So What IS Indigenous Design?

Hairbells of the Veld

Trees for Bees

Of Milkweeds and Monarchs

ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

DESIGN18 An African Herb Garden 24 Small Patch - Big Results By Jenny Dean

PLANT LIBRARY28 Tarenna pavettoides14 Dieramas - Hairbells of the Veld By Jenny Dean

ENVIRONMENT 8 So What is Indigenous Design? By Anno Torr30 Tree for Bees34 Of Monarchs and Milkweeds

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JANUARY

MAGAZINE PRODUCTION:Editor: Anno TorrContact us: anno@theindigenousgardener.co.za Publisher: The Indigenous Gardener Contributing writers: Anno Torr, Jenny Dean, Photographers: Anno Torr, Andrea Abbott, Jenny Dean, Jane Troughton, James Halle, Some image via Wikicommons, acknowledgement given; Graphic Design: digitlab and Anno Torr Disclaimers and Copyrights: Opinions expressed in this magazine do not reflect those of The Indigenous Gardener or any project related to The Indigenous Gardener. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, The Indigenous Gar-dener cannot be held liable for inadvertent mistakes. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher.

CONTACT US: Editor: 8 anno@theindigenousgardener.co.za( 0726025610Advertising: 8 Veronica: info@theindigenousgardener.co.zaAccounts: 8 Hermes: info@theindigenousgardener.co.za

REGULARS22 Notes from Nature - New 6 What’s In Flower 7 Monthly Task Card

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Dear Readers,

My school days are long gone, receding into the distant past, along with waistline-fitting jeans and Guru sandals (though not having the foggiest notion what a Guru was, we pronounced them ‘gru’ – apologies to Despicable Me, and, may I add, I am so envious of the number of minions he has!) I recall vividly having to choose subjects at the end of Standard 7, or Grade 9 for the younger versions of our species. I ticked the little box alongside the package that included Maths, Science, History and… Biology. Two weeks into the new term and I was bored silly in the biology class. Petioles, anthers and axilliary buds were not for me! Bring on mesas, buttes and low pressure cells! The move to geography was a good one, for it fascinated me enough to continue with it at university.

Yet, here I am, decades later, looking at petioles, stamens and axilliary buds, and not a vestige of boredom remains! I try to keep up my Geography though by discussing the weather at every possible opportunity!

All of nature - plants and animals - intrigues and excites me and it is all around us. Tonight, a tiny tree frog, all of 3 cm long is suckered onto a burglar bar in the bathroom, and a dung beetle and praying mantis share space on a bedroom curtain. Yesterday, we found a larger tree frog balanced on the lip of a patio window frame. A little sunbird came in through the dining room window and was eventually ushered out through the door, unscathed in a house filled with cats and dogs.

A night adder forced the re-scheduling of an optometrists appointment as it took a while to dispose of a gutteral toad on the driveway. Daily, we rescue countless insects from drowning in the pool, where fishing spiders balance lightly on floating twigs and weeping grass fronds, patiently waiting to grab at a passing bug. A hamerkop spent a few hours catching tadpoles, balanced on a plank placed to help all manner of creatures escape the pool - yes, tadpoles in the swimming pool, a sure sign that my

maintenance regime is not as it should be.

These creatures are not annoyances to be slapped away or squashed underfoot or with the latest library book from the bedside table. When they come into what we consider to be our space, we must respect them. As delighted as I am to see these creatures tonight, I worry that they are here rather than out there: did my too bright lights bring them in to a certain death? Is there not enough food in the garden for them? Will the visiting frog get along with the resident gecko?

I love being reminded about just how many creatures we share our space with that, no matter how small, do so much to make our lives more agreeable. For we are a part of Nature and not apart from Nature – so get out into your garden and participate!

To our past faithfuls as well as a library of new readers who have signed up over the last few weeks, welcome to a new gardening year.

Enjoy!

Below: A fishing spider balances on a floaating grass frond, while on secure ground, a Natal Tree Frog balances on the lip of a window frame.

Anno

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FROM THE EDITORS DESK…

Book Giveaway Compition WinnerCONGRATULATIONS to the winner of this best-selling book: Carol Jank, of Parklands.

Grateful thanks to the author, Marijke Honig, and publishers, Quivertree Publications, for donat-ing this prize. Log onto the website for information on where to buy the book. www.quivertreepublications.co.za

miss this video in next month’s issue!

DO NOT

The Botanical Society KwaZulu-Natal Inland Branch are looking for indigenous gardens to showcase on their 2015 Indigenous Open Gardens Show, set for April 2015. While they are looking for suitable gardens in the Howick/Merrivale area in particular, they would also love to hear about indigenous gardens in the Pietermaritzburg/Hilton area. The criteria? Mostly indigenous!

If you are keen to showcase your garden please contact: Sally Johnson: 072-1379408 / sarahjarvis.johnson@gmail.com Mary Thrash: 072-6141612 / thrashmjm@gmail.com

Garden request forAutumn 2015

BOTSOC Pietermaritzburg Indigenous Open Gardens

www.facebook.com/botsockzninland

Excessive coastal rains and persistent cloudy skies are highlighting the problems gardeners can face when design-ing with plants from other biomes. How are the winter rainfall species doing in your rain-washed garden? Cape dwellers, on the other hand, have had a dry time of it, with many fires raging. If your out-of-area plants are battling there are a couple of options are available to you: either research local species to replace them with or assess the suitability of the micro-climate in which they grow. Do they need more sun or shade? Having evolved to expect a dry summer a very wet one could rotting of roots, stems and lower leaves in Cape species - better draining soils could help. Cape gardeners could plant summer occuring out-of-towners together, and water by hand.

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WHAT’S IN FLOWER?

