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Blog
5Jun-19

Respect the Spek: The amazing Spekboom

Posted By Category: Gardening Chat, Gardening TipsComments: 0
Portulacaria afra also known as Spekboom, Elephant’s food, Elephant bush, Dwarf jade plant or Porkbush is a fast growing succulent that belongs to the Purslane family. It is an industrious little plant with a huge heart. To name just a few of its amazing attributes: Easy to grow Low maintenance Great for hedges Reduces soil erosion Makes a lovely bonsai Drought tolerant and water wise Stimulates a return of biodiversity in the area because of its soil-binding and shading...
2Jun-19

No Need to Fear the Frost

We’ve all been there, losing a favourite member of our garden or that rare tropical plant to winters icy whim.  The winters here on the Highveld can be erratic at best with beautiful sunny days that just make you want to soak up the sun's warming rays, to those days where you are locked in bed and can’t get out due to the cold.  Before we find out how to fight the frost lets first have a look at...
Composting
14Apr-19

Make Your Own Compost and Mulch This Autumn

Posted By Category: Autumn Gardening, Gardening TipsComments: 0
Here's a handy compost guide on making compost and mulch with material collected from your own garden. Don't let all those free leaves go to waste!
water wise plants Gauteng
13Mar-19

7 Simple ways to save water in your garden

Many parts of South Africa have received ample rain, and water restrictions have been lessened, but this is no reason to become complacent about saving water.  And although it sometimes feels that the little we do won't have any impact, every drop saved makes a difference. These are my seven simple ways to save water in your garden. 1. Add mulch to your garden Mulching has numerous benefits, one being its ability to prevent water from evaporating too fast. It...
Heckers
11Feb-19

Top 10 plants for attracting butterflies to your garden

Posted By Category: Gardening Chat, Gardening Tips, Summer Gardening, Wildlife GardeningComments: Comments Off
Attracting butterflies to your garden can be quite a conundrum at times. We want beautiful butterflies to grace our gardens but not their caterpillars which are the larval stage of butterflies.  Caterpillars feed on their specific host plants, whilst causing some damage to the plant, it is not enough to harm them permanently. The host plant will soon recover. The Basics When trying to encourage butterflies to your garden try not to use insecticides, as this will kill either the adult...
Bulbs South Africa Hecker Gauteng Hyacinths Winnie
10Apr-18

Grow your own Heavenly Hyacinths

Posted By Category: Autumn Gardening, Gardening ChatComments: 0
Anyone who loves beautiful things will adore a garden of Hyacinths. From ancient Greek lore to French royalty, these gorgeous blooms have been a favourite throughout history. Hyacinths originate from the eastern Mediterranean, West and Central Asia but are grown and adored all over the world. In South Africa, the most commonly seen hyacinths stem from plants cultivated in the Netherlands during the 18th century and are blue, pink or white. Hyacinths enchant many species! Fragrant and striking, hyacinths were a...
WTF Mushrrom Winnie
1Feb-18

What the fungi

From bread mould to penicillin, fungi are an integral part of our world. Although it might not be obvious, fungi are all around us. The Fungal kingdom is so big that in 2017 estimates suggest that there may be between 2.2 million to 3.8 million species in existence. What makes Fungi truly amazing is its diverse range of shapes, sizes, and colours. Fungi range from the microscopic to giant organisms. The Honey fungus is the biggest recorded homogeneous organism...
Hecker Nursery Flora Farm
27Dec-17

Gardening resolutions for the whole year

Posted By Category: Gardening Tips, Summer GardeningComments: 0
One way through which we know that it is the New Year is by all the joggers out on the roads and the spectacular spike in gym attendance. We always set goals for ourselves as we embark on a new year, yet these rarely extend to our gardens. So, why not pick a few simple gardening resolutions that you can practice for the whole year? If this sounds too daunting, you can always pick one to start with and...
Chilly Peppers
15Dec-17

Add spice to your holiday with peppers galore!

One of the yearly highlights at Heckers is our selection of sweet and chilli peppers. I am always amazed by the amount of fruit produced per plant as the value of the peppers far exceeds the price of the actual plant. Our peppers are grown right here on the nursery premise. This means that they have a low carbon footprint and are well adapted to our local climate. Sweet and chilli peppers have ingrained themselves into our cooking traditions...
Orchid & Collector's Plan Fair
20Nov-17

Weird and Wonderful Plants

All plants are unique and wonderful in their own way, yet there are some plants that truly stand out.  Welcome to the wonderful world of Orchids, Bromeliads, and Carnivorous plants.  Whether it is Orchids or Bromeliads which stun with their exquisite flowers or perfect geometric designs, or Carnivorous plants which have managed to turn the tables on nature by trapping its own food.  These plants are viewed as collector plants although some have become very popular, such as the...