Our Environment

Yucca: ‘The camel’ of the florasTHE YUCCA is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the sub-family Agavoideae of the family Asparagaceae.

He that hath an ‘ear, hath a beautyMOST gardeners know that to beautify a garden takes more than flowers alone. There is the category of plants known as foliage plants, which are grown for their distinctive cluster of leaves that blend with the flowering plants in the garden, and add a feeling of ‘the tropics

The ‘Arrowhead Plant’ hits bullseye for beauty and utility SYNGONIUM podophyllum, the “Arrowhead Plant”, is not only good for decorative purposes, but is listed among the top ten of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) agency’s list of plants which reduce airborne microbes, increase humidity and induce positive psychological effects on the

Ravenala madagascariensis: The ‘Mother Hen’ of floraTHE unique Traveller’s Palm, or Ravenala madagascariensis, is one of nature’s most distinctive and remarkable plants; and it is grown locally.

Growing your own kitchen gardenMORE and more people started to grow vegetables and fruits in their own garden for consumption, as they see it as a very healthy and convenient alternative to unnatural and artificially commercial food that also costs more.

Cordylines enhance any garden-give value for moneySTANDARD palm trees look fantastic in a garden, but eliminate much sunlight, creating a need for them to be complemented by a plant that grows well in such low-light situations.

The Zebra PlantIT HAS all the requirements of a great indoor foliage plant. Its deep-green, glossy leaves measure between 5 and 30 cm long, and have dramatic white or yellow veins and midribs resembling a zebra’s stripes, which are responsible for its popular name, “the Zebra Plant”.

Mulching: Nature’s way of recycling (Part II)LAST week we looked at mulching by using compost, but this time around, I’d like us to focus on bark mulch, the stuff the grand majority of us use, and with good reason. It’s reasonably cheap, readily available, and we’re pretty used to seeing it around. Another good point

The tale of the Cat’s TailWHAT do you call a tender, compact, weeping, evergreen woody shrub with exotic, fluffy, brilliant red, pendulous cat-tail or foxtail-shaped flowers?

Mulching: Nature’s way of recyclingONE OF the chores that befall every gardener, often several times a year, is the laborious task of mulching. While many of us view this as an odious task best ranked with mucking stables or raking leaves (I rank these two very closely),