TREES:Apodytes dimidiata -White Pear

Clerodendrum glabrum -Cat’s Whiskers (1)Calodedrum capense -Cape Chestnut

Dichrostachys cinerea -Sickle bush

Erythrina humeana -Dwarf Coral Tree

Heteropyxis natalensis -Lavender tree

Indigofera jucunda -River Indigo

Rothmannia capensis -Wild gardenia (3)Tabernaemontana ventricosa -Toad tree

Trema orientalis -Pigeonwood

Trimeria grandifolia -Big Ears

SHRUBS: Anisodontea julii -Pink mallow

Bauhinia galpinii -Pride -of-de-Kaap

Clemitis brachtiata -Traveller’s Joy

Dracaena aletriformis -Large leaved dragon tree

Euryops pectinatus -Yellow daisy bush

Hibiscus calyphyllus -Sun hibiscus Hoslundia opposita -Orange bird berry (2)Karomia speciosa -Parasol tree

Plumbago auriculataPolygala fruiticosa -Heart-leaved Polygala

Tarenna pavettoides -False bride’s-bush

Thunbergia alata -Black-eyed Susan (4)Tinnea barbata -Tinnea

Turraea obtusifolia -Small Honeysuckle tree

PERENNIALS/GC/ BULBS/GRASSESAgapanthus africanus/ praecox - Agapanthus

Bulbine frutescens -Stalked Bulbine

Crinum moorei -Natal lily

Dietes bicolor -Yellow Wild Iris

Eucomis comosa -Pineapple flower (8)Gazania krebsiana/ rigens -Gazanias

Geranium incanum -Carpet Geranium

Hypoxis species -Yellow stars

Oscularia deltoides -Oscularia (5)Melinis nurviglumis -Natal Redtop grass (9)Plectranthus oertendahlii -Silverleaf spurflower(6)Scabiosa africana -Cape Scabious (7)

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4 5 6

7 8 9

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Feed/ Maintain: use organic fertilisers or compost• Strong growing creepers like Senecio tamoides (Canary Creeper), Thunbergia alata

(Black-eyed Susan), and groundcovers like Gazania rigens, Felicia amelloides and Geranium incanum

• Container and basket plants• Feed flowering shrubs and perennials• Feed autumn- flowering shrubs now to ensure a colourful display in autumn• Mulch all beds to retain moisture and protect against the summer heat

Prune/ Trim/ Deadhead: leave some flowers to set seed• Divide over-grown Arum lilies, lightly trim Plectranthus zuluensis. • Trim or prune early summer- flowering shrubs, but take care not to disturb wildlife. • Cut up trees and shrubs as needed to improve air-circulation in this damp heat• Thin out around perennials and soft shrubs if showing signs of fungal disease and

stem rot• Dead-head groundcovers and perennials, like Pelargonium tongaense, to keep the

plants energies focused on producing further flowers. Allow some flowers to seed seed to provide food, hide-aways, and to be used for nesting materials

Propagate / Plant / Remove: • Plant Amaryllis belladonna• It is still possible to take stem cuttings of succulents through the summer months• Weeds are vigorous now so remove while still small before they set seed• Collect the bright ripe-red Clivia seeds and tuck into seeding trays while fresh• The summer rainfall season is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs

JANUARY 2015

Bauhinia speciesGrewia occidentalisCrinum moorei (2) Indigofera jucundaCyanotis speciosa (3)Tinnea barbata

Gazania species (1)Felicia amelloidesAloe cooperiBulbine frutescensAgapanthus praecoxHypoxis hemerocallidea

Erythrina humeanaEucomis autumnalisAsystasia gangeticaAgapanthus africanusAptenia cordifoliumHypoxis hemerocallidea (4)

WHAT’S INFLOWER

Mid- Summer

Pests and Diseases: our website has earth-friendly remedies to try• The Amaryllis lilyborer is active on Clivia, Crinum, Haemanthus and Agapanthus spp. • Look for plants suffering from fungal diseases and rotting leaves and stems: cut away

some undergrowth and thin out the plants to improve air circulation.• Watch Gerbera jamesonii (Barbeton Daisy) and Geranium/ Pelargonium species for

powdery mildew, rust and black spot. See above point to improve/prevent problems

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So WHAT ISIndigenous Design?8

There is a critical need for gardeners to be part of the fabric that protects indigenous flora while support-ing urban wildlife, something which can only be

achieved by changing the objectives of traditional garden design. Colour schemes, focal points, texture, spatial organisation and composition, are all elements of this human-driven style. But what principles guide indig-enous garden design?

Conventional landscape design puts humans, and all their likes, dislikes, cultural needs, current trends and fads, and lifestyles, front and centre. Landscape as a creative activity is deeply satisfying; it enables the designer to play with shape, structure, form, colour, contrasts, combinations, textures and light. Good design revolves around a set of principles that help the designer to understand and use all of the above when setting out a landscape. These are also the main factors that influ-ence the choice of plant material. The plant palette? The world.

There is a sameness to garden design across the globe. With no international boundaries when it comes to design style and plant choice, there is nothing to suggest a sense of place, a relationship with the wider environment. George Monbiot, in his exceptional book, ‘Feral’, suggests that this has resulted in a ‘monoculture that causes a dewilding, of both places and people, and strips the Earth of the diversity of life and natural structure to which human beings are drawn. It creates a dull world, a world lacking in colour and variety, which enhances ecological boredom, narrows the scope of our lives, limits the range of our engagement with nature.’ Yet, continents, countries, biomes, and habitats all have distinct ecosystems with unique structures and associ-ated organisms - Nature’s identity document.

