CHILDREN'S GARDENS

Children explore the world with their senses

Every garden should have a section set aside just for the children. A magical place where their big imaginations can run wild.

SIGHT

 Colour is very important bright splashes of it! Annuals are brilliant for children's gardens not only do they come in an array of colours but many are fun and capture little ones inquisitive minds. I have childhood memories of opening and closing the mouths of snapdragons and making daisy chains.

Antirrhinum 'Snap dragon'

Peeping from the flower beds these garden objects will trigger any child's imagination and make the garden space that much more magical and fun.

Fairy sculptures a must for a little girl’s fairy garden

Tiered of the same old garden pots, mass produced sculptures and old fading garden gnomes,I went on a search for something a bit more unusual.

The princess and the frog

mushrooms popping out from flower beds



fun garden lighting



Garden elves

peeking from the flowers sits a fairy upon a mushroom

       NATURE

Bring the birds into your children's garden with bird feeders. Feeding the birds will become a fun activity as well as spotting all the new birds that come visit the garden. Little boys love hunting for bugs so don't kill any creepy crawlies on sight leave them and create an Eco garden. Bug boxes are a great way to get your child involved with nature and learning about all the insects that are beneficial to the garden.

Creative bird houses



Bug Boxes



SOUND

 Children are attracted to water. What is better than dipping your fingers into a fish pond or water basin.Watering the little seedlings that you have planted with your own watering can. Nothing is as fun as getting dripping wet in the sprinklers! Some fun water features are wishing wells and shallow basins with little ornamental creatures on the side.When installing water features always consider the safety aspect first.Depending on age there should always be adult supervision.Wind chimes also add sound to the garden as well as different textures such as gravel pathways.



Fun rustic cats and a wishing well

FUN AND ADVENTURE

Jungle gyms and climbing frames are always great fun. I remember spending hours in the garden building forts from branches and banana leaves.I thought this jungle gym was very clever as it incorporates the fun of climbing a tree with all the elements of a traditional metal jungle gym, the best of both worlds.

An fun and imaginative jungle gym

 

A secret fort

A PLACE OF MY OWN

Children love growing things and getting their little hands dirty. Give them a little space of their own in the garden where they can grow their own plants. Choose a sunny area with good soil and plants that are easy to grow with fast results strawberries,sunflowers, beans, pansy's, spinach, radishes and carrots are just a few a great variety of plants. Not only will this space encourage your children to work in the garden but growing their own vegetables will help them explore their taste buds and get them to eat that spinach which is normally hidden under their fork!



'Children have a natural affinity towards nature,dirt,water,plants,and small animals attract children's attention for hours, days, even a lifetime.' Robin C Moore and Herb H Wong

Resources. Friends of the west end, Life is a garden, most beautiful flower.com. To make you smile therapy garden, spottedcanary.com, Goin Pottin,Whisk this

PESTS AND DISEASES, THINK BEFORE YOU SPRAY

At Whirlwind gardens we do not use Pesticides or Herbicides we choose to take a gentler stand against our munching insect friends. Pesticides and Herbicides are poisonous and when handling them one should take care to follow those instructions on the bottle very carefully, keep them far away from little hands and beloved pets. So many gardeners believe that the only good insect is a dead insect. So they spray merrily away , killing our garden guardians which are beneficial in keeping the garden balance and would eat the munching pests naturally unfortunately pesticides and herbicides cannot choose which one they are going to kill so the result is that we often wipe out our lady bugs , butterflies and other helpers in some cases our bird life. I had a client who had a pesticide and herbicide for everything, every week there was another ‘nasty’ bug or disease to spray, it was an ongoing battle with no end in sight, the garden had lost its balance, it was a heaven for pests and diseases there were no beneficial predators to eat them as they had all been wiped out and I never saw any birds in that garden as it was toxic to anything that set foot in it. It is amazing how harmful we can be. No matter how much you spray you will never eliminate all the pests, with the continuous use of pesticides the insects develop a resistance and so the battle is never won. There is no such thing as a ‘safe’ pesticide so why use them when there is a far more responsible way of caring for your garden.

