The Reluctant Gardener’s: Project Curated-Colour

After a trip to Magoebaskloof in Mpumalanga, where we visited the breathtaking Cheerio and Kings Walden gardens I came back, azalea plant in hand and a head filled with the notion that said azalea will survive and be the first addition to my new garden. A picturesque garden bursting with colour, the envy of my entire neighbourhood. As a reluctant gardener where gardening could be considered my second, maybe even third language, this is no small dream. To put it in perspective for you, in the past we used to joke that while our neighbours water their plants, we water the rocks in our garden. So, being all fired up to bring colour to our garden really could be considered (by a more rational person) as a tad overzealous. But not me, nope. Call me the eternal it-could-happen dreamer.

Having tried my hands at a smaller garden project, with varying results from spectacular failures to somewhat flourishing successes, I knew that whatever plants I choose for Project Curated-Colour, would have to be tuff to survive this clumsy gardener. After some consultations with my best friend; Google and many hours of loitering in my favourite nurseries, (I might have seemed like an obsessive-compulsive label reader to staff yet unacquainted with me) I picked the following plants:

Bougainvillea

Versatile and colourful, they come in an array of eye-catching colours including pink, yellow, purple, red, orange and white. Bonus, as planting a few of these in different colours almost immediately brings you closer to your goal of a colourful garden. They do well in pots, hanging baskets, garden beds and are great for fence lines. These evergreen plants love our warm South African climate and do well in full sunlight. You will need to trim them back occasionally as they easily overgrow and although the flowers are beautiful, they can become a bit messy when they start dropping.

Pompom Tree (Dais continifolia)

This must be one of my favourite additions to the garden, this small tree is suitable for small gardens too as it grows to only 6 meters in height. These trees are real show-offs with their round almost fluffy-looking flowers. They are easy to grow, likes the sun and when they flower in December it will be one of your most favourite spots in the garden.

Clivia

Proudly South African and ideal for those shady spots in your garden where nothing else will grow. Although orange flowers are most common, colours include, cream, yellow and red. Apart from being indigenous one of the best aspects of clivias is that they multiply in time, and when planted in mass, it is a pretty spectacular sight when they bloom. If you would like to see a breathtaking sight of Clivias, make sure to visit the Babylonstoren garden near Cape Town with its 9000 Clivia plants.

Hibiscus

Not only do hibiscus add luscious colour to your garden but a bit of exotic tropical flair too. They do well across most regions in South Africa and have many different coloured flowers. Plant them in sunny areas in well-drained soil and they will love it, they are also great for container gardening. They flower almost all year round, so ideal for bringing colour to your garden.

Azalea

A shade-tolerant shrub that does well under trees, these plants produce an abundance of flowers. It is one of the few shrubs that deliver so many flowers that you can almost not see the leaves. They can be a bit tricky to grow in certain areas of our country, so I opted to plant them in pots where I could control the conditions a bit better. Make sure your pot allows for drainage as these plants prefer well-drained soil and a sheltered area. They also need mulch to conserve moisture and prevent winter damage.

Purpleheart

This hardy perennial brings colour through its foliage as opposed to its flowers. It is a great groundcover, requiring full sun and little watering. Fun fact, the plant retains its purple colour with sunlight! Should you plant them in a shady area, it will turn greener and less purple.

Agapanthus

These hardy indigenous plants, a staple in most SA gardens, will outlive even the clumsiest of gardeners. You can choose between white and purple flowers and the evergreen foliage will provide colour throughout the year. They love full sunlight and are super easy to care for.

Alternative colour

And if all else fails, the colour could be brought to your garden by rather painting a garden wall a colour that makes you happy and lets the plants show off their various shades of green. Painting your patio furniture also brings playful colour to your garden. Although not quite the envy of all my neighbours as when I first dreamed of a technicoloured garden, it gives me immense joy and I suppose that is exactly how it should be.