Sunday, January 29, 2012

TreeCo and Condé Nast House and Garden Magazine Collaborate


We are absolutely delighted to have been provided with the opportunity to provide information towards a feature info insert in the internationally acclaimed magazine, Condé Nast - House and Garden.

We are absolutely delighted to have been provided with the opportunity to provide information towards a feature info insert in the internationally acclaimed magazine, Condé Nast - House and Garden.

During late 2011, TreeCo was approached by the assistant gardens editor from Condé Nast  magazine looking for information for the publication.

We took her for a tour of the nursery and were again reminded that trees are so awe inspiring to so many people - specifically those who unlike ourselves and many of our clients, don't get to work with trees or nature on a daily basis.

Individuals not aware that large trees can be successfully grown in containers are often amazed by the sheer size of the specimens that we have available.

Condé Nast  House and Garden magazine is a high end publication aimed at the higher income market. It provides interesting and useful information around subjects concerning the the home and garden. The magazine is available at most food retailers and convenience stores as well as all newsagents.

TreeCo is hoping to become a regular contributor to the magazine and we will advise when new editions of the magazine are available.

When next you are out and about, don't forget to buy yourself a copy of the magazine - and read of course the TreeCo article featured on page 95 of the magazine.

Click on the thumbnail below to view the page on which TreeCo has been featured.
 
 

The Treaty Tree

On the corner of Treaty and Spring streets in Woodstock, Cape Town stands a Milkwood that dates back to the early 1500’s when it was called the “Old Slave Tree”. 64 of d’Almeida’s Portuguese sailors were massacred there by the Hottentots in 1509.

Rachel Bester, who lived in Woodstock at the end of the last century remembered how the slave masters would gather beneath the tree to sell their human wares and many a slave was hung from the branches when Rachel was still young.

In the seventeenth century a Hollander, Pieter van Papendorp who owned all the land between the Castle and Salt River, built a thatched cottage in close proximity to the beautiful Milkwood tree (Sideroxylon inerme) which still stood there.

This thatched cottage became known as 'Treaty House' when on the 10th January 1806, following the Battle of Blaauwberg, which was the start of the second British occupation of the Cape, a treaty was signed by Lt. Col. Baron von Prophalov, the commander of local fortifications at the time, transferring the property of the Batavian Government to the commanders of the British Forces namely Major General Sir David Baird and Commodore Sir Holme Popham.

Consequently, the Milkwood alongside the cottage became known as 'The Treaty Tree'.

In 1935, to make way for a factory, 'Treaty House' was unfortunately demolished. Fortunately however, the beautiful historical monument, 'The Treaty Tree', can still be seen today, standing on a patch of ground in this bustling industrial area and is surrounded by a sturdy fence to protect it from damage.
 

Get our latest Availability List for January - and see what tree we have on special!

 
 
 
 
Spectacular Monthly Tree
 
Although we have many tree species at our nursery that are looking spectacular at any given time, we feature just one tree in particular every month that we know will offer you the best value for money and that will add that special touch to your landscape project.
 
This month we feature Erythrina caffra as our ‘spectacular monthly tree”. We have 10 magnificent specimens of this stunning garden tree available. Erythrina caffra is widely known for the spectacular large clusters of orange / red flowers that appear at the ends of thick fleshy stalks towards the end of winter and well into spring, before the appearance of the light green leaves. This medium to large deciduous tree has a round spreading canopy and will grow well in almost any type of soil with good drainage. The magnificent and easy to grow Coast coral tree is hugely popular with gardeners throughout the country as it gives year round interest; shade in summer, an interesting sculptural look in winter and when the flowers appear it’s beauty is unsurpassed. This superb tree is an absolute must for every South African garden!
 
 Botanical Name
 Erythrina caffra
Common Name                Coast coral tree
Bag Size 1000kg
Quantity Available 10
Average Tree Height
& Trunk Thickness
5-6m 
15cm 
 
 
 
 
 
Should you require any further information, such as pricing details or should you wish to place an order, please contact Rudi on 082 829 5543 or Leske on 072 385 0270. Alternatively you are welcome to email us with your enquiry at info@treeco.co.za.
 
Availability List for January 2012

TreeCo provides our readers with a downloadable, updated Availability List every month.
Please note that should you not find the tree that you are looking for on this list, TreeCo will readily source what you require, on your behalf. Rudi and Leske Neethling personally ensure that all trees supplied by TreeCo, conform to our high quality standards.
 
Please CLICK HERE to download our latest Availability List.
 
This document is available as a PDF document and will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader loaded on your computer, please click on the link below which will allow you to download this free program quickly and easily.
 

Psoralia pinnata (Fountain tree)

Psoralia pinnata is a gorgeous small, slender, upright tree that is fast gaining popularity worldwide for it’s spectacular traffic stopping display of flowers from late spring to early summer, and, as housing complexes with tiny gardens become ever more popular, it’s suitability for beautifying these small spaces.
 
This most charming of small trees has a spreading crown with bristly leaves that can easily be pruned into any desired shape and when the Fountain tree covers itself with fragrant clusters of lavender blue and white pea shaped flowers the show is nothing short of breathtaking.
 
TREE DETAILS
Botanical Name
Psoralia pinnata
Common Name
Fountain tree
Genus
Fabaceae
RSA National Tree No’
225.8
LANDSCAPING USES
The fine foliage and enchanting flowers of the Fountain tree look stunning in any garden setting. In the smaller garden it makes a superb specimen tree whereas in larger gardens Psoralia pinnata can be effectively incorporated in a large border where it will look superb, especially when combined with camellias and azaleas that flower at the same time. Planted in a group of 3 to 5, these delightful small trees will provide an attractive display throughout the year. When flowering, insects are attracted to the grape-like fragrance of the flowers which in turn attracts a variety of birds such as White eyes and Robins.
TREE SPECIFICATIONS
Height
4 m
Spread
3 - 4 m
Deciduous/Evergreen
Evergreen
Growth Habit
The Fountain tree occurs along streams and moist areas along forest margins
Bark
The bark is greyish and fairly smooth
Foliage
The compound leaves consist of 4 – 5 sharply pointed narrow leaflets about 1 – 4 mm wide that are dotted with tiny black glands. The leaves are aromatic when crushed
Flowers
The fragrant lavender and white pea shaped flowers are borne in clusters in the leaf axils from October to December
Fruit
The 3 – 5 mm long pods are black and appear after the tree has flowered
Seed
Each pod contains a single black seed
GROWING REQUIREMENTS
Growing regions
Psoralia pinnata is widespread occurring from Clanwilliam to the Cape Peninsula, eastward to George, Knysna and the Eastern Cape and northwards to Kwa Zulu Natal, Swaziland and Mpumalanga
Growing conditions
The lovely Fountain tree should be planted in well drained soil that is  kept well watered and will do equally well in sun or shade but will flower more abundantly in the sun.
Best season
Summer
Hardiness
Psoralia pinnata will tolerate light frost and can withstand strong salt laden coastal wind as well as a moderate amount of drought. However, this tree does not do well in very dry areas such as the Karroo
Propagation
The Fountain tree is easily propagated from seed that has been soaked overnight and planted in a moist seedling mix to which some soil from underneath the original tree has been added
Growth rate
Fast, up to 1m per year
INTERESTING FEATURES
The enchanting Psoralia pinnata is one of the earliest South African plants to be cultivated both locally and abroad. As early as 1690 there where already a number of these lovely trees, that were propagated from seed collected in the Cape, growing in England
 
               P. pinnata Flowers              P. pinnata Leaves                  P. pinnata Bark