Posts Tagged ‘low-maintenance’

USING PLANTS AS A SECURITY MEASURE

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

The use of hedges in your garden has numerous advantages.  They can be used to create privacy in your garden; as dividers to create different areas in your garden; to muffle noise and act as a windbreak; to create mazes; to attract birds and butterflies to your garden; to hide ugly walls; to improve your security around your home and garden; and to act as a green background for other plants in your garden.  Hedge plants are relatively cheap and low-maintenance.

The maintenance required once you have planted your hedge plants, involves pruning when the plants are still small.  This will encourage the plant to grow dense.  You also need to pinch the tips, while the plants are still actively growing to promote the growth of side shoots.

If you want to plant a hedge for security – along your border walls – you can use a paper flower bougainvillea (bougainvillea glabra), num-num (carissa bispinosa) or natal plum (carissa macrocarpa).

Other plants that can be used as security measures include aloes, cacti, agaves, and any other plant that has thorns.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner and can provide the home owner with any exterior decorative feature.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

Ultimately the design and type of plants selected depend on the architectural style of the home and the home owners’ preferences.

TREE EUPHORBIAS AS POT PLANTS

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

The Tree Euphorbia (euphorbia ingens) is fleshy, prickly and has many branches, resembling candelabra.  10ℓ or 20ℓ tree euphorbias also make for beautiful, sculptural pot plants. 

These plants also require very little maintenance and will flourish both indoors and outdoors.  Tree euphorbias grow quickly but, are also easy to transplant.  Therefore, you can remove them from the pots and plant them in your garden, when they grow too big.  They are sensitive to frost, so it is best to put them in a sunny area and out of the wind, during winter. 

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors. 

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

 

TREE ALOES AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Tree Aloes (aloe bainesii) – Africa’s largest aloes – have a striking, sleek appearance and are also perfect to be used as pot plants.  On has to make sure that the proposed pot has a base with a large circumference, to prevent the whole ensemble from toppling over, once the aloe grows larger and becomes top heavy.  The creative and practical experts at our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco, will design and manufacture the perfect Cubedec pot for your tree aloe.

These aloes can grow up to 15 meters in height.  The forked branches will in time spread out into a dense crown, contrasting beautifully with the smooth, grey bark of the stem. 

Pretty cylindrical, orange-pink flowers will bring life to your garden or veranda during winter (June and July), making this sculptural plant an ideal focal point for any outdoor living space.  The leaves are dark green in colour and are long and narrow, with graceful curving.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

EUPHORBIAS AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

The Euphorbia Finger Plant (euphorbia tirucalli) – also known as Rubber Bush – is yet another beautiful and ornamental succulent, which enhances the sleek beauty of our mild steel Cubedec pots, manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco.

This unique plant, with its fleshy, green and yellow-red “fingers” is drought resistant and hardy; making it very low maintenance.  It will contrast marvellously with pebbles around the base of the plant.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

 

 

 

ROCK ROSES AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Rock Roses (echeveria elegans), also known as Mexican Roses are perfect feature plants to decorate our unique Cubedec pots, manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco. 

These plump, grey succulents are usually planted as ground covers, but contrast beautifully with the mild steel pots.  They are perennial and flourish both outdoors and indoors.  The leaves are grey to green in colour and overlap one another.  Mexican Roses have pink, yellow and red flowers during spring and autumn.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

 

 

GOLDEN BARRELS AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Golden barrel cacti (echinocactus grusonii), commonly known as mother-in-law’s cushions, are perfect feature plants to decorate our unique Cubedec pots, manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco.

These exceptional plants, with their ball-like shape and yellow thorns, are resilient and grow very easy.  Being succulents, they are very low maintenance, making them ideal pot plants.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

KALANCHOES AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Flapjack Kalanchoes (kalanchoe luciae) are ideal decorative plants to be displayed in one of our stunning Cubedec steel pots, manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco.  Flapjack kalanchoes are succulents, which mean that they require very little maintenance.  Their fleshy, paddle like green leaves, with red edging, make them perfect feature plants.  The more sunlight, the deeper the red on the leaves will grow.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

SANSEVIERIAS AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

Sansevierias, with their clean, sword-like leaves are ideal pot plants for our stunning range of Cubedec pots, designed and manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco.  We commonly use Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (sansevieria trifasciata) as feature plants to complement our unique and chic range of Cubedec pots.  We also enjoy planting them in front of a Cubedec gabion wall, to juxtapose aesthetically with the hardness of the steel and rock filling.

Mother-In-Law’s Tongues grow both indoors and outdoors, and therefore are not fussy growers and their varigated leaves enhance their beauty.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

 

AGAVES AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

Agaves, with their clean, sword-like leaves are ideal pot plants for our stunning range of Cubedec pots, designed and manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco.  We commonly use foxtail agaves (agave attenuata) as feature plants to complement our unique and chic range of Cubedec pots.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

 

 

MINIMALIST GARDENS

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

If you want practical exterior space for entertaining and relaxation, which is strategically enhanced by focal features and feature plants, a minimalist garden is the answer.  Minimalist design is based on immaculate and elegant lines and features, and requires low maintenance.  This type of garden features more hard landscaping and decorative features, than plants.

Minimalist plants that we typically use include bold, sleek feature plants, such as aloes, succulents and trees with an orderly appearance, such as leopard trees.  Groundcovers, such as mondo grass, diamondias and rock roses are also perfect for the minimalist garden.  Adding water to the overall garden design will augment the end result and convey a soothing ambience. 

Hard landscaping features to be utilized in a minimalist garden include water features, sculptures, trellises, wooden decking, cobble lines, stepping stones, cement screed blocks, feature walls, garden benches and other exterior décor.  Different textures will add dimension to the garden lay-out.

Our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco, can manufacture any type of trendy exterior décor that your heart desires.  Badec Bros Wooden Decking, our in-house wooden decking company, is a highly professional and qualified company, fit to install your wooden decking in a variety of wood types with a range of stylish finishes.

The key recipe is to marry the feature plants and hard landscaping features to create a neat, aesthetically pleasing unit. 

Ultimately, the garden design of a minimalist garden should harmonize with the architectural style of the home and with the tastes of the home owner.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.