CRYSTAL GARDENS

Space is a precious commodity, so limited and expensive in towns and cities that it makes sense to enjoy every inch you have. If like many of us, you live in  apartments that now define our urban landscape, the challenge is how to engage your children in meaningful outdoor activities. However you need not despair. By using your outside space, no matter how small, you can stylishly extend the boundaries of your home and rope in a play area for the children.

Balconies, basements, rooftops, window sills and flower beds are space options that can be turned into retreat area for the young ones. But why bother with creating play areas for your kids?

Playing is an integral part of a child’s growth. It is at the play ground that children learn and pick up new skills like team work, communication and endurance. Here they learn to explore, to smell-to touch and discover for themselves how the world around them works. Role play flourishes at the playground. It is a critical aspect of a child’s development. More importantly though having a play area at home ensures that not only do you impart these skills yourself, but also the safety of the child is assured.

It therefore becomes necessary that you meet your children’s need for a space in which they can satiate their playful instincts, follow their wild imaginations, daydream or simply unwind.

Fortunately, a children’s retreat need not cost the earth. Nor do they have to elaborate installations. Instead, they can be made from simple materials, some improvised that will not only fit frugal budgets, but also adaptable to small spaces. When setting up such a facility, a key consideration is the need to observe safety. As such children’s play areas should be located within immediate reach and at a spot that can easily be watched over from the kitchen window, porch or terrace. Where this is not possible, then a parent or responsible adult must be physically present.

Before setting up any play area understand the personality of your child. Is he sedentary or hyperactive?  Does he have special needs? Hyper active are the rough cut lots; the type that runs all over engaging in exacting activities like riding, skating or ball games. For such hard surfaces in form of paved concrete, bricks or stonework are appropriate. For a lawn, a tough turf of kikuyu or Maadi river grass that withstands trampling is highly recommended.

On the other hand sedentary children are the contemplative types who spend most of their time in one spot absorbed in moulding, drawing or erecting stuff. This group will make do with a few toys, sandboxes, teddy bears, or swings. Some children may have special needs, especially if they are physically or mentally challenged. For these, a minder to lead them through play should be availed. Similarly, the play equipment should be suitably tailored to meet their needs. Physically challenged children will require ramps while those with impaired hearing may require bells and other noise generating equipment to aid in their hearing and sound identification.

If children are discerning enough seek their views as to what they would prefer for play tools so that you don’t install features that are not in tandem with their interests. Climbing heights are almost a universal childhood favourite. So, seek to install heights in form of trees, ladders or raised ramps. Similarly, most children adore dirt which seems to have an infinite allure for them. Rather than risk having them grovelling in unsafe materials, provide cleansed soil or sand with which they can play.

Having identified the nature of your child, where then do you site the play tools?

The roof top

For families in the higher up apartments the roof top can be turned into a vibrant living environment. In the Middle East and the Orient where space shortage is a cute, the roof top is part of the house quarters where children will be seen engaged in play. A roof top play area is ideal for sedentary children. Where swings, ramps and huts are erected it follows that unaccompanied access to the roof top is denied by having lockable access gate. In most cases though the preferred safety measure is to hedge in the play area at the roof top with trellises.

Balcony

A small space like the balcony or window sill can also be useful to children as a play area. Here a small garden can be set up that will bring the natural world home. They can raise their own plants, relax from school work, play truant and still be able to learn the basics of science. Again, it is here that children can keep a pet.

Spare these for those with seemingly boundless energy, the uncontrollable lot who greatly enjoy the out doors. Thy relish challenge and will do physically demanding games like racing, ball games and athletics.

Mazes

If you are lucky to have some space, mazes provide an appealing play option for almost all children. Easily 

made from arranging hay bales, the trick is in getting a good designer who can create something to fit your space without having you break the bank. I have seen for instance, members of a gated community pool resources to instal a maze-much to the joy of estate children.

