IN THE GARDEN: The colours of May

The season is changing, temperatures are dropping and leaves are transforming into the reds and oranges we look forward to every year. It’s Mother’s Day this month and your local accredited garden centre will be stocked to the hilt with living gift options to choose from.

If your bulbs are not in the ground yet, be sure to do so as a matter of urgency or they’ll be sprouting in the packets and boxes as the temperatures signal it’s time to grow. Remember to keep an eye out for those pesky yellow and black worms called Lily borers, that if left unchecked can destroy entire bulb crops.

If you’ve been waiting patiently to plant those gorgeous winter annuals, the time has arrived. From the three P’s, namely poppies, pansies and primulas, to indigenous beauties like nemesias, bokbaaivygies and Namaqualand daisies, your biggest hurdle will be deciding what not to plant this season.

Introduce some aloes and other succulents to your garden this May, if you haven’t done so already. Their warm reds, yellows and oranges will warm any space and bring nectar-loving birds to your yard. Some of the smaller succulents, like Kalanchoe, will not only give you lasting colour for months to come but are also loved by butterflies, which in turn attract insect-loving birds.

Autumn is one of the prettiest times driving through Gauteng, as the leaves turn the trees into warm, fiery spectacles to be admired by anyone willing to stop for a moment and enjoy nature’s charm. Soon it will all be muted browns with no rain due, until we’re well on the other side of winter.

It’s time to change your water timers to run between 9am and 2pm to give your garden enough time to dry off before the sun sets. Although frost is only a real danger in June and July, Mother Nature does not read the books, so make sure you’re prepared in case those biting winds pick up and she sends Jack Frost out early this year.

Content provided by Life is a Garden.