Gardening in May

Not sure what to do in your garden this May? Starke Ayres Garden Centre, West Coast Village shares some May gardening hints, tricks and tips.

• Orchids are arguably the most elegant of plants. Their flowers speak with poise and splendour, enough to melt any heart. On Mother’s Day give a gift of flowers to your mom with the arrival of Cymbidiums and Phaleonopsis. Feed them throughout their flowering phase with Starke Ayres Flowering Orchid food, on promotion this month.

• Sow Sweet Peas and choose between the Tall climber variety, Multiflora or the dwarf type, Bijou. Bijou is very fragrant, easy to grow and a very good cut flower for vases or posies.

• With more occasional rainfall figures it is the perfect time to plant winter veggies like peas, broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, onions and turnips.

• It is a wonderful time of the year for planting trees, shrubs, perennials and groundcovers. Some fragrant shrub options are Murraya exotica, Plumeria Rubra, Gardenia augusta, Heliotropium arborescens and Brunfelsia pauciflora. Planting trees and shrubs don’t just provide shelter for birds, but also security and a natural food source. Consider planting indigenous shrubs such as Halleria Lucida (Tree fuchsia), Tecoma capensis (Cape honeysuckle) and Leonotis leonurus (Wild dagga).

• Strive to become more self-sustainable and invest in a rainwater tank. Whether you use it for your vegetable garden or flushing your toilet it still saves your 50 litres of water per day for other uses.

• With our lawns struggling, weeds are going to grow vigorously in the coming season and spraying with Lawntyl will suppress seed germination and stop winter grass from establishing.

• Indoor plants have become an important part in the décor of homes, not only for their decorative qualities but also because they are effective in purifying the air. We stock the top ten indoor plants starting with Scindapsus, Syngonium, Spathiphyllum, Monstera deliciosa, Sanseveria, Chamaedorea elegans and Anthuriums.

• Prevent water runoff and allow water to penetrate the soil. Use WaterWise 3D soil wetting agent. It reduces evaporation and improves soil water retention. Use it on lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs.

Starke Ayres, West Coast Village


Tel: 021 554 8450

Water tank installation tips and demo. West Coast Village 10 am – 11 am, 17 May 2018