Indigenous Garden Design on the other hand should be a way of arranging our outdoor space to both enhance and support the functioning of the natural world in which we are immersed – whether we are aware of this world or not . It should not simply follow the dictates of popular design principles, merely changing plant ma-terial used from exotic to indigenous. It is also important not to place it on the list of garden styles along with Tus-can, Formal, Modern/minimalist, and Country Meadow; it is not a fad or trend. The design of an indigenous garden is governed principally by the creation of habitats - or ‘rooms’ in current design vocabulary - each with its own set of design rules. Unlike traditionally styled gardens, here we are required to include all aspects of a ‘room’ rather than choose what we like and discard what we

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There is a sameness to gardens across the globe, which creates a dull world and limits the range of our engagement with nature.

Design? By Anno Torr

don’t. Although human-driven needs are no longer the central objective around which the plan evolves, they are factored into it, with the end result remaining one of colour, texture, spatial organisation and composition. With the added benefit though of a garden teeming with life and rude good health. Taking a closer look, it is easy to see the echoes of where modern design principles were derived from – Nature!

To do this effectively, it needs to be taken out of the ambit of traditional design. Why? All gardeners see their work as a way of improving and beautifying their immediate environment, and be-cause of this, they find it difficult to see any kind of gardening as harmful. We need to break the cycle of unfriendly practices built into gardening over the decades. As long as it remains under its influence, gardens will continue to be maintained in a way that will ensure the outward signs of a good garden are kept: leaves without holes; twigs, dead wood and leaves, all swept up, bagged and placed on the verge for pick-up; a strict regime of chemical feeding; monochrome displays that were a stated trend of 2014; frequent use of hybrids with double petals; every inch of the garden contrived and controlled.

Gardens have been designed and maintained this way for so long that we are comfortable with this landscape of mown lawn, well-structured flower-beds and clipped hedges. We look at naturally maintained indigenous gardens with the same eyes and find them aesthetically unappealing. The critical functions habitats provide us with are unknown, unseen and under- val-ued. Indigenous gardens are judged according to these conven-tional principles which compare them with … well… properly

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Top right: Thorn trees, wild grasses and woody shrubs make for a wildlife - friendly drivewayBelow: A wild grassland mix outside a window

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designed gardens, and they are seen as messy, with no design element at all. A garden in which no real gardening is done.

How then do we encourage gardeners to respect and appreciate natural design? A new set of design guidelines can help us to understand how nature’s processes work and to see the beauty of these landscapes. Without them the wildlife pond remains a mud puddle and the wildlife thicket of tangled branches, merely the sign of a lazy gardener. A grassland patch is something the gardener abandoned years ago. Nature is too often seen as something that is ‘over there’, in a nature reserve or national park, something we pay to spend the weekend mar-velling at. But it is outside the front door - in the pot on the patio and under the paving that gets your feet from A to B.

It is our own fault: indigenous gardens are still seen as the commoners to the aristocracy status of the ‘correctly’ designed gardens, and we buy into that. We try to entice people to create indigenous gardens with phrases like: they are full of colour; they can be just as pretty; they don’t have to be untidy; just de-sign your garden the normal way and replace a few exotics with some locals. This is not exclusively a South African issue. Every garden around the world needs to plant what is indigenous to their area. We shouldn’t be so delighted to see our South African plants in gardens around the world – they should be planting their local species.

How do we approach indigenous garden design?

Firstly, accept that the purpose of a plant is not to look pretty in our gardens. Pollen and nectar-filled flowers evolved to bribe the mobile organisms into feeding on the plant and inadvertently spread the seed around and so, helping that species to survive. Though the benefits plants provide us with are significant, their purpose is totally unrelated to the human lifestyle. To fulfil that purpose, they require a suitable habitat in which to live.

A habitat is the place where an organism lives – plant, animal or microbe – and it can be tiny or expansive. It is made up of

Above: Fallen forest leaves soften the human footfallsBelow: A water habitat is one of the least represented in urban gardens

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communities of plants that grow and work together naturally, and is governed by climate. A habitat needs to provide wildlife with food, water, shelter, and a place to raise a family. It should include the components that make up that habitat in undisturbed areas – fungi, soil micro-organisms, leaf litter, fallen twigs and branches, old seed heads, dead wood. All of the messy aspects that conventional design tidies away. Not all old flowering heads should be cut off to maintain vigorous flowering – plants need to set seed to fruit, to offer nesting materials – and seeds them-selves are eaten.

To choose what habitats to add to your particular site look at what types exist in the area for each one comes with associ-ated species, that is, a specific group of plants and animals that your garden design will be supporting. Including a range of them will increase the diversity of life a garden can support. Many species will make use of their favoured habitat, but often venture onto the fringes of or make full use of other areas too. So, the borders between multiple habitats are often areas teeming with the most wildlife. A lightly shaded woodland area, for example, can open out onto a hot grassland section and beyond that, the

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wildlife pond and then exclusion zone.

Try to recreate the structure of the habitat. For example: within forest and woodland, layers are important and different species use the different layers, from floor up to the top of the canopy. They all need to be represented to support the widest diversity of life. It is probably impossible to recreate a natural habitat entirely within a garden setting. Fully functioning habitats have evolved over considerable amounts of time, whereas we are trying to build a garden in highly disturbed areas that bear no relation to the original landscape. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t attempt to put in place what we can – there are many examples of how quickly wildlife move in and help the habitat to evolve. In the meantime, you are offering critical support to the locals.

Why do we focus so resolutely on the need for gardens to support the local environment? Because the health of our world is dependent on full functioning of eco-systems. They provide us with an incredible array of goods and services, from medicinal ingredients, construction material, tourism and recreation, to regulating climate, cleaning air and water, preventing flooding, pollinating food crops, and absorbing pollutants.

Indigenous garden design requires us to make space for other organisms by reigning in the spread of our habitats and let-ting go of some of our learned behaviours, like the expanses of paving and mown lawn, the limited plant palette and continued use of poisons, and our control of each and every corner of the garden. For the use of indigenous plants requires a gentle way of gardening.Ed’s note: article images were chosen to depict various habitats. This magazine carries monthly articles on designing indigenous gardens, resplendent with photos of indigenous design.