The common refrain that children will always be children is an allusion to their need to vent energy no matter the environment. This implies that regardless of where they grow, they will still need to exercise their playful instincts. As a parent you owe them an opportunity to address this desire in a safe and timely manner.

 Whatever play options you provide, it should be a cardinal rule that a First Aid kit be within instant reach. Bruises and cuts are terms that may be part of your regular conversations.

 MAXIMING YOUR GARDEN SPACE BY USE OF VERTICAL GARDENS

Got a small garden?

The smaller the garden the more important the vertical surfaces around it. Vertical surfaces consisting of wallS, pillars, poles and tree surfaces offer as much growing space as the ground area, sometimes even more. Climbers, also referred to as creepers or vines, provide the quickest and most efficient way of attaining vertical coverage.
 

Creepers

A tree could take five years or more to reach maturity, but most creepers will cover a wall in two years, or even less if you use fast growing climbers.

Where to grow the climbers rests squarely on the design problem you wish to address or the effect you wish to create. Generally most people grow creepers to soften hard surfaces and introduce a touch of greenery to an otherwise bare surface. This is mostly applicable to the perimeter or house wall where the rough and rugged finish needs tempering.

Screens in form of trellises or fences   meant to demarcate sections in the garden or screen out unsightly views rarely achieve their purpose unless backed by creepers. Their foliage creates a barrier while the flowers serve to detract from the plainness.

For decoration, climbers come in handy. A profusion of foliage and flowers clambering up pillars or around your window bars will not only give your house a graceful look, but also bring colour to your doorstep. Some like Jasmine have the added advantage of emitting delightful scents. In putting up sheds, carports and pergolas one needs to set up the framework as creeper foliage provides shading.

You can also raise climbers that provide fruits like passion or grape vines.

Choosing a climber

In selecting a climber, knowledge of how it anchors itself against a surface is vital. While some climbers are clingers, others will need to be supported up a wall or pillar surface. Some clinging  climbers like honey suckle use the  growing tips of stems  to grip, while  clematis, grapevines and sweet peas use tendrils growing like side shoots an. Ivies and  ficus have aerial roots for cling.

Clinging roses use their thorny stems for hugging surface although they may occasionally need tying up. These clinging types are appropriate for high walls, as they will propel themselves.

Wires, hooks, nails and netting along which the climbers will be guided need to be installed before the planting is done so that the young plants are not treaded upon.

Protective measures

When using pillars or poles, growing climbers need not present difficulties. Never tie them unprotected, as this will cause chaffing whenever there is a strong wind. Similarly, use of a hard metal strips is discouraged as they can cut into the plant stem. Instead, tie a leather strap or soft clothing around the pole and attach the climber to it with a loose note.

Some climbers grow very fast and will colonize a given area in no time. For a small garden, this could be a nightmare and your options could be limited either planting  in a container to limit root growth  and consequently its upward growth or regular pruning so that it lies flat along the surface.

Watch out for ivy and ficus as the two are known to pull out mortar from the wall, hence weakening the structure.

To get the best out of your climbers, particularly the flowering and fruiting type, ensure that you regularly fertilize them with potassium rich fertilizer.

Pruning is the removal by trimming or cutting off parts of a plant that are old, dead, diseased or not needed for a plant’s growth, or whose continuous presence can be injurious to the plant’s health.

 Acalypha above requires restrictive pruning as it is encroaching on the path while at right is formative pruning at work

Why do we prune plants?

Plants are pruned to maintain good health.  If a plant becomes too dense or bushy, it is likely that air circulation within the shrub will be lacking. This forms dark, damp spaces that encourage pests and diseases.

In the course of growth some plant parts become diseased or die off. These are removed during pruning so the plant doesn’t waste energy sending food to dead parts. Pruning is also done to encourage growth of vigorous bushy growth. A plant that looks lethargic can be reenergized with a heavy pruning that spurs fresh new growth. Strong young growth is desirable for production of quality flowers and fruits.

How to prune a plant

When you want to prune, first assess the overall shape of the plant. Start off by cutting down any diseased, dead, dry or damaged wood. This will promote good health.

