𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀. 𝗡𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱.

Herbs thrive in containers. Basil, parsley, mint, chives, oregano, thyme - all of them grow happily in pots on a patio, balcony or windowsill. In the Eastern Cape, where space and water can both be at a premium, container herbs are smart gardening.

Here is how to do it right.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘁.

A pot with drainage holes is essential. Herbs hate sitting in water. Terracotta breathes. Plastic retains moisture longer. Choose based on your watering habits - if you forget to water, plastic. If you are diligent, terracotta is fine.

𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹.

Do not use garden soil in containers. It compacts and drains poorly. Use a quality potting mix - it drains better and holds nutrients longer. Fill the pot three-quarters full, add your herb seedlings, top up with soil.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆.

In spring and summer, herbs need consistent moisture but not waterlogged roots. Stick your finger into the soil. If the top centimetre is dry, water. In winter, ease back - herbs slow down and need less.

𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆.

A balanced, diluted fertiliser once a month keeps herbs productive. Hungry plants produce weaker growth.

𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁.

Pinch off flower buds as they appear - this keeps the plant bushy and productive rather than focused on flowering. Harvest regularly. The more you pick, the more it grows.

Container herbs mean fresh basil in December, parsley through winter, mint for tea in spring. Start now.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.co.za.

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#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #basil #gardenherbs ...

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

What you see in October and November - the blooms, the colour, the abundance - is only the final chapter. The real story began months ago. In winter. In the cold. In the quiet work of tending, pruning, feeding, waiting.

Every garden you visit has been loved for 365 days. Every rose has been tended. Every bed has been turned. Every path has been walked a thousand times by someone who knows every plant by name.

This is what visitors rarely see. This is what makes the magic real.

𝗔 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼:

Sit beneath old trees and remember who you are. Walk slowly and notice things. Breathe air that smells like earth and flowers. Take photographs that you will keep forever. Have conversations that matter. Watch bees work. Listen to birdsong. Feel small and part of something larger all at once.

Featured Garden: Eildon

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za.

Visit www.bedford.co.za.

Social Media Sponsored by @isuzusa

#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzusa #bedford #bedfordeasterncape #opengardenssa ...

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

Gardens are where we remember what is real. Where we slow down. Where we work with nature instead of against it. Where we grow things - food, beauty, resilience, hope.

A garden is proof that patience works. That small decisions matter. That something beautiful can flourish when tended with attention and care.

This is Fairholt - waterwise, indigenous, thriving without fuss. This is what a garden can be.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za.

Visit www.bedford.co.za.

Social Media Sponsored by @isuzusa

#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #bedfordeasterncape #opengardenssa ...

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 - 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗰 (𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮)

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀. 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗔 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹.

Wild Garlic is native to the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo - which means it knows exactly what to do in your garden. Strap-like leaves that smell unmistakably of garlic when bruised. Clusters of mauve flowers that bloom from September right through to April. Butterflies and bees love it.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁:

▪ Tolerates hot, dry beds and thrives with moderate watering during dry spells

▪ Evergreen and frost-hardy - winter or summer, it is there

▪ The leaves and flowers are edible - use them in salads and dishes

▪ Acts as a natural insect repellent when crushed on the skin

▪ Perfect as an edging plant, groundcover or mass planting 

Plant it in full sun or partial shade. Give it well-drained soil. Leave it alone. It will do the rest. By spring, your borders will be alive with mauve flowers and pollinator activity.

For event information, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.co.za.

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𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆

𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲.

In the Eastern Cape, late August and September is when you reach for the fertiliser. Soil temperatures are rising. Days are lengthening. Your plants are waking up and they need fuel.

This is not about overfeeding. It is about timing.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱.

Wait until soil temperatures reach roughly 13 degrees Celsius - roughly mid to late August in the Eastern Cape. Below this, plants cannot absorb nutrients anyway. You are wasting the feed. Above it, plants are ready to use what you give them.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲.

A balanced, slow-release fertiliser works beautifully — something like 3:1:5 or 2:3:2, applied according to label instructions. This feeds the plant steadily over weeks rather than a quick spike that washes away with the first rain.