Opposite page, top: a thick creeper scrambles up a dead tree, offering an insect food source and secure nesting sites. Bottom: Natal Red top, Melinis nurviglumis, with the grassland forb, Watsonia densiflorus. Center page: a moist forest habitat, complete with fallen branch-es and leaves, and diverse understorey species. Bottom strip: some of the wildlife our urban gardens will support: Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-vrou), Painted Reed Frog, and caterpillars.

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D IERAMASHAIRBELLS OF THE VELD

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Dierama sp. © Andrea Abbott

In 1888, William Wordsworth made famous these words;

“I wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breeze”

In an African equivalent, I too was ambling across local grassland and stumbled upon crowds of Hairbells. Grass-like clumps with white hanging bells held on slender arching breeze –tossed stems.

Ah, the joy of that first sighting! It was love at first sight, an affection which has never left me.

Sometimes known as Wandflowers, Angels Fishing rods, Fairy- bells and even Wedding-bells, this charming beauty of our grasslands is way better known in Britain where it has been grown and hybridised for many many years. Locally Dieramas may be found from Knysna in the Southern Cape northwards to southern and eastern Africa to Ethiopia.

Kwa Zulu Natal has the greatest number of species and in the Eastern Cape Dieramas may be found from just above sea-level to the top of the Drakensberg escarpment at 3000m. Interestingly, in the tropics Dierama is mainly montane. Despite this wide altitudinal range they are restricted to one kind of habitat – moist grassland.

Hairbells are evergreen and the leaves produced in one season remain green until well after the next years leaves have appeared. Unlike Gladiolus and some Watsonias they never go into a state of complete dormancy. This means that the plants require sufficient moisture year round to maintain this foliage, easy when one has a garden hose to hand. Therefore there is a Dierama for every garden from coast to high altitude. Their graceful fronds look perfect around a water feature or a bird bath. Use them in a meadow or grassland planting where they will raise their heads above the surrounding grasses. Some flower in spring and others mid to late summer. They should not be crowded by other plants because when in flower the stems are held almost obliquely and the clump stretches to twice its resting size.

HAIRBELLS OF THE VELD15

By Jenny Dean

Grey leaves of Crassula arborescens behind

the the drooping Dierama flowers.

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And the colours! There is a wide spectrum from white through creamy yellow, pale mauve, lilac, bright pink to the deepest red.

Fading flowers are clasped by silvery bracts which catch the light – beautiful in an unconventional way. Hard brown seeds follow each encased in its own little bract. The stems bow down heavy with this bounty of seed, rich with promise – a whole world of beauty held within each tiny capsule.

Bees visit the flowers and are thought to be the pollinating agents. The bells are the haunt of the crab-spider – so delicately mauve coloured as to appear almost invisible against its floral backdrop.

Growing Dieramas is relatively easy given these few provisos. They do not like very hot dry positions (coming as they do from moist grasslands) but they do want full sun. There is some argument as to the best time to transplant a clump but I have found them to be quite tough as long as the thick fleshy roots – described by one writer as “brittle as icicles”- are not damaged. Even with taking this care Dieramas take at least a year to settle down after transplanting.

Mole rats love the corms. The most effective method of keeping them from eating all your precious Hairbells is to plant the Pineapple plant (Eucomis autumnalis) amongst them. I have done this all over my gardens. No Dierama goes in without a companion Eucomis. Somehow the mole rats give them a wide berth. The bonus of this planting arrangement is that when the early blooming Dieramas flowering period is over the Eucomis will push their unusual lime green heads up. Mature clumps can produce up to 12 striking flower spikes.

Each year I collect seed if I can get to them before a destructive little beetle gets them. The grub of this bruchid beetle (Urodon lilii) is discovered inside the seed which looks normal on the outside and if not discovered quickly enough will soon turn your collection of seeds into a nasty mass of grubs and seed coats

all stuck together. This happened to the authors of the definitive book on Dierama - Olive Hilliard and B.L.Burtt, who collected seeds in Malawii and took them back to Edinburgh only to discover this nasty mess upon opening the seed packet. It gave the beetle experts some fun though - the beetle was eventually identified in Czechoslovakia!

Today’s gardeners are fortunate – you can simply purchase fully grown plants and enjoy the rich flowering display they offer. Dieramas are truly the flower of my heart.

Top Right: Dierama luteoalbidum © By Daderot via Wiki Commons.This is a rare species found in open grassland in the Eastern Cape. Flowers are a lovely pale lemon colour in bud opening to white shaded yellow. Below: Eucomis autumnalis. Photo by Jenny Dean

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AN AFRICAN HERB GARDENPHASE ONE: the germination of an idea, design and planning. What South African spe-cies would you plant in your herb garden? By Anno Torr

Pelargonium graveloens and cream Arum

Wild grasses spill from the pot alongside Rosemary interplanted with Pelargonium tongaense

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Having recently been rather outspoken about the endless expanses of hard surfacing currently covering the ground in urban gardens, it was with some trepidation that I

undertook the re-design of my African Herb Garden with … well … a large spread of decomposed granite from the house to the rock wall.

But something had to be done! Most of the lawn in need of a weekly trim covers sections of the front garden only. With the herb garden situated on the upper terrace behind the house though, the lawnmower made very infrequent trips up steps and slopes to the kitchen door. So, rather than cultivating basil and tomatoes, Benign Neglect was cultivating weeds and unkempt lawn – which is not the same thing as wild indigenous grass! When unattended for months, it becomes a nightmarish mess, whereas wild grasses – ah, now there is an idea worth cultivat-ing. So, how to design my African herb garden?

