Popular gardening show presenter and author Tanya Visser entertained a full house at the Umhlali and District Garden and Flower Club’s final meeting of the year last Wednesday.

More than 120 members and guests gathered at All Souls Anglican Church in Sheffield for an informative and humorous presentation from Visser, who is well known for her practical gardening advice and down-to-earth charm.

She opened with a Q&A session, inviting audience members to share their gardening struggles before offering straightforward solutions.

“I always hear about the three Ms – mother-in-laws, monkeys and moles – and I can only help with one of them!” laughed Visser.

“Mole probes are effective, but start near your house and move outward, otherwise, you may just bring the moles closer!”

Visser encouraged the audience to read instructions carefully when using garden chemicals, prompting plenty of knowing laughs when she suggested people “start doing the maths required for mixing and then get tired.”

“Aside from correct dilution, how you spray is also important. Don’t just shower the affected plant or weed, use a blanket approach,” she said, miming how gardeners often use their spray bottle like James Bond.

Visser closed with key takeaways she follows in her own garden in Assagay, near Hillcrest, including:

• Prune plants on a case-by-case basis after flowering, rather than all at once.

• Don’t confine herbs like basil and sage to the herb garden.

• Research a plant’s native setting to guide placement and care.

• Let plants toughen up, don’t rush to water or feed them at the first sign of stress, especially in KZN’s heat.

“We can’t be raising weaklings!” she said.

Though not an exhaustive list, Visser recommended several plant varieties suitable for local gardens, including everillo, supertunia, sundancer fuchsia, Alaska nasturtium, golden sage, sunpatiens, begonia and medinilla magnifica.

For more gardening tips, visit tanyavisser.com.

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