Perennials, unlike annuals which live for just one season, live a lot longer. Their Latin name means ‘through the years’ and includes the likes of trees and shrubs and tend to be any plant that persists in growing for several years, and where growth from a part of the plant survives from growing season to season. They mostly flower in spring, summer or autumn, with a handful blooming in winter, and many have attractive foliage, too. There are a variety of perennials that reside, and thrive, in the gardens of Granny Mouse Country House & Spa.

There are perennials to suit every type of garden, for any aspect or soil type, and they range in different sizes. From low-growing herbaceous plants for the front of a border, to medium-sized ones for the middle, to giants a couple of metres tall for the back, they establish and grow quickly, with most reaching their full size in a few growing seasons. Many perennials make good cut flowers and the more compact varieties are excellent for growing in pots. Most are flowering plants that are very attractive to pollinators.

Perennials appear year after year, flowering during their specific seasons; no wonder our ancestors filled their gardens with them! Some are evergreen, and others are herbaceous perennials; which means that they will die down to the ground at the end of their growing season, and then re-grow from the same roots the following year. Unlike annual plants, which must be re-planted each spring, perennials are left in the soil, saving the gardener both time and money. Some lovely examples of perennials that could be considered for any garden include:

Gazania

These flowers come in a stunning variety of warm bright colours, or lovely pastel shades. They love full sun and will bloom almost throughout the year, peaking in spring and summer, but continuing into autumn. They will grow quickly to ±30cm tall and ±20cm wide.

Felicia

Loved for its intense sky-blue flowers with bright yellow centres; ‘Alba’ has pure white flowers and Felicia ‘Variegata’ has blue daisies and green and white variegated leaves. Flowers can appear almost all year round in warm climates, with a main growth in spring and early summer, and sporadic flowering thereafter. Plants will grow ±30 to 45cm tall and ±50cm wide and love full sun.

Angelface

These pretty plants are grown for their orchid-like flowers in shades of lavender, purple, pink and white. Angelonia will flower all summer and autumn. They love full sun and will grow ±30 to 40cm tall and 20 to 30cm wide.

Trailing Daisy

Modern hybrids are available in wine red, white, pink, yellow and terracotta. The main flowering season is in late winter to spring and again in early autumn, but some flowers can be found on the plants throughout the year. It grows in full sun to ±30cm tall and 50cm wide.

Plantain Lily

Grown for their striking leaves, in plain green, or variegations of grey-green, yellow and cream. In summer, lily-like flowers are held on slender stalks, ranging from blue to lilac and violet, or green to white. Cultivars vary greatly in growth habit, with some reaching no more than 15cm tall and others up to 90cm. They grow beautifully in part shade to full shade.

Golden Rod

This plant grows in clumps and produces panicles of golden yellow flowers in late summer and autumn. It grows quickly to ±40cm tall and 30cm wide and loves full sun.
Spider Wort

Produces blue, purple, white or rose flower clusters throughout spring and summer. It will grow to ±40cm tall and 40cm wide and can be planted in full sun.

Lady’s Mantle

Popular around the world for its ornamental value and ease of growth. Its soft, velvety grey-green leaves and its huge spreading heads of tiny, star-like yellow flowers make the Lady’s Mantle a fascinating garden plant. It grows best in semi-shade to ±35 to 45cm tall and can spread as wide.

Perennial Phlox

Phlox is easy to grow and flowers in summer and into autumn. The flowers come in shades of purple, scarlet, pink, mauve, salmon, and clear white. Phlox love full sun and grow ±50 to 80cm tall and ±50 to 80cm wide.

Penstemon

These popular garden plants will flower from late spring to autumn, and are available in shades of pink, red, purple, lavender and white. They vary in height from ±30 to 80cm tall and require full sun.

Marguerite Daisy

Many Marguerite hybrids are available, varying in size from dwarf compact varieties ±35cm tall, to larger varieties ±75 to 90cm tall. Hybrids produce single, semi-double or double flowers, in many shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, and pure white. They require full sun to flower really well.

Angel Wings

Grown for their delicately shaped flowers on long stems, in spring, summer and autumn, Gaura is available in shades of pink, lilac and white. They will grow in full sun or light shade to ±40cm tall and 30cm wide.

Ultimately, perennials are a great investment as you can buy a plant once and divide it, adding plants to your own landscape or share with others. They are available in a wide range of flower colours and foliage textures with great fragrances that add a truly rich dimension to the total garden. So be inspired and get planting, and if you need further inspiration, head up to Granny Mouse Country House & Spa to see firsthand the success of growing such plants.

References: https://www.gardeninginsouthafrica.co.za/perennials/list-of-perennial-plants

As we all know locally, a braai loosely entails grilling food over coals. And even though they seem like one and the same thing to a novice, they are not synonymous with barbeques. Braais are different because they involve fire and it stays lit during the cooking process. We, as South Africans, love to gather around the fire, swop stories and even once the meal is eaten will continue to hang around the fire for the rest of the day or evening.

We really don’t need an excuse or specific celebration to get the braai on – come rain or shine, we will be there and we can literally braai anything anywhere.

It’s a tradition that cuts through all cultural lines, regardless of language and race, and is a true South African tradition.

Apart from doing the average braai, many of us take it to the next level by showing off our braai master skills. One of the elements is definitely a secret homemade marinade to add flavour to the meals especially with chicken, beef, pork and different cuts thereof.

The culinary artists at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa have some super awesome tips for you to remember when making your marinade:

• Marinades are amazing to help prepare meat for the “braai” by mixing up a bunch of special ingredients. This is then poured over the meat and must rest for a minimum of an hour before going on the grill.
• Once you have added marinade to the meat, don’t leave it out on the kitchen counter, especially in summer – make sure you store it in the fridge.
• When using marinades, remember meat will burn easily due to the sugar content, so when cooking make sure you grill longer over a lower heat. Try to remove the excess marinade before grilling and just before removing from cooking add it again…
• Once the marinade has been used, it’s best to discard it.
• Tip: Ziplock bags are excellent for marinating meat. This way you can easily massage marinade into the meat and keep turning it over in the fridge so both sides are well-marinated.

Granny Mouse Country House & Spa have some real winning marinades that you can use on the next braai which are sure to make you the hit of the family and friend gathering.

CHICKEN MARINADE (1KG)

Ingredients:

15g         Onion powder

15g         Garlic powder

15G        Fresh thyme

15g         Whole grain mustard

10g         Fresh ginger

10g         Fresh garlic

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

Salt & pepper to taste.

Method:

Mix all ingredients well.

Toss chicken in the mixture and allow to marinade for about 2 hours.

Thereafter, it is ready to be cooked on the grill, braai or roasted in the oven.

 

BEEF MARINADE

 

Ingredients:

5g           Rosemary (finely chopped)

2              Cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

15g         Thyme (finely chopped)

15g         Paprika

10g         Onion powder

5g           Ground cloves

2             Tots whisky of choice (optional)

 

Method:

Pat fillet dry, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In the meanwhile, mix all other ingredients in a bowl.

Coat the fillet generously with marinade.

Seal meat in a hot skillet if intended on roasting in the oven.

Can be cooked directly on heat if grilling or braaiing.

Once cooked to desired temperature, let the meat rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.