Postage : Seeds only $4 / Plants $20
Highly pettable, rounded, stem hugging, grey leaves are covered in soft cobwebby fur, more like a friendly garden pet than a plant. All summer long, stiff stems of gracefully pendant, tawny pink bracts disclose small, tubular, soft pink flowers above the low mounds of foliage.
If I was going to be stranded on a desert island this would be the oregano I would take, it would also probably be the most likely to succeed.
Summer drought, exposure and well drained alkaline soil preferred but will grow happily, if somewhat more slowly, in clay soils that aren't too wet.
Slow growing and hence almost maintenance free with removal of spent stems all that is necessary.
Can be used in the kitchen but the flavour is very similar to other much faster growing and less attractive oreganos. It otherwise has been used historically for healing, enhancing astral projection and as an aphrodisiac.
The Dittany of both Aristotle and Harry Potter.
Lush velvety emerald green shamrock leaves forming dense mounds with clusters of large satiny almost magenta flowers atop long stems. Quite possibly the showiest of the genus looking like some delicate hard to grow hot house flower but actually form southern Africa and perfectly hardy here, requiring no irrigation being summer deciduous.
Flowering follows the first rains, valuable in autumn gardens, with additional flowers being produced on into winter as weather permits, the foliage continues to develop post bloom and makes good weed suppressing ground cover en masse.
A verge full would make a stunning zero maintenance drought loving alternative to weedy lawn grasses.
A favourite for the autumn garden. Shortly after the first Autumn rains the massed flower buds burst through the soil and open to reveal 3cm wide, fluorescent yellow, trumpet shaped flowers. These are quickly followed by 10cm long, rabbit ear like leaves.
Coming from Namaqualand, this is an extremely drought hardy bulb.
Plant amongst Nerines for hurt your eyes colour.
Absolutely gorgeous is the only way I can describe this South African Oxalis. From the onset of Autumn rain, until mid Spring, an endless procession of 1cm, yellow centred, soft orange, five petalled, funnel shaped flowers, clothe the feathery foliaged, mat forming stems.
Plant with any number of small bulbs for show stopping effect.
Makes an excellent pot subject.
A South African bulb that is extremely tolerant of Summer drought. Large, 10cm across, trifoliate, clover-like, slightly glaucous leaves hug the ground on slender, red stems. Pure white, yellow throated, 3cm wide, trumpet shaped flowers are borne profusely from Autumn rain until late Spring.
Does spread but not too rampant.
Great for road verges, perhaps with blue and purple Babiana.