GALLERY: A delightful and insightful morning at the Garden Club

JULIAN Kruger from Ball Straathof was the guest speaker at the Garden Club meeting on November 16.

The main focus of his talk was on beacon impatiens, a walleriana impatiens grown from seed that is downy mildew resistance.

Downy mildew appeared in South Africa about 12 years ago, killing all walleriana impatiens, also known as the busy Lizzies. Busy Lizzies are fantastic for semi-shaded gardens, they add a fantastic display colour and are easy to maintain.

Downy mildew is not visible to the eye in its beginning stages, as it shows up under the surface of the leaves. It quickly progresses to a point where it kills the plant.

Once the spores are visible it’s too late to spray. Normally, downy mildew will appear in December, after some rain, with cool nights and high humidity, which is the perfect growing environment for the disease.

Downy mildew affected between 40 and 60 per cent of nurserys’ summer sales in previous years when it came to selling impatiens. Begonias began to fill the space in the market while Ball Straathof searched for a solution.

Pan American Seed, which is part of Ball Straathof, launched beacon this year, with separate colours and mixes. These include red, violet, white, coral and salmon.

Julian urged club members to look out for the beacon label on impatiens when they buy, as there unfortunately are still varieties of impatiens on the market that are susceptible to downy mildew.

Julian also mentioned that multi-feed and nitro-salt is extremely good for plants. Nitro-salt is absorbed through the stems and the leaves of the plants and is made up from animal waste products.

He warned against using manure that has not been broken down properly, as it could damage plants.

Similarly with potting soil, made in bulk, the bark needs to decompose properly to be completely stable. Soil that is sold to nurseries need to be sterilised as well, in order to get rid of weeds and diseases.

“Beacon impatiens has been a miracle plant for us because it has certainly helped with sales and they add beautiful colour in the semi-shade in your garden, so it’s fantastic,” Julian said.

Another point of discussion was indoor plants, the greening of the inside of your house and the benefits to your health, as it helps clean the air.

Sesnecia candicans, angel wings, was said to be a very good option for an indoor plant, which should be available from April/May next year.

The plant does not flower, it has a thick, leathery leaf, with silvery foliage, it’s drought resistant and it’s a perennial. It’s a versatile plant that can be planted indoors or outdoors.

Other plants Julian showed the club included the salvia Lancelot, with hairy stems and leaves, is also a perennial and grows to about a meter and a half.

Tubus begonias is a beautiful plant with beautifully huge flowers. In winter they become dormant and as long as they are not watered in winter they will come back again in spring. They come in an incredible range of colours and should be available in nurseries next year.

Lastly, Julian spoke about the the artemisia abrotanum, which is used for cooking and has a Cola smell and flavour to it. He ended his talk by sending around orange-scented thyme for all to smell, a delicious edible herb.

Ball Straathof is a company that sells strictly to nurseries and is unfortunately not open to the public.