Bird-Friendly Plants May 18, 2008

Wildlife-friendly plants in my garden- a fairly random selection

Bird-friendly Indigenous Trees

1. Rhus spp./Karee ( separate sexes, only female has berries, so try and buy a fruiting one!)

2. Celtis africanus/ White stinkwood

3. Canthium inerme/Turkey-berry

4. Ekebergia capensis (separate sexes!)

5. Cussonia paniculata/Cabbage Tree

6. Kiggelaria africana/Wild Peach (separate sexes!)

7. Halleria lucida/ Wild Fuchsia

8. Nuxia floribunda/Forest Elder – good feature tree

9. Diospyros whyteana/ Bladder-nut

10. Virgilia / Keurboom

11. Alberta magna

12. Podocarpus latifolius

13. Grewia occidentalis/ Crossberry

14. Olea europeana ssp. capensis

15. Acacia spp.

16. Buddleya spp.

Bird -friendly Shrubs and perennials

Nectar:

1. Aloes
2. Protea spp
3. Erica spp- tubular flowers! E.g. Erica versicolor- very easy flowers all year, can prune to shape
4. Leonotis./ Wild Dagga.- must cut back hard every year before Christmas to ensure flowers and prevent legginess
5. Salvia spp. (also the exotics)
6. Halleria lucida (can be kept clipped as a shrub, can prune back hard)- try to get bigger-leafed/flowered variety (Kirstenbosch, Fourways Nursery in Scarborough)
7. Tecoma capensis- prune hard after flowering to keep from becoming woody
8. Kniphofias
9. Agapanthus inapertus “Graskop”
10. Cotyledon orbiculata
11. Melianthus spp
12. Strelitzia
13. Freylinea lanceolata (prune back hard regularly)

Fruit:

Carissa macrocarpa or bispinosa

Chrysanthemoides monilifera/ Bush-tick berry

Gymnosporia buxifolia/ Common Spike-thorn- flowers smell of smelly feet or worse but very bird-friendly!Good against a fence(thorns)

Scutia myrtina/Cat-thorn- good against fence ( thorns)

Asparagus falcatus-good against fence ( thorns)

Grewia occidentalis/ Cross-berry

Carissa macrocarpa

Chironia baccifera

Insects:

Several of the above

Helichrysum petiolare-Karoo Prinias love it!

(see under butterflies and bees)

Seed:

Leucospermum

Ursinia spp,

Osteospermum spp.,

Trees and Shrubs that attract :

Carpenter Bees:

Virgilia/Keurboom

Podalyria calyptrata/ Keurtjie

Polygala spp

Psoralea pinnata

Bees:

Plectranthus spp.

Hermannia pinnata

Bulbine frutescens

Butterflies:

Nectar:

Scabiosa, many others

Bright red flowers in summer could attract Table Mountain Beauty if you live near the mountain

Larval host plants:

Gomphocarpus physocarpa/Milkweed- African Monarch

Pelargonium spp – Geranium Blue

Hyperrhenia hirta (and other grasses)

Kigellaria Africana- Garden Acraea

Vepris lanceolata and (exotic) Lemon tree- Citrus swallowtail

Buffalo Grass- Autumn Widow=lawn caterpillar

Plants for the pond:

Waterlilies (only Nymphaea capensis, the blue one is indigenous, but the others are easier to grow) flower in summer

Waterblommetjies- white flowers in winter ( less rampant than water lilies)

Nymphaea thunbergiana- small round floating leaves, small star-shaped yellow flowers in summer

Plants for a wetland:

Arum Lilies

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora

Gunnera perpensa

Sedges, various

Kniphofias (Red hot Pokers)

Louisiana Iris (exotic but beautiful)

Plants to grow in shade, eg in “ forest”:

Asparagus Ferns

Seven-weeks’ Fern

Knowltonia capensis

Clivias

Veltheimias (easy bulb)

Dracaena hookeriana

Aloes

Selaginella

Haemanthus albiflos (easy bulb)

Scadoxus spp.( bulb with red flowers)

Good Hedging plants:

Buddleya, esp auriculata

Carissa macrocarpa (“Green Carpet is a smaller variety”)thorns, edible berries, good security

Aloe arborescens

Plumbago

Tecoma

Rhus crenata

Try Halleria lucida

Try growing Aloe ciliaris through hedges or grow along with Bougainvilea

For more ideas on unusual hedging plants look at what they’re doing at Kirstenbosch- after entering the gardens at the top gate turn down first path to the left

Brigitte Berg

Minutes: Flourish Garden club 10 May 2008 May 18, 2008

Venue: ‘Sunbirds’, Constantia Valley.

Host & guest speaker: The meeting was held at the stunning home and garden of Bridget Berg who was our host and speaker as well. Our thanks to Bridget. What a treat to all who attended!

“Above all do no harm”.

The topic presented by Bridget was “bringing wildlife to your garden”. Bridget is a qualified medical doctor, artist and an avid gardener with a passion for creating a balanced eco-system in her garden and for the greater good of nature. She is a member of the Constantia Valley Garden club.

We all learnt a lot about accommodating for wildlife by planting correctly and providing food, water and shelter for a variety of creatures (even pests have their place). The essence of organic gardening was once again stressed upon.

* Refer to Bridget’s list of bird, butterfly, frog and bee friendly indigenous plants on the blog.

Books to read on this topic: “Bring Nature back to your Garden” by C & J Botha.

News

Welcome: Michelle Van Den Berg who attended her first Flourish meeting.

Library: There are books available on loan. If you have any books to donate/ borrow please bring them along to the next meeting. Thanks to Bridget for donating some great garden magazines to our club library.

Blog site: http://flourishgardenclub.wordpress.com.

Ally encouraged members to use the FAQ section of the blog site as well as our ‘what’s on’ section and ‘what to do in your garden this month’. – this will help us keep up to date with our flourish projects, thanks Ally.

What to do in your garden this month was presented by Trish (all of which is available in detail on the Flourish blog):

• Mulch
• Treating your compost
• Pick out pests
• Cut back plectranthus
• Fertilize winter flowering plants
• List of winter vegetables to grow

Queries:

Q: My Milkweed is covered in caterpillars! Experts’ (team Jeanette & Glenda) answer: This is the African Monarch butterfly.

Q: When should we give our plants the last feed for the season? Experts’ answer: Now. No more feeding for the winter season.

Plant Giveaways:

1. Karen gave Chrysanthemoides – birds love them, good windbreak.
2. Jo gave Organic granadillas seedlings – stick them in the ground in a sunny spot with a trellis, give a bit of compost and hope for the best! You should get granadillas in one year for 3 years.
3. Niki gave a Vinca to the club members.

Plant Draw donated by Jeanette: Miscanthus Zebrinus: A ½ meter tall type of grass – grasses are very in vogue in gardens at the moment.

Owl box: Jeanette has the details of who to contact. They cost R800 each and R300 pa to maintain. Suggestion, share with your neighbours.

- by Jo Austin