Friday 25 October 2013

Creating Low-Allergen Gardens

While the gardening industry enthusiastically extols the healthful benefits of gardening, spare a thought for the many sufferers from hayfever and asthma whose gardens may actually be a health hazard.

For this reason, overseas allergy specialists and organisations are urging landscapers and nurserymen to come up with low-allergen design concepts. These mainly involve the use of plants that do not produce pollen that sends asthma and hayfever sufferers reaching for their anti-histamines. In Australia and New Zealand approximately 19% of adults, 15% of teenagers and 20% of children have asthma, while 20% of the population of these two countries suffer from hayfever, which though less dangerous is still extremely distressing. Much of this can be attributed to pollen. The main offender is grass pollen, particularly from exotic species, and includes many lawn grasses. Other problem plants include common garden trees, shrubs, herbaceous species and weeds. Some plants on the list that follow are notorious offenders, but others may only be a problem to those who are particularly susceptible. Some people are highly susceptible to a wide range of plants. The list that follows contain only plants proven allergenic to a significant number of people. Of the trees and shrubs, certain species of Acacia, Albizia, alder, ash, birch, Callistemon, Casurina, Coprosma, Cupressus, pine, elm, Liquidamber, maple, Meluleuca, mulberry, plane, privet, oak, olive, poplar, willow and woodworm are common problems. Asters, chrysanthemums, marigold and chamomile are annuals and herbs that cause problems regularly. Other surprising offenders are spinach and sweetcorn.

Pollen related problems peak in spring when pollen released by wind-pollinating plants becomes airborne. It is these, rather than bird or insect pollinating plants, that are the main trouble makers. In warm, temperate areas there is usually a low level grass pollen count all year round. Although those allergic to pollen will of course be exposed to it in the environment, it is in the immediate environment - the home garden - which is usually the main source of everyday pollen allergies. It is therefore common sense to plant low-pollen producing plants and grasses. It is also advisable to have a "low maintenance" garden to minimise the time spent working in it: thus reducing the period of exposure.

Pollen is not the only cause in the garden of hayfever and asthma attacks. Other offenders include dust and mould spores, which means that composts, organic mulches and certain fertilisers must be avoided completely or handled with extreme care. For example, a mask could be worn over the mouth or nose. A low-allergen garden may also need to avoid those plants responsible for skin allergies. Regular possible causes of skin allergies are most Greyvilleas with pinnate leaves, Helichrysum, ivy, Philodendron, poinsettia, primula, polyanthus or primrose, Rhus succedanea (Poison oak) and most plants that have milky sap or are hairy. Sufferers should also create awareness at schools and the workplace so that offending plants can be removed or avoided.

The basic guidelines for a low-allergen garden can be summarised as follows:
  • Select low allergen plants. Avoid wind-pollinated plants. Insect and bird pollinated plants are usually those with the most attractive flowers.
  • Opt for hard surfaces (paving) or non-allergenic groundcovers instead of common lawn grasses. Our indigenous Kweek (Cynodon dactylon) and buffalo grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) are grasses that produce a minimum amount of pollen.
  • Screening trees, hedges or walls will help trap pollen blowing from outside the garden.
  • Keeping the garden well watered during peak pollen periods will help to settle pollen. Thankfully our spring is quite moist and this helps to settle some of the pollen.
  • Mowing of the lawn stirs up pollen and should be avoided by those who are regular sufferers of pollen related asthma. To douse the lawn the day before or immediately after with water may also stop pollen from becoming airborne and affecting those who are susceptible.
There is a move abroad for nurseries and botanical gardens to create greater awareness of problem plants. Special labels are put on high risk plants warning buyers of potential problems. Some nurseries label their plants if they are particularly suitable for the low-allergy garden and a portion of the proceeds of the sale of those plants goes towards education and research programmes aimed at asthma control.

Tuesday 22 October 2013

Why do people have their properties landscaped?