Second cut off any inward facing branches. Branches are supposed to grow out, not into each other. Inward facing branches create a dense, dark environment which fosters diseases and pests. Ideally a plant should grow out like a glass-narrow at the bottom and widening at the top with space for air circulation within the foliage.

Keep in mind that a healthy plant, when pruned harder grows back more vigorously. Similarly, if you prune, lightly the regrowth will be limited.

Principles of pruning

Plants are pruned principally to achieve three purposes; format the plant, restrict its growth or renovate/renew the plant.

1. Formative pruning

Formative pruning is done in order produce a sturdy plant with well-balanced framework. It aims to have well-spaced branches for air and light to reach the whole plant. Shrubs like Hibiscus require light formative pruning to ensure balanced growth. If you have deciduous plants, the right time to prune them is either at or soon after planting when they are dormant.

At the onset you can train your young shrubs to have a balanced framework. Cut back severely, and then select 4 branches that are evenly spaced to form the new framework. Remove all the other branches.

Note that not all plants require formative pruning. 

2. Restrictive pruning

Restrictive pruning is done to prevent a plant from encroaching on to a space it is not supposed to occupy. While it is always good to allocate a plant in a space it will fit, it is not always possible to know the eventual size of a plant. Restrictive pruning tends to be more severe so that the plant does not regrow fast to cause the same problem. Like in all pruning strive for a balanced well-spaced open framework.

3. Renovation/renewal pruning

For old plants or shrubs that produce new growth   from the base or from old wood, they can be rejuvenated by hard pruning. Overgrown shrubs too benefit from renewal pruning as a drastic cut down to 30-45 cm above the ground spurs new formative growth. Pick 4 healthy shoots that will sprout from each stem to produce a new framework. Cut out the rest.

Sometimes it is better to stagger the pruning over two years so that the place does not remain bare.

Whatever reason you have to prune, always make sure your tools are clean and the blades sharp. Blunt tools make ragged cuts that take long to heal and can be potential entry points for infections. Secateurs are best deployed for cutting small branches. For larger branches use pruning saws to avoid crushing plant tissue.

It is the season of lawn troubles!

 Whenever there are drought conditions, lawns planted without consideration reveal themselves spectacularly. And even more, poorly maintained lawns announce themselves unhindered, bearing the ugly truth; that your lawn could have done with a little more care! Unfortunately, a good lawn can’t be faked. You either have a topnotch lawn or your lawn is  “a has been”

This leads gardens to having a fickle relationship with lawns. It’s a joy and pride to have a lawn on which you can laze out in the afternoon Sun, but quite another when the costs of maintenance rear their ugly head.

A good lawn begins with the basics. Choose an appropriate grass type, good ground preparation and sound maintenance practices. If you practice these, you will be rewarded with a lush green lawn against which other garden plants will form a breathtaking tapestry of floral and foliage colour.

Choosing a grass type

This is the most interesting part of lawn growing. And it never ceases to amaze how homeowners are taken in by “the grass I saw somewhere”.  All things being constant, the grass you saw somewhere may be fit for your place, but it is not always so! The grass you choose depends on three key considerations:

Utility-refers to the end use you need a lawn for. Is it for outdoor entertainment, a playground for children for a sports ground

Resilience. The ability of a given grass to withstand adverse conditions is its resilience. These adverse conditions could be climatic, pest and diseases or rough usage.

Maintenance refers to the activities undertaken to keep its beauty and health. These include mowing, weeding, water requirements and feeding.

For grass growing, the following varieties are grown in east Africa Kikuyu grass

Kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum)syn Cenchrus clandestinus

Indigenous to Kenya, it has thick blades and is bright green.  Kikuyu grass was first properly identified and described in 1903 by Emilio Chiovenda in Kiamba area of Kiambu county, an area settled by the Kikuyu community, from which it derives its name. 

