In part 1 we kept things on the windowsill. Now we're going outside, where South African gardens can throw heat, wind, frost and long dry spells at whatever you plant. Here are five indigenous plants for everything from the bone-dry corner to the damp spot by the tap.

Everything below on how to grow each one comes from the plant profiles on PlantZAfrica, the plant information site run by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). We've stuck to the garden side of things: where each plant grows, how big it gets and what it needs.

1. Wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)

Also called: society garlic, wildeknoffel, utswelane, isihaqa[1]

If you want one plant that's hard to kill, start here. SANBI describes wild garlic as "useful for difficult hot corners of the garden as it will tolerate prolonged drought, although it flourishes with regular watering."[1]

  • Size: a fast-growing bulbous plant, about 0.5 m tall, that spreads into clumps.[1]

  • Flowers: pinkish-mauve clusters on tall stalks, over a long stretch of summer (January to April).[1]

  • Smell: the leaves smell strongly of garlic when bruised, and so do the flowers when picked.[1]

  • Growing: grows easily in most soils, in sun or partial shade, and does best in well-drained soil with plenty of compost.[1]

  • Watch out for: slugs and snails, which can do real damage to the leaves.[1]

SANBI also notes it's ideal for the herb garden, because both the leaves and the flowers can be used in salads and other dishes.[1]

2. Rose-scented pelargonium (Pelargonium graveolens)

Also called: wildemalva[2]

Rub a leaf and you'll see why it's here. The leaves are velvety and "strongly rose-scented".[2]

  • Size: an upright, branching shrub up to 1.3 m tall and 1 m wide.[2]

  • Flowers: white to pinkish, from late winter to summer (August to January), peaking in September and October.[2]

  • Growing: does very well in moist, semi-shaded spots, and makes a good container or hanging-basket plant as long as it stays in semi-shade.[2]

  • Feeding: responds well to liquid organic fertiliser.[2]

  • New plants: from stem or tip cuttings, best in autumn (March to May) or spring (September to November), or from seed.[2]

A bit of trivia for the braai: the plant is used to make geranium oil, which the perfume trade uses as a substitute for expensive attar of roses.[2]

3. Wild rosemary (Eriocephalus africanus)

Also called: kapokbos, wilderoosmaryn[3]

SANBI describes it as one of the shrubs "most people in the Cape know because it is so common in the veld", and calls it "an excellent shrub for the waterwise garden", with thin grey leaves that "smell like Vicks when crushed".[3]

  • Size: a bushy, silvery-grey evergreen shrub up to about 1 m.[3]

  • Why it copes with drought: the grey leaves reflect sunlight, tiny silver hairs trap moisture, and the taproot can reach 6 m down.[3]

  • Flowers: small and white, at their best in winter, followed by fluffy seed heads. That cotton-wool look is where the Afrikaans name kapokbos (snow bush) comes from.[3]

  • Growing: full sun and well-drained soil. In the Western Cape, plant in the wet winter months so it settles in before summer. SANBI says it's fairly hardy and "will grow in most gardens throughout the country".[3]

  • Shaping: light pruning keeps it bushy, and you can even clip it into a hedge or a ball.[3]

4. Golden sage (Salvia aurea)

Also called: beach sage, dune sage, bruinsalie, strandsalie[4]

You may know this one by its old name, Salvia africana-lutea. SANBI now lists it as Salvia aurea.[4] Its flowers open bright yellow, then fade to rusty orange and reddish brown, and the papery base stays on after the petals drop.[4]

  • Size: a fairly fast-growing aromatic shrub, up to 2 m.[4]

  • Best for: coastal gardens. It likes light, well-drained soil and full sun, tolerates strong wind and is drought resistant.[4]

  • Inland: it has been grown successfully upcountry and can resprout after frost damage, but give it a warm, sheltered spot if your area gets frost.[4]

  • Wildlife: the nectar attracts bees and moths and feeds sunbirds.[4]

  • Lifespan in the garden: prune it to keep its shape. After about five years it gets woody, and SANBI suggests starting again with a young plant.[4]

5. Wild mint (Mentha longifolia)

Also called: kruisement, balderjan, koena-ya-thaba, inixina, ufuthana lomhlanga[5]

Every garden needs one plant that breaks the rules. Wild mint is the thirsty one on this list: most mints, SANBI says, are "water lovers" found in wet, damp places.[5]

  • Size: usually 0.5 to 1 m, shorter in dry conditions.[5]

  • Flowers: white to mauve spikes through summer (November to April).[5]

  • Growing: a heavy feeder that likes water, in semi-shade or full sun.[5]

  • Keep it contained: mints spread through underground runners and "pop up wherever they find a suitable spot". Pots keep them in line, but repot every year or two into fresh compost-rich soil.[5]

SANBI has a neat trick for this one: put the pot under a garden tap, so it catches the drips and stays moist.[5] Cut it back often to keep fresh growth coming.[5]

Putting it together

If you group them by thirst, the job gets easier:

  • Hot, dry and sunny: wild rosemary and golden sage.

  • Tough all-rounder: wild garlic, which handles drought but looks better with regular water.

  • Semi-shade and moisture: rose-scented pelargonium.

  • The wet corner (or a pot under the tap): wild mint.

One last tip when you shop: go by the botanical name on the label. As SANBI points out, the same common name is often used for different plants, and one plant can have different common names in different areas and languages.[5]