There are many reasons. Most often it is to increase the utility or aesthetic appeal to the owner. Under the careful guidance of an experienced landscaper and with a trusting client, much can be done to turn an otherwise awkward, untidy site into an aesthetically pleasing asset. For those who want to make economic sense of their investment in landscaping, money spent on landscaping will increase the value of their property by up to 15%. This is particularly true if the money is spent on correcting levels, screening for privacy, paving of the drive, improving the entrance area and improving or creating outdoor living areas. Creating extensively planted areas will improve the appeal of the property but will not always increase the value, while a high maintenance garden may reduce the marketability of a property. Be realistic about what you can achieve within your budget available, set yourself goals and stick to a plan of action. Make sure you spend your landscaping budget where it is needed and where you will get the best return when you need to sell.

TIP: A professionally produced and carefully considered landscape design plan can be installed over a period of time, as your budget allows, and will greatly enhance the value of your property.

Monday 21 October 2013

How should I improve the condition of my soil and when?

This is a vitally important part of establishing a successful garden. The old adage of “Don’t put a R10.00 plant into a 10 cent hole” applies. Ideally one should spread out a 7cm layer of well rotted compost over the surface of the soil and dig this in. I prefer a coarse compost as this takes longer to break down in the soil so you get the benefit of it for a longer period. Manure is always a good addition provided it is good quality and well broken down. It has a high microbial activity which feeds the soil and sustains it for a long period. It is unfortunately not always readily available commercially. Too much manure that has not broken down well can burn plants, so take care how you use manures. Very clayey soils may be improved using agricultural lime or “clay buster”. Very sandy soils will benefit from an application of coarse compost, but due to the composition of these soils, regular reapplications are necessary. When planting trees and shrubs, preparation is essential. Dig a large, square planting pit, putting aside the good topsoil and throwing away any poor subsoil or rock. Backfill the hole with a good quality topsoil to which you have added one third by volume compost. Prior to planting is the best time to improve the soil, but for established gardens a side dressing of compost, dug into the soil will certainly help.

TIP : Gordon Stuart Landscaping stocks compost which can be sold by the bag or per cube to their clients.

I want to have my property professionally landscaped. What is the procedure?

We start off with a site visit and a comprehensive brief from the client. During the site visit, we look at the aspect, soil quality, style of existing architecture on site, views, proposed usage of the site and question the client regarding their preferences. Site plans and building plans help, as they usually hold a wealth of information. If clients can write out their brief it often helps to clarify their thoughts so that they can prioritise their needs and gives us a working document to refer back to during the design phase. Once on the drawing board, our creative juices are given free reign and we can then set about turning the client’s dreams into reality. Plans are drawn at a set hourly rate which covers site meetings, surveying on site, design fees and reviews and adjustments. Once the client is thoroughly satisfied with the design, it is inked and coloured and we then draw out a bill of quantities and quote against which we can proceed to installation if the client wants to do this. We can complete the installation in phases or in its entirety, depending on your needs.

TIP : If you don’t want to go the whole route of the commissioning a bespoken landscape design, we offer an hourly consultancy service where we can meet the client on site to give advice or ideas, which the client can then implement at their own pace.

How can I reduce the cost of installing a new garden?

There are many ways to do this. Firstly, be open to the recommendations of the landscaper. We usually recommend the most economical option first. Often by reutilizing what is on site, we can reduce the cost of an installation. We work with what is there, rather than ripping everything out and starting again. The client can always work off our design but install the garden themselves, using their own labour. We can supply all the materials required at competitive retail rates, or the client can shop around and acquire the goods themselves. We firstly do the most important sections, as most of our clients are not able to install the entire garden all at once. We can tackle the more difficult work for the client, and leave the client to do the fun stuff like planting and selecting and installing pots and other decorative features.