We made the decision to keep our bird and other precious natural predators safe our approach is that you can work with nature to combat pests.  Plant the right plant in the right place; feed the soil, as healthy soil equals healthy plants. Companion plant herbs and vegetables. Mulch and reduce the growth of weeds. If spraying is really necessary we have Margret Roberts’s fantastic range of products. Ludwig’s Insect spray that works wonders on the roses. Ferramol by Biogrow, which does a great job in controlling our slugs and snails. Biogrow has a whole range of products. Or make your own home – made sprays and other solutions. There are so many options so make the transition from using pesticides to going organic. Restore the natural balance in your garden.

If you are going use organic pesticide products that have canola oil and garlic in them keep in mind that if you have a pond nearby and there is a breeze it is not a good idea to spray as an accidental drift from the diluted spray mixture of many chemically and organically – formulated pesticides could kill or cause harm to fish, frogs and other aquatic life. The list of pests and diseases is huge if you want to go into more depth on the subject then I recommend you get a copy of The Garden Guardian’s guide to environmentally – responsible care by Johan Gerber.

‘The irresponsible use of pesticides is contributing to a steady reduction in the number of nature’s wonderful pest controllers and beneficial life forms, as well as the micro – organisms on which our survival depends. Every single organism in the garden, from the most destructive and irritating to the friendliest, has a specific purpose and function. The way we treat them today will, in some small way, help determine the future health of our gardens, ourselves, our environment and planet.’

From The Garden Guardian’s guide to environmentally-responsible garden care by Johan Gerber

COMPOST

‘Plants give us oxygen for the lungs and for the soul’ Linda Solegato

Compost is a source of food for our plants and it is simple and very satisfying to make your own.

Composting made easy step by step. You should have lovely crumbly rich compost between six to ten weeks.

·          First clear a space make sure all weeds and grass roots have been removed. Remember not to put your compost heap to close to the house. If you have a vegetable garden this would be a handy place to put it.

·          Then add a layer of twigs and course pruning this layer will help with the heat build up

·          Add leaves, vegetable peelings, lawn mowing.

·          Cover this layer with manure, then cut grass

·          Water the top and let it all soak in

·          Wonderful natural compost activators are yarrow and comfrey so throw a few of these leaves in as often as you can.

·          Then repeat the process as simple as that no more Saturday trips to the dump.

You can buy compost bins to contain your pile. Or you can build a low brick wall, you can use anything as long as it has an open bottom and good ventilation.

Things that are great to add onto your compost heap. Tea bags, egg shells, oyster shells, paper towels, newspaper, all your vegetable cuttings.

Things not to add to your compost heap are cooked food, dairy, fish, meat or pet waste. Here is a list of plants that also should not be added cypress, pines, eucalyptus, juniper and oleander these plants are either to acidic or highly toxic.

Bringing birds and butterflies into your garden

‘The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses’

Hanna Rion



Eco garden in the city



When it comes to bringing the birds and butterflies into your garden you will need the right plants.  By planting indigenous plants you have taken the first and most important step. These plants will attract a whole host of different birds and butterflies to the garden. Mulching also attracts all your woodland birds they love to forage in the leaves for a meal of earthworms and other insect life.

Woodland section

Why not put a small wetland into your garden and invite all the aquatic birds into the garden, create a home for the frogs that are struggling to survive now that many of their natural habitats are being destroyed welcome the dragonflies and butterflies. Stock your wetland with our indigenous fish Tilapia and watch the water lilies open their sleepy heads at dawn. It will bring many memorable moments with its own little eco system in place.



Shallow sections lead to the waterfall at the bottom,the bird love to bath in them!





