Dry taps, heatwaves and no rain: can your garden cope? | Network News

Worried about keeping your garden looking lush and lively during El Niño? Don’t be. A few simple steps are all it takes to make sure it stays beautiful and full of life. With Garden Day on Sunday, 18 October, now’s the perfect time to get your garden summer-ready.

Craig De Necker of the garden design and landscape installation company, The Friendly Plant, says that summer can be a difficult time for garden enthusiasts. Throw in unpredictable water cuts, a particularly dry, hot season and the rising cost of water, and it’s easy to see why they’re worried about gardens that are gasping. For those going way over the holidays, the worry doubles.

Stock up for a dry summer at the Houghton Bonsai, Succulent & Plant Show

One of South Africa’s biggest plant shows, the award-winning annual Houghton Bonsai, Succulent & Plant Show, returns to Killarney Mall from 30 October to 1 November 2026.

With over 60 exhibitors and vendors, it’s the perfect place to stock up on the water-wise succulents your garden needs this summer, and to browse rare plants, orchids and bonsais from specialist growers. For the first time, the Witwatersrand Orchid Society joins the show this year, with live orchid potting demonstrations daily at 11am and 2pm. Bonsai lovers can also bring a struggling tree to the free Bonsai Hospital for a diagnosis and advice.

Kids will be kept busy at the free Kids’ Zone on Saturday and Sunday, making it a great day out for families, collectors, first-time plant parents and seasoned green fingers. Entrance is free.