Capsicum Pot Pepper 'Fajita' Picture courtesy Ball StraathofChilli peppers can be sweet and mild or hot and fiery. They love our hot South African summers, are extremely healthy for you, and easy to grow in the garden or in pots. In this article you will learn about their health benefits and how to use them in the kitchen, as well as how to grow them, companion planting, and how to mix them with summer flowers for a beautiful show in the garden.

If you can provide their basic needs, they’ll give you decades of low-maintenance enjoyment. Find out how to grow them successfully indoors or in garden beds and pots below.

Leucospermum 'Tango' Picture courtesy MadibriIf cared for correctly pincushions thrive in many of our provinces, adapting easily to the summer rainfall regions, and tolerating moderate frost. Our modern hybrids are irresistible, a lot more compact, and many thrive in pots.

Arctotis - Picture courtesy Gunera - see flickr linkGarden centres around South Africa sell a beautiful selection of hybrid Arctotis in a lovely range of colours and growth habits, to brighten up any sunny space. They cope with a variety of harsh climatic conditions, are great water-wise coastal plants, and also do well inland. Learn how to grow and propagate Arctotis in your region.

Nandina has panicles of white flowers with showy yellow stamens

Nandinas are perfect for busy gardeners - find out how to grow them and how both the tall and dwarf varieties can enhance your garden, not only with their beautiful white flowers, red berries and fiery coloured winter foliage, but also with their ease of growth and low maintenance requirements.

Pumpkins Image by Maxx Girr from PixabayIf you mention pumpkin to South Africans you will get various responses from our rainbow nation. For many it will conjure up thoughts of sweet “Pampoenkoekies” - South African pumpkin fritters with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sugar, with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top, or perhaps “Pumpkin Cake.” Others will dream of the mouth-watering “Kaddu Ka Halwa” or “Pumpkin Halwa” - a unique Indian pumpkin-based dessert made with almonds, cashews, pistachios, milk, and sugar.

Begonia Rex Hybrid

Begonia Rex Cultivars are prized for their dramatically patterned and intriguingly shaped leaves, and they are just as at home in a shady, humid garden as they are growing as an indoor pot plant. Gardeners of all generations just cannot resist their unusually textured leaves, and today there are countless gorgeous varieties to choose from.

Image by congerdesign from PixabayOur very own Agapanthus is one of South Africa’s botanical treasures which has been exported to all corners of the earth, and it remains a popular garden plant, not only for its voluptuous umbels of flowers which bloom for a long season, but also for its ease of cultivation. The name agapanthus comes from the Greek words “agape,” meaning love, and “anthos” meaning flower, therefore its name literally means ‘flower of love.’

Image by Peter Skitterians from PixabayRadishes are one of the quickest and easiest vegetables to grow almost all year round in South Africa.  They are the perfect low-calorie summer vegetable, and because of their high water content, if you eat radish in summer - it will help to keep your body hydrated.

Lavandula angustifolia. Image by Rebekka D from PixabayLavender is cultivated not only for the heady fragrance and beauty of its blooms, but also for its attractive evergreen leaves, and its multitude of uses in the garden and home.