If your garden is too small to put in a wetland then birdbaths are always a great attraction. Instead of a conventional birdbath try a water feature. Make sure the surface is shallow so the birds can wade and drink from it. Plant a few reeds and bulrushes around the base you will have an attractive area for your wetland birds.

Indigenous trees provide homes for many creatures. Butterflies in their adult form use the nectar of the flowers for food and their larvae (caterpillars) use the leaves and seeds for food. Not to mention a whole host of birds. Food trees for birds are Rhus lancea , Rhus pendulina, Olea europaea and Podocarpus henkelli to name a few. Trees that the birds like to nest in are Combretum erythrophyllum, Acacia tortilis, Kigelia africana. There really are many more ‘Making the most of Indigenous Trees by Fanie & Julye – Ann Venter ‘ will help you .

Create a meadow in a quite corner of the garden. Scatter some indigenous grass seeds and a few of our indigenous bulbs the variety and colours are endless. Place a bench under your tree and watch as between the swaying grasses. Weavers visit to collect grasses to build a series of homes for their fussy wives. Seed eaters will greedily feed upon the seed heads. Butterflies will settle upon the pallet of colours to suck the nectar from the meadow flowers.



grey water feeds into a bed of bog plants



A quiet place to watch the birds

Place bird feeders in your garden; why not make your own unique feeder. Left over fruit such as bananas, paw paw, apples, oranges and avocados will be enjoyed by the Cape white eyes, Lourie’s. Place out the seed for the seed eaters, suet and bone meal for the insect eaters and you will enjoy a huge selection of bird life. Another favourite is peanut butter; if you have any pine cones lying around fill them with peanut butter and hang them by the feeding station the birds will be there in a matter of minutes. Of course they are nature’s natural pest controllers, eating up those slugs and aphids that drive most gardeners up the wall. So bear in mind the next time you spray that poisoned slugs and snails lying on the lawn are the Hoopoe’s and Hadeda’s dinner so avoid using harmful chemical sprays in a bird friendly garden.

Butterflies love nectar and some of the plants that they are attracted to are your Buddleia species not only does this beautiful species attract birds and butterflies many of their sprays of flowers have the most amazing fragrance. Pavetta Lanceolata, Salvia, Protea, Geraniums and Bauhinia galpini will become part of a valuable collection of plants for your butterfly garden. Another way to lure the butterflies into your garden is to plant some larval host plants such as the Cape chestnut ( Calodendrum capense) white ironwood (Vepris lanceolata) are two of my favourites but there are many others that you could plant.

  

A garden would not be a garden if it were not filled with the sounds of bird songs, butterflies and an activity of busy insects and other creatures.

Eco garden designed and built by whirlwind gardens.www.whirlwindgardens.co.za

 

GOING INDIGENOUS

‘I appreciate the misunderstanding I have with nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden, she thinks it is a medow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error. ‘ Sara Stein

There is such a misconception when it comes to our indigenous beauties. The image that seems to come to people’s minds when you mention indigenous is succulents and veld grasses with a rather dull colour pallet. How far from the truth this is we have a whole range of plants for every colour in the colour wheel the choice is huge. Not only do we have the choice of any colour we want ,but many plants have so many characteristics not only do they have beautiful flowers but they are scented and attract butterflies and birds, not many of our exotic species can boast about having all these attributes.

No matter where you garden is and the soil type you have there is a plant for every space. Hot and dry our aloes take pride of place giving an awe-inspiring sight on those winter days when not much else is in flower. These beautiful focal plants are used in many contemporary designs because of their amazing architectural beauty. Pair these up with soft grasses and groupings of succulents you will create a very contemporary design. That will not only be water wise, modern and low maintenance but you will also encourage the humming birds and bees into your garden.