For roses, apply a rose-specific fertiliser once. For vegetables and annuals, a lighter application every 3-4 weeks through spring works best.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆.

Work fertiliser into the soil around the base of plants, keeping it at least 10cm away from stems. Water in gently. In the Eastern Cape’s spring wind, a quick watering ensures the granules do not blow away and the nutrients reach where they are needed.

Feed now, and by October your garden will be ready to show off.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.co.za.

Social Media Sponsored by @isuzusa

#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #fertilizer #opengardenssa ...

𝗟𝗮𝗱𝘆𝗯𝘂𝗴𝘀

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽.

A ladybird in your garden is worth more than gold. Ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps are natural predators of aphids. A single ladybird consumes up to 100 insects in one day - aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and other soft-bodied garden pests. No chemicals required. No toxins released. Just nature doing what nature does. 

The spots on their shell are a warning to predators: do not eat me, I taste terrible. But to gardeners, they are a promise: I am here to work.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺:

Attract these beneficial insects to your garden by providing a diverse range of flowers and foliage plants, as well as access to water. Plant yarrow, clover, buckwheat, sunflowers and common daisies. Leave some wild areas unmulched. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides - they kill the ladybirds along with the pests. 

Most importantly: let them work. 𝗔 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘆𝗯𝘂𝗴𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. If you see them, you are seeing evidence that something is working right beneath the surface.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.co.za.

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#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #ladybug #opengardenssa ...

𝗔 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Few things announce spring quite as beautifully as a wisteria in full bloom. With its cascading clusters of delicate flowers, it brings romance, colour and a touch of old-world charm to the garden.

At 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀, you’ll discover beautiful garden moments like these around every corner. Come wander, explore and find your own favourite bloom.

Featured Garden: Mandalay

𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
30 October to 1 November, and 6 to 8 November. R30 per garden, paid at the gate.

For event information, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.co.za.

Social Media Sponsored by @isuzusa

#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #bedfordeasterncape #wisteria ...

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀!

There’s something magical about wandering through a garden in full bloom - and at this year’s 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀, you’ll have the chance to discover some beautiful garden spaces.

Our featured garden in this image is 𝗚𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗻, where roses and other garden treasures create the perfect setting for a leisurely stroll. Come see, smell and be inspired by the beauty of Bedford’s gardens.

𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗬 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
30 October to 1 November, and 6 to 8 November. R30 per garden, paid at the gate.

For event information, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za.

Visit www.bedford.co.za.

Social Media Sponsored by @isuzusa

#bedfordcountrygardens #isuzu #bedford #bedfordeasterncape #opengardenssa ...

𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

Ladybugs, lacewings and parasitic wasps are natural predators of aphids. Attract these beneficial insects to your garden by providing a diverse range of flowers and foliage plants, as well as access to water. This is the foundation of natural pest control - not killing the pests, but welcoming the creatures that do. 

Here are the simple, eco-friendly methods that work in the Eastern Cape.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱. The simplest and safest way to control aphids is to spray them off your plants with a strong stream of water. This can be done using a garden hose or a spray bottle with a tight nozzle. Focus on the infested areas, making sure to target the undersides of leaves. Repeat this process every few days until the aphids are gone. 

𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗮𝗽. Mix a few teaspoons of mild liquid dish soap with 1 quart of water to create a homemade insecticidal soap. Spray or wipe this solution onto the leaves, stems and buds of the plant, ensuring thorough coverage, especially on the undersides of leaves. Reapply the solution every 2-3 days for 2 weeks or until the aphids are gone. 

𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝗶𝗹. Neem oil is an organic, natural substance that can be used to control aphids. Follow the application instructions on the product packaging and make sure to thoroughly coat the entire plant, focusing on the infested areas. 

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. Planting nasturtiums near cucumbers attracts aphids away from main crops and repels cucumber beetles. Chives with carrots deters carrot flies while improving soil health. 

Stop using chemicals. Start using nature. Your garden - and the creatures in it - will thank you.

For event information, contact Stacey Leigh Shaw on 083 874 7816 or hello@bedford.co.za. Visit www.bedford.c ...