PLANT OF THE WEEK
Botanical name: Vigna Caracalla (Kara-Kella)
Common name: Snail vine
Origin: South America
Height: Determined by supporting structure, but around 4m
Form: Vigorous vine
Flowers: The flowers are white-coloured as they unfurl, turning lilac as they blossom out into little snail-shaped blooms. As they age and fall, they turn cream-coloured. The flowers are quite fragrant and are mostly pollinated by ants.
Fruit: Lugume, pea type
Propagation: Seed
This vine is an ideal plant to grow if you want to cover a vast fence.
While it is a bit slow in its first year, it takes off vigorously after that and will quickly hide any eyesore. In early summer, it can grow 30cm a day.
Once it has reached the extent of the area that you want it to cover, cut the leaves and tendrils back and it will flower profusely.
If the tendrils are running, it won’t set much flower.
The snail vine thrives on any hot exposed site, in clay or loam soil and even on quite alkaline sites. It is almost deciduous in southern Australia, shooting each spring from a permanent root or stump.
A single plant can be kept for at least 10 years in one spot, with not much more attention than clipping the tendrils back in November-December. That will induce it to flower from January through to March.
FENCES AND ENTRANCES TO YOUR PROPERTY
* In many ways, a fence of a property is the frame of the picture and the gate is a glimpse into the unknown.
* When you first think of a fence, you may think of privacy, security and safety. Yes, these are all very important. But right up top of this list you must remember aesthetics.
* You need to consider proportion, position, style, texture, colours etc. If you are unsure, I am a great believer in getting advice from the people who know.
* The money spent on a designer will save you many years of living with a fence that just doesn’t look right.
* There are many types of fences: brick, timber, steel, concrete and many more.
* My favourite, and possibly the cheapest, is the living fence (a hedge). Use hedging plants like Photinia Red Robin.
* If you like the idea of the hedge but are concerned about the security and safety, you can put up a simple pool fence and plant your hedge in front of it, so that in time the plain fence will be covered by your beautiful living fence.
* If you are considering a structural type of fence, the first thing to do is to enquire at your local council about any permit requirement you may have to fulfil before building your fence. In most cases, anything over 1m in height will need a permit and you may even need a planning permit.
* The first thing your visitors will be confronted with is normally the front gate, so make it inviting and easy to find, easy to use and positioned so people feel comfortable entering your domain.
* You have possibly heard of feng hui. Whether you believe in this or not, you usually know within yourself if the entrance into your property is in a good position. Try to make it feel as natural as possible.