TIP : Gordon Stuart Landscaping offers their gardeners at a competitive day rate, which means a client can utilise our staff’s experience and muscle power if they are willing to fetch and supervise the gardeners themselves. If required, the gardeners can be sent with a basic set of tools. Subject to availability of gardeners. Prior booking required.

What is Gordon Stuart Landscaping's top ten plant recommendation?

What is Gordon Stuart Landscaping’s top ten plant recommendations?

Clearly this depends on the site and what you want to achieve, but here goes (in no particular order):

INDIGENOUS TREES :
• Celtis Africana            White stinkwood             10x9m
• Ptaeroxlon obliquum    Sneeze wood                 10x6m
• Ilex mitus                     African Holly                   9x8m
• Heteropyxis natalensis  Lavender Tree                6x5m
• Dombeya rotundifolia   Wild Pear                       6x4m
• Halleria lucida              Tree Fuchsia                   6x5m
• Vepris lanceolata         White Ironwood              7x6m
• Erythrina lysistemon     Coral tree                        8x8m
• Calodendron capense  Cape Chestnut                 8x8m
• Podocarpus falcatus    Outeniqua Yellowwood    15x12m (eventually)

INDIGENOUS SHRUBS :
• Freylinia tropica          White Honey Bell Bush      1.7x1.5m
• Plumbago auriculata     Leadwort                         2x2m
• Barleria obtuse            Bush Violet                      1x1m
• Dyschoriste thunbergiflora Purple Bells                 1.7x1.7m
• Mackaya bella            Forest Bell Bush               3x2m
• Tinnae barbata            Purple Tinnea                   3x2m
• Buddleia salvifolia       Christmas Bride’s Bush     3x2m
• Rothmania globosa      Bell Gardenia                   4x3m
• Rhamnus prinoides      Dogwood                         4x4m

INDIGENOUS GROUND COVERS / PERENNIALS :
• Aloe van balenii           Van Balen’s Aloe            30x50cm
• Crassula multicava       Fairy Crassula                 20x30cm
• Agapanthus                 All species and cultivars   Varies in size
• Arctotheca calendula   Cape Weed                    10x40cm
• Clivia miniata               Bush Lily                        45x60cm
• Chlorophytum bowkerii Giant Chlorophytum      60x60cm
• Anthericum Saundersiae Weeping Anthericum    50x25cm
• Dietes grandiflora        White Wild Iris                75x50cm
• Tulbaghia violacea       Wild Garlic                      30x25cm (esp. Silver Lace)
• Albuca nelsonii            Giant Albuca                   40x30cm

EXOTIC TREES :
• Prunus serrulata           Flowering Cherry              5x5m
• Cornus Florida            Dogwood                          5x5m
• Liquidambar styraciflua Liquidambar                     8x6m
• Acer palmatum            Maple                               6x6m
• Magnolia                     All species and cultivars     Varies
• Platanus acerifolius       London Plane                   12x10m
• Leriodendron tulipifera Tulip Tree                         10x9m
• Cedrus deodar            Deodar                             12x9m
• Taxodium distichium    Swamp Cyprus                 10x8m
• Quercus palustris         Pin Oak                            12x8m

EXOTIC SHRUBS :
• Murraya exotica          Glossy Murraya                 2x2m
• Raphiolepis dalacourii  Indian Hawthorn                2x2m
• Abelia grandiflora & Abelia “Francis Maison”       2x1.75m
• Azalea indica               Azalea                               3x3m
• Berberis thunbergii “Atropurpurea”                       3x3m
• Camellia                     All species and cultivars     Varies
• Cistus purpureus         Cistus                                1.2x1m
• Gardenia florida          Gardenia                           2x2m
• Hydrangea macrocephala & H.quercifolia            2x2m
• Nandina domestica “Pygmia"                               1x1m

