ONCE UPON
A TIME ...........
Years ago, there was plenty of open, natural veld
surrounding our towns and it was rich in wildlife. As
towns expanded the only remaining natural veld and
wildlife shrank to occur only in patches between
town, factories and farm land. With this reduction in
natural areas, suburban gardens now form an important
place where wild animals can live and indigenous
plants (plants found naturally in local areas) can
flourish. There are many things that one can do to be
an "environmentally friendly" gardener.
HOW TO
BE NICE TO YOUR GARDEN
Avoid
harmful chemicals
All gardens have problem animals that damage
plants. Although pesticides will kill them, they may
also kill harmless animals such as birds, spiders,
lizards and other creatures that are helpful to
gardeners. There are many ways of getting rid of
pests without killing helpful animals or harming your
garden.
Chasing
"Pests" Away
Pungent Plants -
Strong smelling herbs will act as natural
repellents for many unwanted little animals e.g. -
chives and garlic planted in a rose garden will keep
aphids away; marigolds help to keep soil clear of
nematode worms; the strong smell of rosemary,
nasturtiums, peppermint, sage and basil is known to
keep many flying insects and ants away.
Caterpillar spray -
Crush half a cup of garlic cloves - add to one
litre of water. Allow to stand for two days. Dilute
the mixture 1:50 with water. Spray the diluted
mixture on the leaves of affected plants.
Scale insects -
Scrub the leaves with a strong washing up solution
and a soft nail brush - or wipe with methylated
spirits, removing lodging hard scales with your
fingernail.
Garden spray -
This spray will chase pests away without killing
them.
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Add the
following to 201of water:
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1 tbls bicarb.
of soda
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2 tbls Jeyes
Fluid
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1/5 of a bar
blue mottled soap (flaked).
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Stir well to
dissolve all ingredients.
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REMEMBER - Choose a spray that
breaks down quickly, and then apply it at dusk so
that it will have decomposed by the morning and will
not harm bees and butterflies.
Natural enemies-
Encourage creatures to your garden that will prey
on the "pests" For example, ladybirds eat
aphids; shrikes and thrushes feed on grasshoppers,
juicy worms and caterpillars and hadedahs enjoy
crickets.
CARE
FOR THE SOIL
Soil is alive!! Hundreds of thousands of living
creatures as well as microscopic plants are found in
soil. Earthworms, insects, millipedes, bacteria,
algae, fungi and lichen all make soil their home. In
turn, they contribute to the development of healthy
soil which is able to nourish the plants which grow
in it.
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First Aid for Soil
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Add compost - it will add nutrients
to your soil, provide a habitat for
many soil living plants and animals
as well as keep the soil moist,
because it holds water like a sponge.
Making your own compost is a very
rewarding process, and an excellent
way in which to recycle kitchen waste
such as vegetable peels, (not potato
peels as they can carry eelworm), egg
shells and fruit skins.
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Rotate the plants that you grow in a
particular bed. Don't kill earthworms
(artificial fertilizers can drive
earthworms away) - they aerate the
soil and carry humus from the upper
to the lower layers of soil.
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Use artificial fertilizers only to
supplement - NOT replace - natural
recycling (the use of compost) in the
soil.
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ENCOURAGE
INDIGENOUS PLANTS
Indigenous plants are those that are native to a
Particular area. An exotic plant is one that has been
introduced into an area. One of the many problems
associated with exotic plants is that some of them
are invasive - this means that they will
"invade" indigenous vegetation and displace
it.
By planting indigenous species you can help
conserve our rich plant heritage. In addition, birds
and other garden animals are more likely to be
attracted to a garden full of indigenous plants.
WHAT CAN
YOU DO?
Contact your nearest Botanical Garden, nursery or
write to the Botanical Society to find out which
indigenous plants you can use.
FURTHER READING:
-
Lynn Hurry and Keith Kirsten. 1989 -
Gardening is Fun. Human and Rossouw, Cape
Town.
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Kristo Pienaar. 1985 - Grow South African
Plants. Struik, Cape Town.
USEFUL ADDRESSES:
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The Witkoppen Wildflower Nursery, Rietrallei
Road, Witkoppen, Transvaal.
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National Botanical Gardens
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Bettys Bay Tel: 02023
9711
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Pretoria Tel: 021
861164
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Worcester Tel: 0231
70785
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Nelspruit Tel: 01311
25531
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Claremont Tel: 021
7621166
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Dorpspruit Tel: 0331
443585
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Wilropark Tel: 011
6621741
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Bloemfontein Tel: 051
313530
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Botanical Society, Private Bag X7,
Kirstenbosch, Claremont 7735.
The
Kiss of the sun for pardon
The
song of the birds for mirth
One
is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than
anywhere else on earth
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