Current practise defines a herb as a plant, of which some parts, roots, stem, leaves, flowers and/ or fruits, are used for food, medicine, flavouring or scent. This includes of course, trees, shrubs, sub-shrubs and woody-stemmed perennials, fungi, annuals and even ferns. Centuries ago though the term referred to grasses, green crops and leafy plants, and this would be my starting point. My garden would carry echoes of the old days, with grasses like Aristida junciformis, Melinis nerviglumis and Snowflake grass, easy –to grow vegetables, commonly grown herbs like Basil, Rosemary and Thyme, and many indigenous wildflowers. These should look quite at home among the co-monly grown herbs. In fact, Botanical reference books like Elsa Pooley’s ‘A Field Guide to Wildflowers of KwaZulu-Natal’ and the Eastern Region, refer to a number of grassland forbs as ‘herbs’.

A days’ observation clarified the hours of sun and shade; herb gardens need at least 5 -6 hours of sun as do most of the local wild grasses, and, though there were a few small pockets of shade, most of the narrow strip stands in full sun during the summer months. A sandstone rock wall forms the northern most boundary helping to reflect both light and heat back onto the growing plants, a perfect situation for heat -loving herbs.

When first laid, the spread of decomposed granite looks too big for a gardener with wildlife well-being in mind. The natural stone will absorb and radiate heat from the sun, making life too hot to handle without protective pockets of foliage under which reptiles and insects can take cover. This surface could also make summers too hot for the gardener. The design takes care of this potential problem though and drifts of grasses and flowers will provide cover, providing a natural cooling system through plant transpiration.

There are a couple of drawbacks to using decomposed granite:• This particular mix has an assortment of particle sizes

which is attractive, but tough on bare feet. Solution: keep garden clogs outside the kitchen door.

• High light and heat reflection: the glare factor is fairly high, though this should diminish considerably as the plants spread, breaking up the stone into small sections. Foli-age will also help to reduce the ambient temperature of the enclosed space.

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Crocosmia aurea

As a barrier between bare ground and stone, an old roll of shade cloth was repurposed. While not providing a solid barrier as weed guard fabric would, it should be sufficient as the granite mix is heavy and compacts well given time. A second reason behind using this material is to give small insects and earth-worms access to the soil, something weed guard fabric pre-vents. Will it be an effective enough choice? Time will tell.

Plant choices:Two rather old Lavender shrubs, a healthy looking Rosemary and Pelargonium graveolens are well established. Crocosmia aurea and the cream-coloured Arum lily have self-seeded beauti-fully, and a couple of lemon trees encourage the Citrus Swal-lowtail butterfly to dance attendance. The granite will certainly change the micro-climate of space, increasing the heat reflected back onto the leaves. While the heat-loving herbs shouldn’t be affected by this, the moisture loving Falling Stars and Arums may be. While Crocosmia are commonly found in light to full shade, having germinated in full sun, they show no signs of struggling in this situation. A mature Gymnanthemum colora-tum (previously Vernonia colerata) brought in scores of insects, butterflies and birds until it fell down, but the excellent spring and summer rains gifted life and new branches are already 2m high. This tree is an excellent species to include in the food gar-den for it brings in a remarkable diversity of pollinating insects, including bees.

Plants to be added: Vegetables: The Banting craze cuts out potatoes, broccoli and beetroot, an impatient nature strikes onions and cauliflower off the list, with taste preferences and space taking care of the rest. Leafy greens, on the other hand, are attractive and easy to grow, whittling the plant palette down to lettuce, Swiss Chard, beans, tomatoes and bell peppers.

Herbs: Whether they get used in the kitchen or not, I love the fragrance of herbs. Past experience with Sage and Sweet Basil was unsuc-cessful, but the Sacred Basil grows well and leaves and flowers in a pesto are just as delicious. Origanum, various species of Thyme, Chives, Lemon Verbena, Parsley, Borage, Rosemary (already a decent size), Coriander, Rocket, Lavender (‘Margaret

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Roberts’ keeps flowering year after year), Lemon balm, Cat Mint (for Hobbes and Smudge), Comfrey to add as an activator on the compost heap. Nasturtium, Marigold and Calendula are often added for companion plantings.

Indigenous Wildflowers:Shrubs: Agathosma betulina (Buchu), Eriocephalus africanus, Artemisia afra, Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos), Hypericum revolutum, Pelargonium graveolens, P. ‘Fra-grans’, Aloe arborescens, Euryops pectinatus, Helichrysum splendidum, H. kraussii.

Perennials: Dianthus zeyheri, Geranium incanum, Tephro-sia species (Pea family fix Nitrogen in the soil and bring in the Carpenter bees), Bulbine frutescens and B. abyssinica, Tul-baghia violacea, Diascia integerrima, Felicia amelloides, Bergeranthus scapiger, Aloe vanbalenii, Kalanchoe de-cumbens, Berkheya speciosus, Crassula pellucide subsp. brachypetala.

Climbers for trellis: mix of Thunbergia alata, Senecio mac-roglossus and Aloe ciliaris. This combination will offer secure a nesting site for pollinating birds, insects and reptiles.

NEXT MONTH: Implementing the design. Plant descriptions and reasons for their inclusion in an African herb garden. From top left: Sacred Basil; Eriocephalus africanus; Lavender species; Diascia integerrima; Below: Crassula pellucida subsp. brachypetala; Bottom: Felicia amelloides.Previous page: Far left: Aristida junciformis; Aloe arborescens, Berkheya speciosus; Helichrysum kraussii; Dianthus zeyheri

Many species in high rainfall areas and those that grow in wet conditions have leaves that taper to a drip tip: tropical forest and rainforest trees, for example. The reasons given for this adaptation are varied, but the common point is that a drip tip enables the rain drops to run quickly off the leaf. Rapid shedding of water helps leaves to dry rapidly

and reduce the growth of epiphytic fungi on the leaf surface. Fungi, accumulated debris, and surface water can all block out sunlight and reduce a plants’ ability to photosynthesize. The dry-ing action of drip tips may also enhance transpiration, a process needed for water and mineral circulation throughout the plant. Pointed drip tips also help to channel the rain directly to the root area for quick absorption. It is commonly thought that drip tips are associated with tree species, those with smaller mature heights and thinner trunk diameters.

