Glam up the patio for winter
Winter mornings and evenings can be chilly, but on sunny winter days there's no better place to be that on the patio, stoep or loggia.
Use flowering plants to decorate the table when friends and family gather for a meal. Close in the space with leafy plants or air plants tumbling out of hanging baskets and add some eye catching foliage plants as features.
Just make sure that the plants are sheltered from drafts and are hardy, or else move them closer to the interior when bitter cold is predicted.
For tabletop flowers the best plants are those that stay compact and carry their flowers above the leaves, like kalanchoe and calandiva, cyclamen and mini versions of phalaenopsis and anthurium.
Cyclamen thrive in the cool weather and if dead flowers are regularly removed it can flower throughout winter. Plants like bright light and cool conditions and should not be over -watered. For it to flower well, feed with a liquid fertiliser at half strength every two weeks.
It doesn't always have to be about flowers. The bonsai Ficus macrocarpa 'Ginseng' is always a talking point. Make a feature of it by placing it on a coffee table or pedestal to show off its unusual stem and air roots.
Plants that are 'bonsai ready' are easily available and can remain in their pots or be transplanted into a more traditional ceramic bonsai pot. As a patio plant it needs a sheltered position that receives up to four hours of sun a day. Over-watering or drying out, or cold can cause leaf drop. Feed every six weeks with a liquid fertiliser like Nitrosol.
Trailing plant
Philodendron scandens, also known as the sweetheart plant for its heart-shaped leaves is easily trained onto a wall trellis or frame or can cascade out of a hanging basket. Keep plants to a manageable size by trimming regularly. Plants tolerate all light conditions, from shady to bright light, but do best in medium light. Keep the soil consistently moist although the surface soil can dry out slightly before watering again.
Feature plants
The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is almost indestructible plant that looks like a cross between a cycad and a fern. It copes with variable temperatures and only needs minimal watering. Water when the top few centimetre of the potting mix feels dry.
The shiny, dark green leaves have a waxy look and new growth is a lighter green, creating an attractive contrast. Keep the leaves looking shiny and healthy by feeding with pot-plant food once every six months.
There are many variations of the rubber plant (Ficus elastica) and an unusual variety is Ficus 'Abidjan' which has dark purple-green leaves with a hint of red. Ficus plants thrive in bright light and do well next to windows. Water once the soil becomes dry to the touch.
Regularly wiping the leaves with a soft cloth soaked in lukewarm water will also keep the leaves shiny and healthy
Monstera deliciosa: grows into a large feature plant with striking, lobed leaves that will thrive indoors or on the patio for many years. It needs good, filtered light and the soil can slightly dry out between watering. Sponge down the leaves to keep them clean. Repot once a year, in spring, until the plant reaches its mature size, then just refresh with potting soil. Prune lightly (cut off branches or leaves where they meet the stem) to prevent the plant getting too large. For more info, visit LVG Plant.
Article and images supplied by Alice Coetzee.
For more on gardening, visit Get It Magazine.
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