E. chloroloma, which grows naturally KIRSTENBOSCH in alkaline soil. E. baccans is a beautiful magenta-pink colour. Other GARDEN CENTRE NEWS pink varieties include the popular E. bauera, E. verticil/ata, which is endemic to the Cape Peninsula but by Johann Kikillus, The Garden Centre, Kirstenbosch now is extinct in the wild, the small E. haematocodon, E. hirtiflora and the Prince of Wales heath, E. perspicua. E. peziza and E. walkeria are a FYNBOS ON THE COAST beautiful white, E. patersonia is yellow and E. sparrmannii a verybody in the south-western coast, and P. susannae, which comes greenish yellow. ECape will agree that this past from the southern Overberg and grows One of the toughest and most summer was an exceptionally brutal in alkaline sand. Other successful beautiful ericas is E. glandulosa one - especially on plants. Once again hybrids are Pratea 'Atlantic Queen', which is orange and flowers from the Southern Peninsula was faced P. 'Pink Ice', P 'Frosted Fire', March to September. The bonus about with water restrictions, which were P. 'Sylvia' and P. 'Sneyd'. ericas is that they attract birds and most unwelcome considering tend to flower when other the gale force winds and the plants don't, for instance in baking hot days. Exotic plants the middle of summer. One like roses, hydrangeas and of the most rewarding fynbos azaleas had the hardest time plant groups are from the of it all, but many indigenous Rutaceae family, which is plants also took strain. The more commonly known as most important lesson to be 'buchu'. Unfortunately, the learned is that even though a medicinal buchu, Agathosma plant is indigenous, it still has betulina, will not grow along to be watered through the coast as it grows naturally summer, especially if it is high up in the dry mountains young and has not yet estab­ of the Cederberg and the lished itself. The popular Piketberg. However, there are misconception that quite a few buchus that do indigenous plants are planted grow well including and then just left to look after Agathosma ovata, A. ciliata, themselves is the main reason A. collina and the garlic why so many newly planted fynbos scented A. apiculata. Other buchus gardens suddenly die. that grow naturally in alkaline To make matters worse, many Cape limestone along the south coast are gardens are planted in beach sand. Acmadenia heteraphyl/a and A common complaint from gardeners A. mundiana. The confetti bush, in these areas is the lack of variety of Coleonema pulchellum, also thrives in plants that can be grown in such sand. Most of these buchus flower in extreme conditions. Most gardens winter and spring. If the wind is very have to settle for a few vygies, a strong, then it is advisable to plant a taaibos and a couple of daisy bushes. windbreak to protect young plants, However, two volunteers from the especially those that are newly Kirsten-bosch Garden Centre have planted, from the sun and wind. been growing fynbos plants in their There are a number of really tough gardens in Kommetjie and Sand-vlei: shrubs that grow locally along the gardens that normally would be Peninsula coast. Many of these attract considered unsuitable for fynbos birds and, because of the dense habit plants because of the gale force winds of the shrubs, are also used by birds and sandy soils they have to endure. for nesting. The best shrubs are the Amongst the twenty five species Proteaceae Mimetes hottenotticus (top) candlewood (Pterocelastrus from the Proteaceae that flourish in and Leucospermum 'High Gold' (above) tricuspidatus), Rhus crenata, their gardens are Pratea longifolia, do well in Cape coastal gardens. R. lucida, bastard saffron (Cassine P burchellii, P repens (sugarbush), the peragua and C. maritima) and the small P. scolymocephala, P. neriifolia, Pincushions that are growing really popular camphor bush (Tarcho­ P eximia, P. obtusifolia (which grows well are Leucospermum tottum, nanthus camphoratus). You should naturally in alkaline soil), P. lepido­ L. cordifolium, L. patersonii, time your planting roo as this also carpodendron and P. susannae. L. 'Veldfire', . 'Scarlet Ribbon', determines whether they are going to A number of protea hybrids have been L. 'Yellowbird', L. 'Ballerina', survive or not. Autumn is definitely planted as well. Protea hybrids are L. 'Tango' and L. 'High Gold'. Other the best season as it is cool and the often over-looked by gardeners as they Proteaceae that thrive are Aulax winter rains allow the plants to settle are not as well known as the more cancel/ata, Mimetes chrysanthus, before the growing season begins in common pure proteas. In fact, these Serruria aemula and Leucadendran spring. plants were hybridized to increase the 'Safari Sunset'. Certain of the ericas and proteas number of flowers and the length of Most impressive are the numbers of may need a slightly acidic soil. In this the flowering period. Hybridizing also different ericas that have been grown case it is a must to mix the garden soil enables certain proteas that are very successfully in these gardens. Ericas with Kirstenbosch Fynbos Mix, which specific to certain conditions, to be come in many different sizes, colours is sold only at the Garden Centre. ® grown in other conditions. An and flowering seasons. The red ones example of this is Pratea 'Susara', a include E. versicolor, E. cerinthoides hybrid of Pratea magnifica, which (rooihartjies) that flowers in January, Acknowledgements ordinarily would not grow along the E. mammosa, E. plukenetii and Special thanks to J. Sykes and P. White. Veld &- Flora March 2000 39.