Examples of species with Drip tips: Grewia flavescens, a few Strychnos species, Craibia zimmermannii, Tarenna pavet

toides, Cryptocarya woodii (Cape Wild- Quince), Mackaya bella and Oxyanthus species. Top: Cryptocarya woodii ©JMK via Wiki CommonsBelow: Tarenna pavettoides; Bottom: Mackaya bella

Robber insectsSpecies like carpenter bees and short-beaked birds, unable to reach the nectar held at the bottom of the long, narrow tubes of Erica flowers, steal this rich food source by biting a hole in the flower. This causes pollination problems for the plant. As these insects do not brush past the pollen carrying organs, they do not carry pollen to other flowers, and so by-pass the give and take system set up by the plant. To remedy this, many erica’s have evolved ways of circumventing this activity; some have large, thick bracts at the flower base, preventing insects from making holes at the base. Others have hairy or sticky surfaces that restrict insects from crawling on the plant. These protective features forces all insects to access the nectar via the mouth of these flowers – as any decently behaved insect should!

Left: thick bracts, hairy leaves and sticky flower surface on Erica species

Notes from Nature

Drip Tips

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OUR AIM

The Flora & Fauna Publications Trust was established to raise sponsorship for the publication of popular, authoritative and

affordable books on the indigenous plants of the Eastern Region of South Africa, with the object of stimulating greater awareness of our

rich and unique Flora and Fauna and the undeniably integral relationship of one to the other.

To view and/or purchase the most informative Field Guides and nature books, visit our website.

www.floratrust.co.za

To help you keep South Africa as pure as nature intended

FUNGIA part of Nature’s digestive system.

Fungi are revelling in the current warm, moist conditions in many summer rainfall areas. Rather than destroying them, encourage their growth by retaining dead wood, fallen branches and thick leaf mould in your garden, as they are critical com-ponents of their supporting eco-systems, helping to break down the wood for other organisms like beetles, to use. The fungus in the lower right image is growing 3m up on a dead branch of a Trema orientalis (Pigeonwood). Other members of the family of decompos-ers, moss and lichen, have also colonised the wood. The image top right shows healthy moist-looking brachet fungi on an old Jacaranda log that lines a forest path. Below, and orange bracket fungus colonises dead wood left where it fell on the woodland floor.

Coming next month: toad vs snake

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Small patch, big results By Jenny Dean

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Take a small patch of lawn.....do as Nature would and then stand back and enjoy the results.

Here is a clump of indigenous planting in a 16 square metre piece of ground. It has all the components necessary for a wildlife friendly haven. We humans love flowers but if you re-ally want a garden which is an oasis for creatures you want to concentrate on drawing insects to your space. This in turn will entice interesting birds like warblers and flycatchers to name a few.

The origins of this clump are fascinating. When the owners moved in some 22 years ago the present Burchellia stood alone in the lawn, about a metre high. Garth then planted the Erythrina and the Cussonia, a few little groundcovers and put a birdbath right in the middle of the clump. The birds did the rest! Of course, they also brought undesirables like Camphor trees and other aliens so the owners have to be alert and pull the seedlings out. Mahoganies and Umdonis also appear regularly which need to be removed as they would ultimately be too big and shady. Today the original birdbath still stands with the addition of one on the ground thus providing for thrushes and robin-chats which enjoy a bath closer to the ground.

Below I describe the trees and plants present but you could eas-ily substitute species suitable for your area. The major require-ment is that none of the trees used become huge and overbear-ing which would throw the whole garden out of balance. The ground here is also full of sandstone (i.e., rocky) which tends to restrict growth somewhat which is useful.

The backbone of the clump consists of Erythrina lysistemon (Common Coral tree), Cussonia spicata (Common cabbage tree) and Zanthoxylum capense (Small knobwood). All three provide astounding texture. The Cussonia shown is heavily laden with fruit - small grape –like and purple – a boon for birds and Charaxes butterflies. The flowers are fairly insignificant– small and greenish-yellow – but attract hordes of insects. Do remember that the root of Cussonia is invasive and shouldn’t be too near any walls or paving. The trunk is corky and fissured with scars from old leaves on the branches – interesting!

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Erythrina lysistemon © Abrahami via Wiki Commons

Burchellia bubalinaZanthoxylum capense

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The Small knobwood has a fascinating trunk studded with small hard knobs reminiscent of rhino horns. In fact, the Forest knobwood, Zanthoxylum davyi, has spines which tip slightly upward – real little rhino horns. The latter is a much bigger tree while Z. capense is a slender tree with a sparse crown just per-fect for our little clump. The flowers of Z. capense are scented, pale yellow and also attractive to insects. The fruits are edible to humans, taste of lemon but cause a burning sensation in the mouth which does not deter the birds.

From winter to early spring the Coral tree will light up the entire clump with nectar-filled orange blooms. Being leafless in the dry season also allows light into the clump. The original Burchellia is now a few metres tall and nestles beside a Dracaena in full bud. The perfume at night will be entrancing and of course, Dracaena is a favourite nesting place for Robin-chats. Carissa macrocarpa flows around the base of the clump, sprinkled with starry white flowers and providing protection from neigh-bourhood cats. A Cycad brings character and form to the rather sprawling shape of the Carissa. A Trimeria grandifolia or Wild –mulberry pushes its way into the sunlight. The latter can be a shrub or small tree – delightful with its clusters of yellow to red capsules hiding black seeds within. It is host to the African Leopard butterfly.