 A plant that all are familiar with is the Agapanthus we see them planted in mass all over South Africa. Seen on our road island plantings and in just about every garden there is at least one or two tucked away somewhere. These hardy beauties grow in any almost any soil condition sun or shade giving a continuous show of colour during our festive season. We now have a spectacular selection of hybridised Agapanthus to choose from. An amazing display can be achieved by mixing all the different colours.  Paired with Zantedeschia aethiopica and a selection of plectranthus you will have an informal mix of beauties that will brighten up any shady area of your garden.

When it comes to our trees we really don’t use half the selection we have. Many of our gardens have become smaller and it becomes an extremely important decision when it comes to the choice of tree. Trees are forever, they are the one element in your garden that can’t be moved around or changed. So many people plant trees that become to big for their garden not only does the scale look wrong but it becomes an ongoing maintenance battle of taking off branches that are blocking out the sun or growing into walls. Big trees generally mean big roots causing havoc with plumbing and foundations resulting in the tree fellers paying a visit and the tree being removed. All this can be avoided with a bit of research and thought. Trees should be planted a minimum of one meter away from boundary walls and five meters form any building. What would you like your tree to do for you? Screen off the nosy neighbours and create some shade then an evergreen tree would be the best choice. I like using either the Rhus lancea or Rhus pendulina, as they are fast growing, heat, drought resistant, with a non-aggressive root system as well as attracting both birds and butterflies into the garden. If you want seasonal interest then deciduous trees mark out the change of seasons with grace, their leaves changing colour in the fall and dropping during winter so the sun can warm your garden, with the branches silhouetted against the crisp wintry sky.

If you want to find out more about brining nature back into your garden I recommend you buy Bring Nature back to your garden by Charles and Julia Botha.

http://www.whirlwindgardens.co.za/

Organic gardening for small areas

Many of us do not have the luxury of space. That does not mean we can't grow our own Organic vegetables, we just have to be a bit more innovative. Here are a few ideas we came up with.

Hanging Baskets are great for people who only have small patios or balconies. Plant them up with a selection of your favorite herb combinations. Sage is one herb that hates wet feet, so this does exceptionally well in a hanging basket as they dry out quickly. Just keep in mind, hanging baskets will need to be watered once to twice a day especially in summer because of this.

Pots are always the next best thing; terracotta always looks good with herbs and vegetables trailing over the edge. There are a large variety of troughs available and you would be able to fit quite a few of these along a patio. Oak barrels have a rustic charm about them.Large containers are preferable over small pots as they dry out quickly in the hot summer months.If your patio is in a windy postion avoid plastic pots as they will end up all over the place. Remember to line the bottom of your pots with gravel to help with drainage,if your pot has small drainage holds try to enlarge them. When it comes down to aesthetic beauty keep it simple, especially in small spaces use either one style of pot or keep them all the same color.

Instead of buying pots why not recycle all your old containers, tubs and whatever else you have that can be filled up with soil. You could even just plant straight into your compost bag if you like! Lie the bag of potting soil flat on the ground make a few drainage holes around the edges to prevent your plants from becoming waterlogged, slit a few holes in the plastic, spacing your herbs and vegetables evenly so their roots have room to spread. Make sure that you plant the taller plants at the back. Or make a potato bag, stand the bag on end and lean it against the wall, open the bag at the top, make a few drainage holes at the bottom. Take out two thirds of your soil, roll the sides of the bag down, place potatoes about 4cm deep, when the plant reaches about 30cm in height add some potting soil and roll the edges of the bag to accommodate this repeat this method until the bag is filled. Talking about Organic potatoes I think this product is really nifty and does not take up space  http://www.potatoesforafrica.co.za/ have a look

If you are able and want a more permanent feature you could build raised retaining beds. These keep the veg off the ground and are easier to tend as you don't have to bend over.

Herbs and vegetables need six to seven hours of direct sunlight a day, keep this in mind when positing your pots and Herb gardens.It is very important that your growing medium is right it must be free - draining but also capable of holding an adequate quantity of water either use an Organic potting soil E2E has a great potting soil or make your own using one - third garden soil, one - third compost and one-third river sand. 

