LIFESTYLE NEWS - May is an excellent time to plant, so that the roots can establish themselves for the growth spurt in spring. A little planning and TLC now, will ensure that, when the weather gets warmer, your garden will bloom for spring and summer.
Broad beans are easy to grow and broth and casseroles are great additions to winter. The humble bean is also a great source of protein, carbohydrate and vitamins. They do need sun and prefer not to be exposed to wind, so find a spot where they will flourish.
Thyme is a perennial, hardy herb that is water wise, easy to grow and aromatic. It is widely used in cooking, has powerful antiseptic properties and many varieties make excellent ground cover.
Choose an area in the garden that receives full sun and where the soil drains well. Thyme fares particularly well in slightly sandy soil, which is perfect for the Western Cape.
Over 200 years ago William Wordsworth praised their beauty in one of the best known poems in the English language.
Daffodils (also known as Jonquils) grow naturally in the fields and woods of Europe, North Africa and West Africa.
Daffodils flower in late winter and early spring and May is an excellent time to get the bulbs into the ground.
Autumn means that it is time to collect the seeds of flowering annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses. Harvest and store them now and you have an abundant supply for sowing in spring.
- Use a sharp pair of scissors (herb scissors are ideal) to snip off the seed capsules and pods of the plants concerned.
- Place them in a paper bag as you work to prevent the seeds from spilling out.
- When you are finished harvesting, bring the seeds indoors and lay them out flat on trays lined with newspaper. Place the trays in a cool, dry place until all the seed capsules have opened by themselves.
- Use a kitchen sieve to sift out the fine seeds and pick out the larger ones by hand.
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