Creepers have draped themselves across the clump. Monan-thotaxis caffra, the Dwaba –berry, is an unusual garden friendly climber. The leaves are most attractive with a blue-green underside and red fruits. It thrives in the shade of the clump. Smilax anceps needs to be managed as its common name of Leg-ripper or Thorny Rope suggests! Keetia guenzii (Climbing Turkey-berry) has sweetly scented creamy-white flowers borne in profusion. All 3 climbers will need to be cut back lest they swallow the clump whole – but don’t let this put you off. The climbers knit the clump together and provide nesting sites which are stable in high winds. The dense cover provided here is wholly attractive to birds too.

Groundcover planting is naturalistic – a Clivia here and a few Crocosmia there. Forest grasses pop up – Oplismenus being the favoured one of little seed eating birds. This 16 square metre planting is an oasis for all sorts of wildlife and I could have sat for hours just enjoying the varying textures, greens, tiny flowers and the life it harbours. Once again - there is such beauty to be found in unconventional gardening.gardener to uproot these brightly coloured treasures!

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attractive to birds too.

Groundcover planting is naturalistic – a Clivia here and a few Crocosmia there. Forest grasses pop up – Oplis-menus being the favoured one of little seed eating birds. This 16 square metre planting is an oasis for all sorts of wildlife and I could have sat for hours just enjoying the varying textures, greens, tiny flowers and the life it har-bours. Once again - there is such beauty to be found in unconventional gardening.Below: A water source surrounded with Clivia, Falling Stars and Basket Grass

Previous page: Keetia guenzii; Right from top: fruits of Trim-eria grandifolia; African Leopard butterfly © Karim via Wiki Commons; Knobbly bark of Knobwood; This page: Above: flowers of Draceana aletriformis intermingle with Coral Tree and Cabbage Tree; Below: Leg -Ripper climbs through a Num Num; Bottom Right: Crocosmia aurea

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TARENNA PAVETTOIDESFalse Bride’s bush

The perfect shrub to highlight in this soggy month of January, is Tarenna pavettoides, the False Bride’s bush, as it thrives in the wettest conditions. It’s natural habitats

are the damp floors of Scarp forests and on forest margins, in swamps, along the edges of streams, and in ravines. In the garden, it does best in moist situations or in areas with good rainfall. Tarenna is a good choice to plant alongside a stream or pond.

The species’ name of ‘pavettoides’ indicates the similarity of its flowers to the Pavetta species, all of which have ‘Bride’s bush’ in their common name.

Tarenna pavettoides occurs along the warmer wetter coastal habitats of the Eastern Cape and KZN, and up into the eastern Escarpment. While usually shrubby, without the lower branches this medium to large shrub can form a single –stemmed small tree of no more than 4 meters high. It has value though as a multi-branched shrub as it forms a good screen in both sun and shade. Being a coastal species it enjoys a warm summer and cannot tolerate frost.

There are just two species of South African Tarenna, the other being T. junodii. Common name of Climbing Tarenna, it grows in altitude dune, sand forests and forest margins of the Zululand coast, Mapupaland, and into Tanzania.

Description: The False Bride’s bush is a fast growing shrub that epitomises the lush, tropical look so loved by coastal gardeners. The large leaves (70 – 200 x 20 – 90 mm) are glossy, bright to dark green in colour with conspicuously raised veins on the underside. Broadly elliptic in shape, they taper to a pointed drip-tip commonly seen on tropical forest species. (See Notes from Nature section for further drip-tip info.) Margins can be slightly wavy. In young shrubs, the bark on the slender stems is smooth and pale becoming rough and a darker brown with age. White to cream flowers carry a light fragrance and are beautifully displayed against the dark green leaves. Flowering and fruiting takes place from January/ February to July, and the round black fruits are eaten by birds.

Natural habitat: Distribution range: SA: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal; also Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Malawi.

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T R E E S F O R B E E SA bee attracting tree provides a display of nectar covered flowers that is hard to match at ground level.

Halleria lucida

When focusing on plant that will attract bees to the garden, we typically look at flowering perennials, groundcovers and small shrubs.

A bee attracting tree though provides a display of nectar covered flowers that is hard to match at ground level. Trimeria grandifolia is a prime example: at this time of the year small catkin-like flowers hang in sprays from branch tips, and the hum of hardworking bees can be heard from meters away. The canopy covers an area of approximately 3 x 3m and is multi-storied too, to a depth of up to 1.5m, and it shimmers with bees! What value for money!

Granted, their growth rate is comparatively slower than other categories of plants, taking many more years before the canopy is large enough to offer an abundant table. Mature trees though are quite reliable and once established, bees are almost guaranteed a pollen harvest for weeks – with no further input from the gardener. Even one tree whose flowers are favoured by these vital pollinators will add significant value to a garden.

The list below offers a range of smaller trees that can occupy space in most gardens without getting too large. Include them in shrubberies, fence-line screens and wildlife thickets, or as a single specimen. For those concerned about potential bee stings, plant your choice away from the house and main play and en-tertainment areas. I am mildly allergic to a bee sting but have yet to be stung, even when centermeters away when photographing them.

There are just over 1000 known bee species in South-ern Africa and our list is divided into trees known to attract specific groups of bees; carpenter and honey bees, and bees in general.

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top: Ziziphus mucronata; Above: Senegalia mellifera; Below: Polygala myrtifolia

To increase the effectiveness of food plants keep in mind the lifestyle behaviours of bees: to reduce travelling distances and save energy, bees prefer their nests and food sources to be in close proximity to one another.

Nesting needs: decaying wood, cracks in walls, soft soil (leave patches of soil uncovered for ground nesting bees).

