Monday, October 7, was World Habitat Day, and The Green Net celebrated by sowing some rare indigenous seeds for future rehabilitation projects.
Rehabilitation and replanting are an important part of restoring environments and making them more resilient. Wherever the soil is turned and the natural mycelial network has been disturbed, the ground is prone to being overgrown by opportunistic invasive plants.
This week is also National Invasive Species Week in South Africa, and Wessa is spreading awareness of how non-native species are clogging up our waterways and syphoning off this precious resource.
Invasive plants pose a serious threat to our environment and the habitats within them. Most invasives were unwittingly introduced as ornamental garden specimens.
We are quick to think that invasive plants are common weeds, but many popular plants have become problematic over the years, and most of these are standing proud in your garden.
It is very difficult to imagine having to remove your favourite fruit tree because it’s a category 1 invasive or the ornamental shrub that was at the front door when you bought your home, but these are the culprits that created the problem. Most gardeners unwittingly bring in problematic plants when they plant what is available or fashionable at the time.
Nurseries have an important role to play, as members of the public defer to them for gardening advice.
Unfortunately, we often find that nursery owners are not as specialised as they could be and merely stock whatever grows easily.
Rather, look out for nurseries that carry a wide range of indigenous plants and even have indigenous sections.
These folk are usually able to offer sound advice and can source a wide variety of plants on request. More discerning gardeners may consider specialist collectors, conservancies or even botanical gardens for appropriate local plant species.
This year, our biodiversity calendar is focused on replacing popular but invasive garden plants with ideally suited indigenous species with similar growing characteristics, which will make for easy replacements.
We have also included some gardening tips, a list of companion plants, the lunar phases, and which pollinators each indigenous gem attracts to your garden.
We have some spaces available for interested businesses to sponsor a page of The Green Net’s Biodiversity Calendar 2025. Preorders and advertising bookings may be directed to tgn.calendar2025@gmail.com or 0822577875.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
