Water wise species - and most gardeners interpret this label to mean plants that survive on little water - are currently the go-to plants as gardeners respond to a drought that ranges in degree of toughness from harsh to disastrous. But, beyond the drought – what then?...

Mention the word succulent, and many people envision a desert -like design.  Not so! The garden pictured here is alight with color year round - with no added water.

Water-wise Gardening - Where are we?

As a landscaper, I feel we pay lip-service to water conservation in the landscape industry. Despite the liberal use of the word ‘water-wise’ on plant labels at nurseries, and during design presentations, the fact is that many gardens...

From grasses, shrubs and trees, these are the best plants to attract birds to your garden.

“There is no clearer illustration of the extent of human dominance of the Earth than the fact that maintaining the diversity of ‘wild’ species and the functioning of ‘wild’ ecosystems will require increasing human involvement.”, commented an influential group of scient...

Painting the slopes of the Drakensberg marshmallow pink are the large cup-like flowers of the Mountain Mallow, Anisodontea julii. This showy shrub flowers throughout summer, reaching mature height in a single season, so is the perfect gift for an impatient gardener.

Small gardens, or even small areas within larger gardens, need a tree in scale with the size of the area in which it will sit. But, aside from a handful of species, conventional trees are just too big for these smallest of spaces, and would require yearly pruning to co...

Senecio barbertonicus creates height at the top of the bank.  A small to medium size shrub with a neatly rounded shape it has bright green needle-like leaves and acid-yellow flowers that attract insects and butterflies throughout summer. Tucking into the foliage of the...

Succulents jostle with each other in this vibrant show softened by the inclusion of grasses. The drooping fronds of grasses and the grassland wildflower, Dierama pendulum, mingle with fat, static succulent leaves of varying shades of green, grey and red. These create c...