Sout Africa has the greatest diversity and greatest number of native plant
species than anywhere else on the planet. Many popular garden flowers and
greenhouse plants originate from South Africa.

If you can't find any plants to your liking to grow, you surely haven't been
looking very hard. Check with one of the many botanical gardens in your
country for ideas on which plants to grow in your area.


Persephone wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 16:10:34 +0000, polywogle
wrote:


hi

i actually know very little about gardening but my mom and i are in
need of some serious help.

We live in South Africa, which can be a harsh climate for plants

Mmm...some of the most gorgeous plants and shrubs in our nurseries and
gardens come from South Africa!

especially in one bed by the swimming pool, there is no way we can get
anything to grow there because of the heat, do u have any suggestions?

Is it the heat, or is it the fumes from the stuff you put in the pool?
Or is there underground leakage of chlorinated water?

i would also like to know wat sort of small plant would do well in full
shade all day(if there are any), preferably with flowers.

my mom loves gardening but she unfortunately cannot do much of it
herself lately because her back is so bad, i would like to help
her(maybe give her a 'present' for christmas) by fixing our garedn up.
Please help it would be much appreciated.

It's very nice that you are planning to help your mother with
gardening. Sounds like you need to educate yourself on plants,
which can be a fun process, trust me!

To begin with, there are garden books in your neighborhood book
some of which specifically deal with your local climate.

Also in the library, if you can't afford books.

Also, go to your neighorhood plant nursery and ask them
what would work. Take a diagram of your garden; a rough
sketch is good enough.

Try to tell the nursery where the sun hits your garden at
various times of the year. I realize you haven't been
studying the sun's movements, so this is a good time to start.
Ex: Do not put shade plants where they will be scorched
by strong Western sun. But don't put them in total darkness either!

Also, of course, and this is the biggie in our lives: The Web.
Sometimes I think youngsters don't appreciate the incredible
resources available at the click of a mouse. No need to go to the
library, get help from a reference librarian [1], go through umpty
books, and make copies of needed articles, etc.

[1] Reference librarians are among the GREATEST resources
of any civilized society. People don't realize the amount
of training that goes into that job.]

So, to identify plants suitable for your area, go to the Web, search
via Google or some other search engine. Input the keywords that appear
in your message:

Example: [exact location] South Africa. Small flowering shade
plants. (BTW - there are not many such; flowering plants usually
require sun. There is Clivia, which has gorgeous orange flowers;
some Azaleas can manage in part shade

(I'm posting from Southern California Coastal, which is your basic
Mediterranean climate; not too hot; not too cold = ideal!
Only"downside" is a limited rainy season, +- November - March.
But who knows what will happen, what with global warming...!]

Just a quick trip to the Web, since I don't know your exact location,
elicited the name Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Capetown.
You could probably ask them for help/advice/buying plants, or referral
to a Botanical Garden or other resource more suitable for your
exact location.

OK - this is a a lot of information, but what it adds up to is this:

You need to educate yourself about what plants would do well
in various parts of your garden. It's FUN!

-

Persephone