THE read is ‘An Ecological Gardener’s Handbook’ by Val Payn, and I believe this book could not come at a better time.
It is about indigenous gardening, creating a natural space around you that almost looks after itself and is easy going on pesticides and that all important element, water.
It covers the principles for creating a healthy eco-garden, practical tips on, for example, pest control and compost making, and hints on what to plant where, when, how and why.
It is packed with practical information and lots of colour photographs illustrating the basic message of an ecologically friendly garden.
It champions that wonderful expression, “Local is lekker!” and I like that.
The book also gives invaluable advice on gardening in different climatic zones – what you do on the South Coast of KZN may well not be suitable for Gauteng.
Also, and vitally important, you can have an ecologically friendly garden on a large slice of land, in a small patch of garden, or even on your stoep or window sill.
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It illustrates in word and image gardening for wildlife, for small animals, birds and of course insects, remember that different plants attract different wildlife, specific plants attract specific birds and insects, like butterflies.
A very important chapter to me is the one on growing your own food.
Val has a food garden that includes about 15 fruits, some 30 veggies and eight herbs and spices, including nuts.
The advantages of growing your own fruit and veg are obvious given the usually poor quality and high cost of these at the local supermarket.
Val goes into detail on how this can be done, and how one can mix and match fruit and veg with flowering plants in your garden.
As a matter of interest, we have a flourishing herb garden in our sun-trap courtyard, with about twelve pots, including an extremely prolific chilli bush and a lettuce that just keeps happening.
Val Payn lives on a farm near Harding, she has a postgraduate degree in Sustainable Development Planning from the University of Stellenbosch and is a graduate of the International Garden Design School.
Her name will be familiar to many South Coasters for her efforts with local communities with the Wild Coast mining project and the new N2 toll road through the Wild Coast.*
Staying with ecology, the Argentinian authorities have declared war on the North American beaver, which is causing havoc in the remote archipelago of Tierra del Fuego.
A handful of beavers was introduced in 1946 with a view to creating a local fur trade, however, apart from man there were no other predators and the beavers flourished until they are now out of control and are destroying the archipelago’s natural environment by damming the unique river system and gnawing through indigenous trees that do not recover. So, out go the beavers.**
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*An Ecological Gardener’s Handbook, South African Edition, Val Payn, self-published. It is available at selected outlets and book shops on the lower South Coast or contact Val on 083-441-6961 or vallieb@gmail.com.
**The Week: The Best of the British and Foreign Media.
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