CARPENTER BEES:Culpernia aurea: Wild Laburnum; 3 x 3m; Eastern Cape, Gaut-eng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga; Forest margins and understorey, and bushveld. Flowers December to February.

Polygala myrtifolia: September Bush; 2.5 x 2.5m; Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Western Cape; dune bush, forest margins, stream banks and open hillsides. Flowers year round.

Crotalaria capensis: Cape Rattle-pod; Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape; fynbos, thicket, grassland and forest margins. Persisting in disturbed places. Flowers October to April.

HONEYBEES:

Senegalia (Acacia) mellifera: Black Thorn; Free State, Gaut-eng, Limpopo, Northern Cape, North West. Flowers September to November.

Brachylaena discolor: Coast Silver-oak. Up to 6m; Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga; Dune and coast-al forest and adjacent woodland. Flowers June – September.

Buddleja salvifolia: Sagewood. Up to 7m; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape; forest margins, rock outcrops, in dongas and in watercourses. Flowers August to October.

Dombeya rotundifolia: Wild-pear; Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West; Bushveld and open wood-land on hillsides. Flowers October to December.

Below: Croalaria capensis

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Above: Heteropyxis natalensis

Above: Dombeya rotundifolia; Below: Calpurnia aurea© Serben Proaches

Halleria lucida: Tree Fuschia. 5 x 6; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape. Habitat: understorey and margins of mist-belt forests and on rock outcrops. Flowers April to August.

Ziziphus mucronata: Buffalo-thorn; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West; bushveld where it is small and deciduous; in coastal forest where it is large and evergreen;

BEES

Trimeria grandifolia: Wild Mulberry, Big Ears; 4 x 3; Distribu-tion range: Eastern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape. Habitat: understorey or margins of evergreen forests. Flowers August to February.

Heteropyxis natalensis: Lavender Tree. Up to 6 x 4; Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga; In bushveld, on forest margins and rocky hillsides. Flowers December to March.

Maurocenia frangula: Bittersweet cherry; Endemic to the Western Cape; Coastal bush or forest, mountain ravines, among rocky outcrops and dry slopes; flowers May and June.

Euclea species: Guarri species; all loved by bees with species occurring throughout the country.

Rawsonia lucida: Forest –peach; Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga; understorey of coastal and scarp forest. Flowers November to February. Slow growing.

Buddleja saligna: False Olive; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gaut-eng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape; Bushveld, dry forest margins and wooded grassland, and along seasonal watercourses. Wide-spread in all 9 provinces. Flowers August to January.

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Above: Maurocenia frangula; Below: Buddleja salvifolia

Left: Flowers of Trimeria grandifolia; Above: Euclea crispa

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Of Milkweeds and MonarchsTHE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY AND MILKWEED

FAMILY OF PLANTS IS WELL-KNOW

There is perhaps no other species that quite fits the phrase, ‘floats like a butterfly’ more than the African Monarch, Danaus chrysippus orientis. It has the bright red/orange and black colour palette that advertises its poisonous quality to thank for this luxury. Without this physical show of bravado, the African Monarch would be just as vulnerable to predator attack as the other species, and the flight speed would be considerably faster! This defence mechanism has proved so successful that other non-poisonous butterflies, like female Common Diadem, Hipolimnas misippus, mimic the colour and flying patterns of the African Monarch. Easily identifiable by their orange and black wings, the African Monarch is a large butterfly common throughout South Africa, across all biomes, flying year-round, with a peak in late summer to autumn.

The connection between Monarchs and the Milkweed family of plants in intriguing. While the butterfly occurs over much of the country for the species to survive, it requires a caterpillar host plant, and the Milkweed family provides 45 currently known species throughout the biomes to enable their survival. The most well-known host plant among gardeners is Gomphocar-pus physocarpus. Previously a member of the Milkweed (Asclepias) genus, it retains the Milkweed common name (or Hairy Balls and Balloon Cottonbush), but taxonomists have transferred the plant to the genus Gomphorcarpus. Gom-phocarpus fruticosus (previously Asclepias) is another favorite Danaus butterfly host plant.

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Main photo, Asclepias cucullata subsp cucullata, visited by ants and beetles too. Top right: the soft balloons of Gomphorcarpus physocarpus. Below: African Monarch © Thomas Bresson via Wiki Commons

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The adult butterflies derive their poisonous toxins from the larval food plant, (both Gomphorcarpus species mentioned here are poisonous if ingested), and the adult butterflies continue to supplement these toxins from adult food sources. The toxins are absorbed by the caterpillar as it feeds on its host plant, and they remain with the adult once it emerges from the pupa. While many reference documents suggest the Monarch butterflies occur where there are Milkweed species available, Ceropegia spp., Stapelia spp. (Carrion flower) and Huernia spp. (H. hystrix and H. zebrina, for example) are known host plants of the African Monarch.

Above: flowers of Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Milkweed. It occurs throughout much of the country - Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape. It seeds prolifically in gardens though each plant usually only lasts a couple of years. The flowers in my garden (Durban) are frequently visited by the paper wasp, Belonogaster dubia.Right: Stapellia species, which also attract many flies.

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The adult butterflies derive their poisonous toxins from the larval food plant, (both Gomphorcarpus species mentioned here are poisonous if ingested), and the adult butterflies continue to supplement these toxins from adult food sources. The toxins are absorbed by the caterpillar as it feeds on its host plant, and they remain with the adult once it emerges from the pupa. While many reference documents suggest the Monarch butterflies occur where there are Milkweed species available, Ceropegia spp., Stapelia spp. (Carrion flower) and Huernia spp. (H. hystrix and H. zebrina, for example) are known host plants of the African Monarch. Above: Huernia zebrina © Cargado por Enzo^ via Wiki Commons. Right: Caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly feeds on Hairy Balls; Below: Asclepias albens (Cartwheels)

www.theindigenousgardener.co.za