The Household Garden Blog

Pots and water features for a Durban or North Coast garden: heat, humidity and salt

How to choose pots, plants and water features for the heat, humidity, summer rain and salt air of a Durban or North Coast garden.

Pots and water features for a Johannesburg or Pretoria garden: frost, hail and summer storms

How to choose pots, plants and water features that handle Highveld frost, hail, summer storms and dry winters in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Pots and water features for a Cape Town garden: wind, winter rain and salt air

How to choose pots, plants and water features that cope with the south-easter, winter rain and salt air in a Cape Town garden.

A season-by-season garden care guide for South Africa

A season-by-season garden care guide for South Africa, covering spring, summer, autumn and winter jobs by region, plus year-round care for concrete pots and outdoor furniture.

Getting your garden ready for spring: a South African checklist in plain words

A plain-words spring preparation guide for South African gardens, covering frost timing, pruning, refreshing pots, top-dressing beds and lawns, and cleaning concrete pots.

How to build a container garden that actually thrives

A practical guide to building a container garden in South Africa, from drainage and potting mix to plant combinations, watering rhythm and feeding.

How to style concrete pots: ideas that work in South African gardens

Practical styling advice for concrete pots in South African gardens, covering grouping, finish, colour in harsh sun, entrance statements and troughs used as living screens.

Fibre concrete vs terracotta and clay pots: which is better for South Africa?

A straight comparison of fibre-reinforced concrete and terracotta pots for South African conditions, covering frost, sun, watering, weight, ageing and long-term cost.

How to choose the right size pot: a practical guide with real measurements

A measurements-first guide to choosing pot size for trees, shrubs, vegetables, spreading plants and entrances, using real Pot Shack pot dimensions.

Vegetables that grow in shade: what to plant where the sun does not reach

Which vegetables actually crop in a shaded South African garden, how much sun they really need, and why growing them in pots changes the odds.

Growing vegetables in containers: a South African quick-start guide

A season-by-season guide to growing vegetables in pots in South Africa, with sun hours, pot depths per crop, and watering and feeding that suits our climate.

Growing berries in pots in South Africa: strawberries, blueberries and more

A practical guide to growing strawberries, blueberries, brambles and cape gooseberries in containers in South African conditions.