If a pest should appear do not despair,place broken eggshells or beer traps to deter snails and slugs.Remove caterpillars or beetles by hand.Your companion planting should do the trick but if you need a helping hand Margaret Roberts has a wonderful range of organic products.

A few of my favorite companion planting combinations. Try a few of your own and let me know what did and did not work for you.

• Going Italian, Thyme, Garlic, Tomatoes, Oregano, Basil, Parsley, Brinjals, Rosemary.
• Mexican, Mixed Chillies, Coriander, Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic.
• Pretty berry pot, Strawberries, Mint, Roses, Borage, Nastutiums, Echinacea, Gooseberries.
• Salad mix, mixed lettuces, Onions, Green peppers, Spring onions, Radishes, Mustard, Rocket.
• Winter soup pot, Cabbages,Leeks,Celery,Thyme,Sage,Rosemary,Onions,Turnips,Swiss chard,Chives,Carrots.

Happy Organic gardening!

 www.whirlwindgardens.co.za

The organic vegetable garden

Concept plan

It all started with a rocky koppie, the only place in my clients garden where there was space and sun, this is where our Organic vegetable garden was created . It took allot of careful planning as the koppie is on a slope, huge retaining walls needed to be built to get the area level as well as hold all the soil around 80 cubes! It is quite a feat to get there ,one has to trek up decked walkways to get to the top.

the site before the organic vegetable garden was created

 It was going to take lots of building to make this work. We wanted it to blend in with its natural surroundings become a part of the landscape, bricks would make it look harsh and foreign.So natural rock was our best option and there was allot of it in her garden. Rocks, cement, soil, sand all of this was carried by hand and bag to the top of the koppie cubes and cubes of it.We got really fit from this!

The long walk up!





slowly it began to take shape

We designed the garden in three levels,each has a specific planting plan.Inspired by the key hole design ,because this shape allows the gardener easier access to the vegetables and a bigger planting space . I modified the key hole to circles for the top two levels and used it coming out from the circle at the bottom because this level is bigger than the top two. These circles are paved walkways done in the same natural rock to match the walls.The center circle and bottom circle we raised for practical and design purposes. This was a perfect place to plant the mint,it loves to creep and would eventually take over the entire garden if left to its own devices if planted in the beds.   




natural stone walkways lead you through the garden, a fruiting olive graces center spot.

 

After the hard landscaping was completed it was time to plant, my favourite part! As I mentioned each level has a specific plan and all my planting is done to companion planting guidelines. For those of you who do not know, companion planting is the natural solution to pest control and this is what makes a vegetable garden organic.Plant plants that like each other next to each other so they grow strong and healthy without the need to spray and be continuously fed with chemical fertilizers. There is no need to spray in this garden as insect repelling plants have been incorporated in the design.I have used allot of these around the borders of vegetable beds.If the need arises and my veggies need a helping hand then these insect repelling plants can be made into sprays. I have Margaret Roberts Companion planting book as my guide to help me on my organic journey!  





Granadilla vines are planted at the top of garden they will grow up the wooden stakes and hide the green palisade fence.A lemon tree grows in the top pot, a fruiting olive in the center and a black velvet fig fills the third. Obelisks have been made from the exotic black wattle a very invasive tree that must be removed.Beans and sweet peas will trail up these.  







In my next post I will go into detail about the planting and maintenance plan ,explaining my companion planting combinations . This garden is unique and will be ever changing with the seasons. I will keep you updated on its progress and let you know what things have worked well and what has struggled.While waiting in anticipation for my little seedlings to grow the rabbits and rock dussies decided that everything was quite to their liking the way it was and proceeded to have a gourmet fest demolishing nearly all of the seedlings. So operation rabbit and rock dussie fence is under way. Most of my seedlings will have to be replanted! 

To look at more pictures look at www.whirlwindgardens.co.za