Interesting Info

Vertigarden Herb

Nothing is impossible in gardening anymore – even if you only have wall space, you can grow your own herbs, flowers and even some veggies using this hanging garden kit.

Even if space is not a consideration, a hanging garden is a beautiful feature in its own right. It is also a solution for people in wheelchairs or those who find it difficult to bend.

Herbs lend themselves to this application because a panel can be positioned close to the kitchen and the regular picking keeps the plants neat.

The main challenge of vertical gardening is finding a system that is light enough, because when potting soil and water is added it becomes heavy. There is also the problem of watering and drainage.

The Verti Garden kit is a modular system that was developed in the United Kingdom and is now available in South Africa.

It consists of a lightweight outer metal frame, a tough but light plastic growing tray and lid, a mesh top and inline irrigation system. Its dimensions are 500mm by 400mm with a depth of about 90mm.
The irrigation pipe is connected to a water tank that is mounted separately above the panel and gravity draws the water down through the panel.

Apart from the kit, all that is necessary to get started is potting soil, slow release fertiliser and 16 seedlings.

Ongoing Care:

The frequency of watering depends on the position of the panel. It will require more frequent watering in summer and less in winter. The panel can be replanted at the end of the season. Cut the ties that keep everything in place, remove the plants and the potting soil. Wash everything with a mild detergent and then re plant using new potting soil and new ties to secure the system.

What Else Eorks?

For a flowering panel it is possible to use bacopa, begonia ‘Million Kisses’, ivy geraniums, impatiens, bidens, lobelia, petunias, especially the trailing ‘Waves’ and verbena. You could also try tufted ornamental grasses like Carex, Acorus, or Mondo grass as well as Liriope and groundcovers.

Obtaining The Kits

Kits can be obtained direct from our offices at Printech road, Honeydew, Johannesburg.

You can contact us directly on 011 -7942316, or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kits can be posted to any part of the country.

How to make an early start on the summer veggie garden

Beetroot Dark Red

Most summer vegetables don’t germinate in cold soil as it can limit the season of summer crops for those gardens that only start to warm up in late spring.

But there is a way around that. The secret is not to sow in the ground but to start off seeds in seed trays or pots and keep them in a warm, sheltered place during germination.

Ways To Keep Seeds Warm During Germination:

This can be in a cold frame, in a home made plastic tunnel, on a sunny patio or even a warm windowsill.

One of the most ingenious methods for keeping seeds warm during germination comes from Sean Freeman of Living Seeds. He suggests using a snake tank heating pad, that can be bought from a pet shop or a small heating pad the size of a pillow that is often used for soothing a sore back.

Put the hot pad on a flat, dry surface, with the fluffy side down and the plastic side facing upwards. Put two bricks on their side and place the seed tray that has been planted up with seeds on the bricks. This will keep the seed tray about 10cm above the hot pad.

Turns the hot pad onto the lowest setting and leave it on. It is not necessary to remove the seed tray when watering provided you don’t get water on the plug or the switch. Alternatively, take the seedling tray off, water it and let the water drain before putting it back.

Seed Sowing Guide:

Which ever method you choose to keep the germinating seeds toasty, start with cabbage and peas because they are long crops which don’t like the heat of summer.

By starting them trays in August seedlings can be transplanted in September they will be ready for harvest in November before the onset of the summer heat. The same applies to leafy crops like lettuce, spinach and Swiss chard.

Between the middle and end of August one can also start off tomatoes, cucumbers, gem squash, pumpkin and butternut in pots.
Baby marrows are a quick crop (ready for harvesting within 60 days) so they can safely be sown at the end of September or even early in October.

Gardening prevents heart attacks

The Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2006) states: Gardening prevents heart attacks. According to the article, there is a 66% lower risk of sudden cardiac death with one hour of gardening a week.

Flowers may increase productivity and creativity in business!

That’s according to a Texas A&M study entitled “The Impact of Flowers & Plants on Workplace Productivity Study”, workplace environments with flowers and plants. The study showed that in those work environments with plants in showed increased...

Did you know that landscaping may reduce crime?

“…Residents living in ‘greener’ surroundings report lower levels of fear, fewer incivilities, and less aggressive and violent behavior.” “…the greener a building’s surroundings were, the fewer crimes reported. Furthermore, this pattern held for both property crimes and violent crimes.”
Source: Environment & Behavior Journal, Vol.33