Planting a Hedge ? AVOId the toxic , invasive privet ... Grow a Grewia !
What to do
Food for the birds …
To encourage birds in your garden you need to include plants that provide a variety of food sources and nesting sites . Here are some plants that will attract different kinds of birds :
For the seed-eaters Anisodontea scabrosa ( Cape mallow , small shrub ), Clerodendron ugandense ( Oxford and Cambridge , medium shrub ), Grewia species ( large shrubs ), Cordia africana ( large tree ), Phoenix reclinata ( Wild date palm ), wild grasses ( like Natal red grass ) and sunflowers .
For the fruit-eaters Carrissa species ( small to large shrubs ), Ruttya fruticosa ( Jammy mouth , medium shrub ), domestic figs and mangoes .
Planting a Hedge ? AVOId the toxic , invasive privet ... Grow a Grewia !
Grewia occidentalis is an extremely fast-growing shrub or small tree that is indigenous to Zimbabwe as well as other areas in Southern Africa . It is ideal as a hedge plant and can be clipped into a neat shape , or grown as a beautiful individual shrub with a more natural form . It is evergreen and has beautiful mauve flowers that attract butterflies and bees . The seeds are a favourite of many birds and the dense growth habit provides ideal nesting sites . Grewias can be grown in full sun or shade and will thrive even without watering .
For the nectar-drinkers Strelitzia species , Halleria elliptica ( Wild fuchsia , medium shrub ), Hamelia chrysantha ( large shrub / small tree ), Schotia brachypetala ( small tree ), Lonicera species ( Honeysuckles ) and Hibiscus varieties .
For the insect-eaters Encourage insects to become resident in your garden by always covering your beds in a good layer of mulch . Include some dead logs covered in rotting bark in remote back areas ( insects will breed under the bark ) and refrain from using toxic broad-spectrum insecticides in your garden that will kill both pests and beneficial insects . Highly effective organic pesticides ( Levo , Kobe and Silwet ) are now available in most nurseries around Harare .
Anisodontea scabrosa Cape mallow
How to plant a Grewia hedge
1 . To get the hedge effect , dig a trench 1m wide by 1m deep and place the plants 1m apart .
2 . Plant them as you would a normal bush by filling the trench with a mixture of 70 % soil and 30 % good quality compost , one cup of a multi-purpose organic fertiliser or a handful of superphosphate and a handful of vegefert . If your soil is too sandy or too full of clay , you should add more compost .
3 . Build a ‘ cone ’ of compost for each plant to encourage downward growth of the roots . 4 . Then fill hole and water immediately .
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