PERENNIALS :
• Ajuga reptans Catlin’s Giant                                15x30cm
• Bergenia cordifolia      Bergenia                           15x30cm
• Hermerocallis cvs       Day Lily                            65x40cm
• Erigeron karvinskianus Flea Bane                        30x60cm
• Gaura lindheimeri       Gaura                               65x40cm
• Carex cvs e.g.            Frosted Curls                   40x40cm
• Iris                            All species and cultivars     Varies
• Anemone japonica     Japanese anemone           100x30cm
• Acanthus mollis          Bear’s Breeches              120x75cm
• Ophiopogon japonicas Dwarf Mondo                 15x15cm
• Penstemon digitalis     Penstemon “Mystica”        65x30cm

CLIMBERS (INDIGENOUS & EXOTIC) :
• Trachelospernum jasminoides Jasmine                  3x3m
• Clematis Montana      Clematis                             3x2m
• Parthenocissus tricuspidata Boston Ivy                 5x5m
• Bougainvillea “Natalia”                                         5x3m
• Gelsemium sempervirens Carolina Jasmine            5x3m
• Mandevilla splendens  Dipladenia                         2x2m
• Petrea volubilis            Petrea                               4x4m
• Wisteria spp.              Wisteria                             5x4m
• Hedera helix                Ivy                                    5x4m
• Ficus pumula              Tickey creeper                   5x5m

TIP : In drawing up a plant palette it is important to not only select plants that will survive and thrive in your conditions, but to also match the effect that the plants will give to the architecture of the house and to blend the plants together so that the overall effect is one of harmony, while ensuring that the garden looks good throughout the year and that there is something of interest for every season. It’s a tall order to get this right, but it is what we are trained to do and we love doing it!

Which is better: indigenous or exotic plants?

What do I need to do to get a lawn that is the envy of the neighbourhood?

Site preparation is essential. Dig over the entire site to at least 30cm removing any rock or rubble. Add between 3cm and 7cm of good quality compost and dig this in well. Soils with a high clay content will benefit from an application of agricultural lime at 150g per square metre. If your soil is particularly poor you may need to dig down and remove a layer of soil and bring in clean, sifted topsoil. Subsoil drainage may need to be brought in to help remove excess water. A pop up irrigation system will go a long way in reducing the guess work in keeping the water content at an optimum level. The choice of grass species depends on the site, its climate and the preference of the client. Kikuyu is reliable and versatile but a waterholic and is high maintenance. Berea will tolerate variable conditions but it dislikes high traffic and needs a regular mowing regime. Buffalo is tough and dependable but has a rough texture, offensive to some customers. Cynodon dactylon (kweek) is hard, drought tolerant, tolerant of a variety of conditions (except shade) and regardless of the type of lawn you plant will probably find its way into your lawn as it is endemic to this area. If mowed and maintained regularly makes a fine lawn, but its olive green colour and very fine texture puts a lot of clients off. We generally avoid the hybrids of kweek as they have been specifically developed for high maintenance conditions, such as golf courses, and are seldom successful for domestic gardens. Start the season off with a spring treatment of thatch removal and loosening up heavily compacted soils. Run your mower over the lawn to remove tufts and lifted thatch and then apply a thin layer of good quality lawn dressing and an application of organic fertiliser at 100g per square metre. Water well. As the days and nights warm, increase mowing until you are mowing on average every 4-5 days. Never allow the lawn to get too long between mowing as then you will scalp your lawn, the stems will burn in the hot summer sun and it will take some time and a lot of effort to get the lawn looking good again. Fertilise once every two weeks with an application of 50g organic fertiliser alternating with an application of LAN. Water this in well. Treat the appearance of pests as soon as they are noticed.

TIP : Edge the lawn with a line of cobbles or kerbs set onto a bed or mortar. This helps to define the line of beds and means the gardener does not cut away more of your lawn each time he trims. It also helps to prevent the lawn from invading your beds. Gordon Stuart Landscaping does this for all their new and existing clients; it is impressive how it immediately improves the appearance of the garden.