POLOKWANE – Well-known gardening expert and influencer Terry Moller visited the city last week to present a masterclass on creating and maintaining a successful garden.

“Successful gardening is about planning, thinking and then buying. Before you buy plants, you need to be a designer,” she said.

Start with the soil

Moller explained that some plants are seasonal, lasting only one or two seasons, but their lifespan can sometimes be extended with proper feeding.

“Feeding is very important. You start with the soil and add compost, which is the most important ingredient. Without improving your soil, you will never be successful,” she said.

Gardeners can also use granular fertilisers, with the numbers on the packaging indicating their nutrient content:

• Nitrogen (first number) encourages leafy green growth
• Phosphorus (middle number) supports root development
• Potassium (last number) promotes overall plant health and helps flowers and fruit develop

Planting tips

Moller advised gardeners not to plant seedlings too deeply.

She also recommended improving the soil with compost and bone meal or superphosphate, rather than mixing the topsoil with other soil unnecessarily.

Combining plants for colour

Choosing plants that complement one another is another key to a colourful garden.

Moller suggested combining plants with similar sunlight and watering requirements while experimenting with different shapes, colours, textures and foliage.

“Background plants can be used to hide walls, and I recommend bougainvillea for this. The purple flowers go nicely with plants with yellow flowers, such as ‘Tecoma capensis’. Add green and silver foliage, combined with blue flowers. Blue in a garden will enhance any other colour next to it,” she said.

Plants with silver foliage generally need less water, she added, making them suitable companions for succulents.

Container gardening

Moller also shared tips for arranging plants in containers using the “thriller, filler and spiller” method:

• Thriller: the tallest plant
• Filler: adds colour and fullness
• Spiller: cascades over the edge of the pot

She advised grouping plants with similar water requirements.

A classic garden

For those wanting a classic garden, Moller suggested adding a paved walkway, a birdbath and shade-loving plants.

She also recommended window boxes featuring companion plants such as basil and tomatoes.