Fruit Trees, Bamboo Battles, etc. Vrugtebome, Rateltaai Bamboes ens.

Identifying a bed for Fruit Trees

My dreams of partial self-sufficiency did not just stretch as far as a small vegetable patch and a few Num-Nums or Natal Plums. Oh no, I wanted two or three, or more, fruit trees as well. Yes, I did plant a Japanese Quince and a Cherry Guava early on, but I wanted less exotic fruit as well. Fruit we ate a lot, like apples. 

Realising this dream proved more difficult than anticipated. The various obstacles to my plan included space, shade and too many other useless trees and shrubs. A plan of action had to be worked out of course, and that would start with the Swamp Cypress...

De-branching the Swamp Cypress

As I discussed in my post on container gardening, I have a bit of a space problem. Not only because I have an urban garden, but also due to the already established trees in it. The biggest thorn in my side is our Swamp Cypress. It is a beautiful tree, but the parents and I receive endless complaints about how it covers a substantial part of our street in a carpet of orange leaves in autumn and winter. The complaints generally come from the very same people who park in its shade in summer. Such is life. The other problem is how massive it is, both in canopy and root size. Therefore a few roots, and all the lower branches had to go. 

1 Sep 2013 - Before picture of the Swamp Cypress/ en die toekomstige vrugteboom bedding

 The first part of this mammoth task was to get rid of the branches. This part wasn't as tough as expected. The next part of the task would prove to be the back-breaker, though.

15 Sep 2013 -New and improved Swamp Cypress

The second part was to remove the biggest cypress roots in the bed I wanted to use for my fruit trees. This had to wait awhile though, since there were some bamboo reeds and ferns to get rid of first. Ai!!!

Getting rid of Bamboo and Ferns

2 Sep 2013 - The bamboo bush in all its glory

Major drama! Sweat, more sweat, and even a little blood was involved, but luckily no tears. A process that started early October...

4 Nov 2013 - Almost done decimating the bamboo

   ... and only finished early November. 7 November 2013 to be exact; a date of celebration...

7 Nov 2013 - The end; just landfill remaining

Needless to say; I will NEVER plant bamboo again. Ever! 

Bamboo/Bamboes? Never again/Nooit weer nie!!!

Composting the Apple and Kumquat Bed

The last part, but by no means the least, was preparing the bed for my fruit trees. A process I only finished with mid-November. I blame those bloody bamboo reeds! Luckily I had a few companions to keep me occupied while doing this. Not only the mom and granny, but also a few Cape Wagtails (Motacilla capensis), or Kwikkies as we know them in Afrikaans:

A Cape Wagtail keeping me company/'n Kwikkie hou my geselskap

 Choosing Fruit Trees for my Urban Garden

What type of fruit? Which cultivar? What size? Questions, questions... Two of my favourite nurseries Norgarivier Kwekery/Nursery and George Kwekery/Nursery convinced me I needed two apple trees for a successful harvest. Hence, I bought two. A Granny Smith and a Golden Delicious. They are apparently excellent cross-pollinators. See, apples are so fussy you can't even plant two of the same type. No sir, you need two different cultivars. 

The other fruit tree I settled on was a kumquat. The granny and I are major fans, although the rest of the family isn't too keen. Well, space being the problem that it is, forced my hand really. I wanted something smallish, hardy and useable. Kumquat it will be. Once again, thanks to the wonderful Norgarivier Nursery on the Airport road near George.

Sep 2013 - The original spot for the Kumquat

The Planting

Unfortunately I've had to make a tough decision. Alas, our garden only has space for one apple tree (barely). Hopefully the Golden Delicious will find a nice spot in a friend's garden. The Granny Smith I'm definitely keeping. Luckily I've read that said apple trees are self-fertile. Yes, it will fruit better with another apple to cross-pollinate with, but I would get to harvest delicious Granny's with one tree as well. The kumquat will maar have to be its neighbour shame.

Oct 2013 - Die Granny Smith Appelboompie

I hope all the hours of back-breaking work and the endless amount of blisters, scrapes and bruises will be worth it. Somehow I think it will. And here are the results of the (semi-) finished bed:

12 Nov 2013 - Fruit bed/Vrugte Bedding

Fltr - Granny Smith, Boysenberry, Kumquat

I decided on chives and lavender as companion plants to my apple, blackberry and kumquat. Apparently most pests detest the strong fragrance of these plants. I planted chives around the apple and kumquat and a row of French lavenders on the edge of the bed. 

Do you believe in Companion Planting, or use it at home?

Growing Clivias in the Garden Route. Clivias vir Afrika in die Tuinroete

By this stage you must all think my garden only consists of broad beans, exotic fruit and an assortment of other vegetables. Oh no, that is not the case at all!

My parents have always been fervent gardeners, with our garden once being the pride of the neighbourhood. After a few years of neglect, this was not the case anymore. The garden still had its joys and beauty, but it was all a bit wild, tangled and overgrown. Luckily my new-found passion for gardening wasn't limited to produce though, but also included the bigger "normal" garden. As I now owned the house, I wanted to restore the garden back to its former glory.

Part of this strategy was to jazz it up with a dash of colour here and there. The problem in my urban garden was the lack of sunlight. My parents planted various trees, especially cordylines, (what we sommer call:) wild banana trees, conifers, palms of all sorts and a massive swamp cypress way back. 

So which plants or flowers could I plant in shade, with minimal water needs and maximum colour impact?

My answer was Clivias. Indigenous, water-wise, and fully shade-tolerant? Yes, Clivias were certainly the answer!

Two Clivias already established in the garden - proving some plants flower beautifully in shade

'n Clivia, met sy rooi sade

I already had two huge Clivia bushes in my front garden, and two smallish ones in the backyard garden. Now I just needed a dozen more... maybe two dozen? How happy was I that not only was my best friend's mother part of our local clivia club and therefore had tons to share, but that she was willing to share. And share she did!

Just part of my Clivia haul... Ek sal ewig dankbaar bly Tannie :-)

I had grand plans for creating visual features in the garden, and giving a bit of colour to a pathway's borders. And That is when the hard work started! Who ever thought gardening is such WORK?! Need to loose a few kilos and considering joining a gym? Don't! Start gardening, or better yet; help someone else in theirs. You'll see the difference within a month. I promise!

Firstly, I gave a sad spot in the garden a breath of life by adding two Clivias. I think the mixture of green shrubs and ferns, white rocks, a greyish-brown tree trunk, pink impatiens, blue iris, orange Clivias and ground cover works quite well. What do you think?

A new Clivia next to the road and one planted underneath the big tree trunk

Secondly, I planted one of the bigger newly acquired Clivias in a corner that was just too dull for my liking. It consisted of green, green and more green. Albeit different shades of green, but green nonetheless. Two different conifers, a wild banana, delicious monster and a few ferns had two Clivias added to them. And the result???

Lovely red Clivia as focal point in my green corner. Pragtige rooi Clivia as fokuspunt in die groen hoekie

Lastly, I wanted to beautify a pathway we already had in the garden. The pink Bottlebrush provided stunning colour to that corner, but the path just needed something along the edges to zhoosh it up. In went more Clivias:

The completed, yet still not established, effect

Clivia border along a pathway strewn with Bottlebrush flowers

 Have you planted any indigenous flowers or plants recently?