Let your imagination run wild, undersea theme with Gazanias
with it. That doesn’t mean that you
will necessarily end up with something that looks like the veld. With
a bit of imagination, you can create
just about any style of garden with
indigenous plants.
You shouldn’t have any problem
finding plants. Most garden centres
stock quite a lot of indigenous species. If you are a beginner gardener,
you can always ask for a bit of advice. There are even nurseries that
specialise in indigenous plants in
some areas.
Birds love trees, especially when
they can get food from them.
Euclea undulata
Get gardening
Remember that indigenous plants
like good soil preparation. Sure,
they will grow in the local soil as it
is, but you want them to thrive and
look their absolute best, so use
plenty of compost. Although you
would not have to water your garden as often as you would if you
had used exotics, indigenous plants
will do better if given a bit of extra
water during dry spells.
Mulching is a great way of conserving water and is also good for the
Nectar loving birds love
orange and red flowers best.
Crocosmia aurea
health of the soil, so add a good
layer of organic material on top of
the soil. For rapid, lush growth,
light applications of fertilizer definitely make a difference.
Garden friends and foes
If you would like to turn your garden into a haven for birds, you will
want to plant up some trees and
large shrubs to give them shelter
and you’ll be looking at providing a
food source in the form of fruit,
seeds and nectar. Plants with fluffy
seeds are favourites for nest-lining
Halleria lucida flowers attract bird
life and so do the fruits