5 easy-to-grow plants for your garden

What makes a plant a good buy? It's not the price alone. Value is best measured by how a plant performs once it's in the ground. The best and easiest kinds of plants to grow are undoubtedly indigenous plants, perfectly suited to local soil and climate changes.

1. Clivia (Natal lily or Bush lily)

Clivia is a genus of monocot flowering plants native to Southern Africa. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae. Common names are Natal lily or bush lily. They are herbaceous evergreen plants with green, strap-like leaves.

The plants are happiest out of the sun - in shady areas, under trees, in containers or on a shady veranda. It's also available in colours like pale yellow and deep reddish orange.

2. Fortnight lily

Dietes grandiflora, the large wild iris or fairy iris, is a rhizomatous perennial plant of the family iridaceae with long, rigid, sword-like green leaves.

A single flower only lasts a day, but because new flowers open continually, plant enough and you're sure to have a magnificent spring display. Best of all, it's not fussy at all, and will grow well in dry, shady or sunny areas.

3. Aurum lily

The stylish lily is a must-have in any garden. The attractive white flowers with long, broad, dark green leaves stand out among other plants and add interest to a flower bed. Arum lilies love being planted in damp, shaded areas and if they're happy in your garden, the plants will reward you with long-lasting cut flowers

4. Strelitzia (Bird of paradise)

Strelitzia is a genus of five species of perennial plants, native to South Africa. It belongs to the plant family Strelitziaceae.

The distinctive strelitzia is one of the best known of all the tropical flowers. Surprisingly, it is easier to grow than many tropical plants. The plant is a vigorous, rapidly growing indoor plant. It can be moved outside in the summer, and in warmer climates, it thrives for half the year outside.

5. Pincushion protea

One of our most loved proteas, it's native to the south-western Cape, but in the right conditions, it should grow in most areas of our country. 

Finally

South Africa is home to more than 22 000 indigenous seed plants from almost 230 different families and offers a variety of plants that are great value for money and easy-to care - for. Thus those with green fingers have ample to keep them inspired.