Perma Soil

24/10/2026

This garlic-scented beauty keeps moles at bay! 🌸

Wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea, or wildeknoffel) is a tough South African bulb that thrives in sunny, difficult corners and loves well-drained soil rich in compost. Crushed leaves are said to deter moles, and both the leaves and flowers are edible, with a peppery, garlicky kick for salads.

Do you have wild garlic growing in your garden, and what do you use it for?

22/10/2026

This tree drinks from 60 metres below the ground! 🌳 The camel thorn (Vachellia erioloba) is a proud Kalahari tree, and its taproot can reach down to 60 m to tap deep groundwater. It grows well in poor, sandy soils and harsh conditions, and it is a protected tree in South Africa. What a lesson in resilience for any gardener! Which tough indigenous tree is your favourite?

21/10/2026

Proteas grow their own bottle-brush root mats! 🌿

Proteas thrive in nutrient-poor fynbos soils by growing dense, bottle-brush-like proteoid roots close to the soil surface, right where fallen leaves rot down and release their minerals. In spring, these roots can make up about 80% of a protea's total root mass. A lovely reminder that a layer of leaf litter or mulch feeds plants from the top down!

Have you ever tried growing a protea in your garden? Tell us how it went!

19/10/2026

🌳 This thorny tree feeds the soil around it!
Sweet thorn (Vachellia karroo, or soetdoring) is a South African tree that fixes nitrogen, so grass and other plants thrive in its shade. Birds nest safely among its thorns, and the caterpillars of 10 butterfly species depend on it. Its gum was once even exported as "Cape Gum" for sweets!
Do you have a soetdoring growing near you? 🌿

18/10/2026

🌊 This tough groundcover holds sand together! Sour fig (Carpobrotus edulis, or suurvy) is a South African succulent that roots at its nodes as it trails, forming dense mats that stabilise dunes and embankments. It is wind- and drought-resistant, and its fleshy fruits are edible, with a sour, slightly salty taste. Have you ever tasted suurvy, or used it to cover a tricky slope in your garden?

18/10/2026

Skip the spray. Mulch your w**ds away. 🌱

Weeds are a fact of life for every gardener, but reaching for glyphosate isn't the only answer. A thick layer of mulch blocks the light w**d seeds need to sprout, feeds your soil, saves water and costs far less than you'd think.

In our new article we explain why mulch beats the spray, plus six simple steps to get it right:
https://permaterra.co.za/2026/10/18/skip-the-spray-why-mulch-beats-glyphosate/

Ready to mulch? Our woodchip mulch is now available to order online at permaterra.co.za, with delivery in Centurion and Irene. Free delivery on the Mulch Per cube and on orders of 10 or more bags.

Questions? WhatsApp us on 082 900 8775.

Weeds are a fact of life for every gardener and grower, and glyphosate is the quick fix many people reach for. But there is a better way to deal with w**ds, one that doesn’t involve a chemical many people believe is too risky to use at all.

18/10/2026

And our website is live https://permaterra.co.za/ !

17/10/2026

🌸 Your garden's tastiest mole-chaser is a pretty little bulb!
Wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) is a South African bulb with pinkish-mauve flowers, and its leaves and flowers are edible, with a mild garlic taste. Crushed leaves are traditionally said to deter moles, and it copes with long dry spells. Plant it in well-drained soil rich in compost and it will clump up beautifully!
Have you tried wild garlic in your salads or as a border plant?

15/10/2026

🌱 This tough little legume feeds your soil for free!
Kankerbos (Lessertia frutescens, also called Sutherlandia) is a South African legume that hosts bacteria in its root nodules, turning nitrogen from the air into food the plant can use. It tolerates all soil types, copes with full sun and little water, and its papery balloon pods float away on the wind to spread the seed. Sunbirds pollinate the orange-red flowers too.
Have you ever grown kankerbos or balloon peas in your garden?

13/10/2026

🔥 Sunbirds can't resist this orange beauty!

Wild dagga (Leonotis leonurus) is a tough South African shrub whose nectar-rich orange flowers are mainly bird-pollinated, so sunbirds, bees and butterflies flock to it. It also feeds the caterpillars of the Bush Bronze butterfly, and it copes with drought and frost once established. A layer of mulch over the roots helps it through the cold winter months.

Which indigenous plant brings the most birds to your garden?