departments offer you the very best in bird food – nectar feed, suet, bird puddings, raw peanuts and seed. Our extensive range of feeders, feeding stations, roosting nest boxes, nesting logs, bird baths, bird tables and accessories will all help you to bring the birds flocking home.

Bird life

Feeding birds in autumn

Wildlife in the garden

See our special 30% off offer on these birding products for GardenRewards members.

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Children are natural gardeners. They are curious, experimental, creative, caring and they learn best through play. Cherry Tomatoes Gardening Club is for little gardeners between the ages of 4 and 8 years. Through collaborative, confidence-building activities in the garden, Cherry Tomatoes nurtures an appreciation of nature and healthy eating.

The club currently runs every Saturday from GardenShop Bryanston, in a beautifully landscaped edible garden environment. Classes include elements on caring for your garden, learning about different aspects of nature, lots of digging and exploring, planting and creating!

Nothing beats the excitement of eating a tomato you’ve watched grow from seed, or picking a juicy raspberry straight off the vine. An understanding and appreciation of where food comes from can help create a preference for healthy eating and nurture a greater respect for and connection to nature.

Gardening teaches children valuable life skills – such as caring for something over time, and the satisfaction of watching something you’ve invested in come to life. It involves much more than just planting. Gardening provides a wonderful backdrop for learning about science, animals, harvesting, preparing and sharing food, working in groups, creating art, and telling stories.

Classes are kept small and intimate and can be bought in packages.

Single classes: R2505 class package (to be used over a 3 month period) R1000 (Standard R200 per class)10 class package (to be used over a 6 month period): R1800 (Discounted to R180 per class)20 class package (to be used over a 12 month period): R3200 (Discounted to R160 per class)For bookings and queries please contact us through any of the channels below:Connect: cherrytomatoesgc@gmail.com 071 883 5584 (Nicola) or 079 895 1332 (Pat)

For little gardeners

At GardenShop Bryanston

These plant symbols on GardenShop price labels will help you make the best plant choice for your garden. A take-home Plant Symbol Guide is available in store for your convenience.

Plant Symbols: helping you to choose wisely

LAVENDERLAVANDULA DENTATA ELEGANSBeautiful blue fl owers60cm x 1.5m

R 115.00

60520008

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GardenValue

Available while stocks last.Quantities are limited.

Garden MORE for less with these gardening SPECIALS

Images featured serve as a guide only. Actual colour variations may occur in some instances.

Valid from 1 March – 30 April 2017Many more offers in store!

GardenShopSA

0861 G-A-R-D-E-N (427336)gardenshop.co.za

WATERWISE

R1002 forAzalea Varieties

Potted Azaleas for indoor colour. Various colours available. 15cm.

INDOORCOLOUR

IDEALHEDGE

Abelia ‘Kaleidoscope’Compact shrub with ever changing foliage colours. 17cm.

R4995

Gardenia Varieties Scented white flowers from autumn to spring. ‘Radicans’, ‘Impulse’ and ‘Four Seasons’ varieties. 17cm.

R9995 R1503 forPelargonium Varieties

New generation hardy varieties that flower continuously. Many colours to choose from. 17cm.

Rose ‘My Granny’ LollipopFree-flowering rose with clusters of pink flowers throughout summer. Ideal in containers. 10 Std.

R9995 R5995Plectranthus VarietiesVarious waterwise varieties. Ideal for containers, as filler plants or en-masse. 23cm.

XTRAHOT