Gladiolus carneus
Of course, we all know that plants
clean the air, and some of our
South African species are among
the most efficient air-cleaners out.
People as far away as Canada are
excited about the incredible carbon
sequestration capacity of our humble spekboom or elephant’s food –
a plant we take for granted despite
its great looks and ease of cultivation.
The amusingly named skoonma-setong or mother-in law’s tongue
(when an Afrikaans name is that
good, you just translate it), is one
Wachendorfia thyrsiflora
Cyperus prolifera
of the easiest indoor plants ever,
tolerating low light and needing
little water. It also cleans indoor air
like no other plant, making it a winner in combatting and preventing
the newly discovered ‘sick building
syndrome’.
Something old, something new
Have you taken a look at the veld
flowers in your area? Have you ever
stopped to admire a beautiful bulbous plant in flower or spotted a
colourful groundcover creeping its
way between the grasses? From the
subtle to the stunning, our indige-
Zantedeschia 'Green God-
Ammocharis coronica
nous species have a lot to offer and the closer to home they grow,
the better they’ll do in your garden.
Unconvinced? Visit your local botanical gardens, check out the
plants and feel free to chat to the
personnel. If you’re a bit jaded –
South Africans tend to take botanical bounty for granted – take a
friend from overseas along. You’ll
soon find yourself looking at indigenous plants with new eyes. We
really are blessed with a remarkable
diversity of gorgeous plants – and
finding new and innovative ways to
use them in your garden is part of
the fun.
Hesperantha coccinea