April Gardening Guide

April is the middle of Autumn which means it is the perfect time to spend some time in your garden! Contrary to popular belief the work doesn’t stop but rather just begins. Autumn is the perfect time to plant out any shrubs you’ve had your eye on – the soil is still warm but the temperature has cooled a bit. This creates the perfect conditions for your shrubs to establish quickly.

Our Planting Suggestion

Aloe Sunrise

Beautiful two coloured blooms that is bird attracting. A waterwise plant that needs minimal care and attention, perfect for low maintenance indigenous gardens.

Euryops Pectinatus

Extremely hardy indigenou shrub with bright yellow daisy like blooms. Can fill out to 1 meter, making it great shrub to use as a filler for those empty spots in your garden.

Elegia Tectorum Porcupine

Proudly South African thatching reed. Beautiful tuft-forming, ornamental grass. This plant forms part of an unique group of plants found in the Fynbos region of the Cape.

Carissa Macrocarpa

Also known as the Natal Plum. Shiny green foliage which contrasts against the red fruit and bright white flowers. This plant does have thorns and makes a great security hedge.

Pansies

A classic winter flowering annual which is only available for a couple of months throughout the year. Low maintenance and available in a wide variety of colours.

Our Bulb Planting Suggestion

Changing seasons means new bulb availability. Bulbs are easy to plant and makes for some beautiful flowering additions to your garden space.

• Daffodils
• Irises
• Ranunculus (soak overnight before planting)
• Hyacinths

Our Seed Sowing Suggestion

Growing your own plants from seeds can be very rewarding. The best seeds to sow this time of year is:

• Peas
• Parsnips
• Beetroot
• Broccoli
• Cabbage

Best Time To Feed The Following Plants

Winter flowering plants such as camellia sasanquas, strelitzia, crocosmia

Winter Flowering Plants

To ensure they look their best your winter flowering plants such as your camellia’s, strelitzia’s, and crocosmia’s will benefit from a feeding this month.

Aloes and winter flowering succulents

Aloes and succulents also benefit from a feeding. Especially to encourage blooming during the winter months. A general fertilizer will work great.

Roses

To keep your roses happy and thriving give them a final feed of 3:1:5 fertilizer. They will benefit from a feed again later in the year once temperatures rise again.

Garden Duties To Do

• Plan and plant your hedges now! This gives them time to establish and grow out before trimming in Spring.
• Pick up frost cover. The temperature is beginning to drop, best to have your frost cover before it is too late.
• Mulch your bedding. Mulching helps to protect the plants roots from extreme temperatures, this helps minimise the damage of the colder months.
• Keep gardenias well watered. Gardenias will start creating buds this month. Keep them well watered to prevent bud drop before blooming.

Pests To Watch Out For

You love your garden space but so do little critters. If left unattended these little guys can cause quite the damage. Best to spot and treat as soon as possible to minimise the damage they can cause.

• Snails and Slugs
• Leaf Miners
• Scale Insects

There is lots to do in the garden this month! We hope this gardening guide helps you. Please feel free to contact us for any questions you might have 🙂