It grows rapidly. It is cheaper and more drought tolerant. You can use it as fodder for your livestock. For wildlife gardeners, Kikuyu grass is ideal as it provides food for many bird species including the widowbird.

Kikuyu grass is a popular grass that is to be found in Australia, New Zealand , Southern California and South Africa where it dominates homes and golf courses.

Preferred for  home, playgrounds and heavily used public spaces.

Pemba grass

Also known as St Augustine or Buffalo grass.  It grows naturally in North America. It has broad green leaves, much wider than paspalum. It is low growing and the blades are curly.

It is highly adapted to low rainfall areas and withstand cold seasons.

It East Africa, it is a popular lawn grass in the Coastal areas due to prevalent warm conditions.

Paspalum

For many years, paspalum dominated lawns in Kenya and east Africa until it was displaced by Zimbabwe grass. Paspalum has thick blades with dark green colour.  Even though it establishes slowly, it tolerates adverse conditions like shade and wet soils. It is almost weed resistant and grows in sunshine and partial shade. If you garden has lots of trees but clear canopies openings, you can use paspalum under them.

Cape royal

It is a fine , thin and narrow leafed grass that forms a tick spongy mat. It tolerates sandy soils and has rapid regrowth. It is quite tolerant to extreme weather including drought and heat. It is a creeping grass that can grow in light shade and full sun. It is ideal for high traffic areas, homes and playing fields.

Zimbabwe grass

It is similar to paspalum but has thin fine blades and sprigs/stems/. It is fast growing and soon colonizes a given area. Its greatest advantage is that it thrives well in both full sun and dense shade.

Ground preparation

Having settled on a grass type, the next item is to prepare the ground . A false step here will result in poo quality lawn, which may necessitate a repeat job, with the attendant costs and inconveniences.

Initial digging must be deep   preferably 150mm to remove all weeds and deleterious materials. In this soil incorporate compost or manure to a depth of 1 inch and work this into a fine tilth.

For heavy soils such as clay, you can sprinkle 250g of sand per square meter to improve drainage.

Red Soil

Red soil is good for lawn establishment because you can use it to backfill your garden to the desired level, or if the underlying ground is poor. However it is not a must you add red soil if your ground is relatively fine.

Whatever soil you have the important thing is to enrich it enough to support lawn growth.

Rake your ground well to the desired slope. It is recommended that water should drain away from the house.

Lawns can be sown from seeds, cuttings (sprigs) or sods (carpets). Normally grass is planted from sprigs due to faster establishment. Each grass stem is planted at a depth of 1 inch and firmed up.  Water immediately after planting.

Maintenance

A newly planted lawn should be watered daily  until it establishes. Then cut down the watering to twice a week.

For mature lawns mowing should be done every other week during the rains. Cutting height varies with grass type but generally do not cut more than 1 and half inches off. . If you cut too low, the soil will be exposed and weeds will invade. Cutting high is recommended as because taller grass grows deeper roots, which better withstands drought and out competes weeds. Also taller grass looks thicker.

Top dressing

This is done annually and it involves applying a thin quarter inch layer of  a mixture of sand ,compost, DAP and bone meal to the lawn to give it a head start against weeds and pests.

The top dressing matter is mixed in the ratio of  4 parts sand,1 part well-rotted compost, DAP and bone meal which is sieved and then spread over the lawn.

Whenever lawn challenges arise avoid the temptation to blast your lawn with chemicals.  Though weeds, pest and diseases may occur, they are a symptom of a bigger problem. A few weeds in the lawn are perfectly normal. But a particular weed is overtaking your grass is a sign that your lawn is not competitive to choke out the weeds.

A lawn appears healthy when it has no weeds, apparently. But in reality, a lawn has no weeds because it is healthy.

Oxalis is major headache for Kenyan lawns. It pulls nitrogen from the air and appears where grass is sparse and soil is low in nitrogen. Dig up rather soil to remove it and feed the soil with compost to increase soil fertility. Replant the bare patches. Remember vigorous turf is the best weed control.