March is a wonderful time of massed flowers, scrumptious vegetables, aromatic herbs and fruity promise all offered up in temperatures that encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy all that nature has to offer before summer begins with heat, dust and associated miseries in store.

Despite having such a diverse climate, one does not look forward to long hours of gardening in summer — with the exception of those residing in the far north of the country. To be honest, it is quite the reverse.

Therefore, before the summer arrives this year, let’s take a long hard look at how to reduce garden maintenance — and the use of precious water — in advance. With foresight and effort, it will enable us to make changes now which will save tremendous effort – in terms of sweat and tears – in the heat and humidity to come.

A little planning will help reduce your work load during the upcoming long, hot days

Tips to make gardening more effective Switch over from having lots of small pots/containers to having fewer but larger ones. Pots need a lot of upkeep, especially during the hot weather.

Larger containers mean a larger volume of soil/compost which retains water longer than their smaller counterparts, and so does not need watering as often.

Replace delicate plants — those that need extra-special care during the heat — with tough indigenous ones that will tolerate whatever the weather decides to do.

Wherever possible, change over from water-seeking seasonal flowers to those that require less attention and care.

Replace purely seasonal plants with drought- and heat-tolerant shrubs. Many such highly decorative plants can be found at local nurseries.

Do not try to maintain shade-loving plants in a sunny spot or sun-lovers in the shade. Providing the correct growing conditions for individual plant species saves endless toil and tears.

If possible, make preparations to erect seasonal shade — in the form of specialised netting/bamboo chiks, etc. — in parts of the garden or on rooftops which are going to need it. The same goes for wind protection too.

Examine feasible options for rainwater harvest and storage during the summer monsoons. Water is an increasingly precious commodity and should never be wasted.

Checklist for March

There’s plenty to grow and do this month. Below is a list.

In the vegetable garden

One vegetable to absolutely sow this March is the luscious cherry tomato – plant this in as many colours as you can get hold of such as yellow, black, pink and basic red. Don’t forget that cherry tomatoes tend to be far more ‘weather proof’ than larger fruiting varieties and often crop for a longer period.

Make sure to find space for more ladyfingers, cucumbers, aubergines, lots of different kinds of lettuce, radish, Swiss chard/leaf beet, capsicums, pimentos and all types of chillies (long, small, hot and mild).

Other vegetables you can grow are: climb­ing beans, seasonal cabbages, cauliflowers, tinda, loki, torai, kakri, courgette/zucchini, pumpkins, squash, spaghetti squash, bottle gourds, green onions and potatoes.

You can also go for cucamelon — a delightfully crunchy, kind of limy-tasting, grape-sized, climber; it resembles a minia­ture watermelon, grows in bunches and is delicious.

In the herb garden

It’s always a good time to plant herbs. This month, aim to grow coriander, basil, borage, nasturtiums of all colours, calendula, lemon grass, lemon balm, plecanthrus, savory, chives, garlic chives, agastache — liquorice blue is excellent — and chamomile (which can be used for teas, lotions and potions).

You may also like to grow some ginger. The easiest way to do so is to plant pieces of root which are already developing buds and can be easily found in the bazaar. Thyme, oregano and marjoram can all still be grown but a shady spot is necessary.

In the fruit garden

Chinese gooseberries grow rapidly from seed and fruit in a matter of months. Sweet melons and water melons can both be sown from the middle of the month. This is also the perfect time to start off pineapples — propagated from fresh pineapple tops — so give this a go as well.

In the flower garden

Set your garden, patio, balcony or rooftop ablaze this summer by sowing as many zinnia seeds as you can possibly make room for — from dwarf to tall, single to double-doubles and in shades from lime green to fire engine red. Bedazzle yourself and all others who lay eyes on your magnificent creation.

If an overdose of ‘zinnias’ isn’t to your taste then opt for massed sunflowers, again in every available size and colour to make the summer months really bloom. And if neither of the aforementioned are your ‘thing’, there are amaranthus, celosia, coreopsis, portulaca, petunias, tagetes, marigolds, verbena gompherena and many other summer annuals to be inventive with instead.

Flower of the month

Tecoma grandiflora, commonly known as Trumpet vine, is the flower to grow in March. This incredibly durable climber bursts into glorious bloom on and off from early spring through to autumn but tends to really smother itself in flower throughout the long, hot, summer months.

A fast-growing perennial climber, it can attain a height of 30 feet and more but is easy to control with fairly regular pruning of unwanted new growth. The trumpet shaped flowers are a lovely terracotta orange shade and closely-related species have equally striking yellow or pink blooms.

Easily propagated from suckers or cuttings, the plant is suitable in most soil types as long as there is decent drainage. It flourishes in the full sun and light shade and, once established, needs little water. It’s a useful climber for quickly covering walls, garages and pergolas.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location.

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Published in Dawn, EOS, March 5th, 2017