The Household Garden Blog

How to sow seeds: a step-by-step guide for South African gardeners

A step by step seed sowing guide for South African gardeners, covering trays versus direct sowing, sowing depth, damping off, thinning and hardening off.

How to style houseplants indoors: pots, groupings and light

A practical styling guide for houseplants in South African homes: matching plants to light, grouping and height rules that work, one pot finish, trays on wooden floors and lightweight pots for shel...

How to prepare soil for summer vegetables in South Africa

A practical South African guide to clearing, feeding and warming up garden beds and pots before planting summer vegetables.

Can you use garden soil in pots? What actually happens if you do

An honest look at why garden soil fails in containers, how to fix a pot you have already filled with it, and an affordable potting mix that actually drains.

How to make a small garden look bigger

Design principles that make a small South African garden or patio feel larger, from one statement pot to repeated finishes, diagonal lines and vertical layers.

Gardening on a budget in South Africa: plants and tricks that stretch a rand

Practical ways to build a full garden on very little money, from seed and free cuttings to home compost and pots that do not need replacing.

How to grow lavender, a complete South African guide

Lavender is tougher than it looks and thrives in South African gardens. Which variety to grow, how to give it sun and drainage, and how to prune it to last.

Five gardening mistakes we see every week, and how to undo them

The five plant problems we see most often at the nursery, from overwatering to garden soil in pots, with the practical fix for each one.

Do houseplants really clean the air? What the science says, and why to grow them anyway

A correction of our earlier claim that houseplants purify indoor air, with the peer reviewed evidence, the real benefits of growing them, and five easy plants that are still worth having.

Why your pot plants keep drying out, and how to stop it

Pots dry out fast, and it is where most container plants fail. How to read over versus under watering, how much to water, and how to keep pots alive while away.

How to make a sensory garden, even on a small patio

A practical guide to building a sensory garden in containers, choosing plants for scent, texture, sound and taste, and arranging them so every sense sits within arm's reach.

Ten easy houseplants for a jungle look in a South African home

Ten low fuss houseplants that build a green, layered indoor look in South African homes, with realistic light, watering and potting advice.