Go 27 October 2022

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TURNING HEADS: Some of the stunning clivias on display at the show. Pictures: TAMMY FRAY
Glorious clivias
wow enthusiasts
TAMMY FRAY
Glenn Miles and Dave
Coulson scooped top
prizes at this year’s
Clivia show on October 22 at
the Beacon Bay Country Club.
The growers and breeders
were judged based on the
shape and fullness of the head
of flowers as well as the texture
and variegation of the leaves.
The judges considered the
overall form of the plant as
award-winning clivia’s have
unique colours to the flowers
and sturdy leaves which bear
yellow or white “streakings”.
Clivias are fairly easy to
breed and grow, provided they
are insulated against pests.
The clivia is vulnerable to
the amaryllis worm in
particular as it t burrows down
to the root and destroys the
whole plant.
As East London approaches
its humid, rainy season, risk of
invasion by the amaryllis worm
increases.
C l iv i a s, which tend to be
shade-loving, must be fed
regularly with a good fertiliser.
Coulson’s plants – bronze
green-throats – have been
growing for the last four to five
years to achieve their winning
form.
He advises interested
growers to purchase good
quality seeds or seedlings from
a trusted breeder.
“You don’t want to waste
your time with seedlings that
are not good quality because
c l iv i a s take a long time to grow.
“I started with common
oranges [clivia miniata] and all
I had after five years was a
whole lot of common clivias ,”
Coulson said.
Miles, a retired animal
geneticist, has been breeding
and growing clivias for a
number of years.
He said: “If you want to
start getting into clivia’s you
have to get in quickly because
it’s a very slow process.
“You must have a breeding
goal, start with the best seed
you can get and go for that
COLOURFUL BURST: Clivia’s on display for judging, along
with daisies and various other plants on sale at the show.
breeding goal. There is also
money to be had in clivia’s
because a few years ago, the
Emerald Sky clivia sold at
auction at the World Clivia
Conference for R22,000.
“There are breeders from
China and Japan who are
willing to pay local growers
these prices for our indigenous
plants because they are more
advanced over there in their
breeding techniques,” Miles
said.
GO CORRESPONDENT
While SA celebrates October as
Mental Health Awareness
Month, it’s become clear m a ny
South Africans, including the
government, are unaware of the
dire situation the mental
healthcare industry is in.
The statistics are frightening
and shed a very bleak light on
the crumbling infrastructure and
shortage of trained professionals
to support SA’s more than 60-
million citizens.
The Mail & Guardian reports
that the public sector only has
451 psychologists employed
across the country for those
South Africans without a
medical aid scheme, which is
73% of our population, a
whopping 43.8-million people.
The Eastern Cape also has a
vacancy rate of over 80% for
psychologists and a ratio of 1
psychiatrist to 3.3-million
people in the province.
Fortunately, not all is lost.
There are many organisations,
businesses and non-profits
across the country doing their
part to improve the mental
healthcare of this country, one
of them being Masithethe
Counselling Services.
This non-profit organisation
provides counselling to those in
AFRICAN
SHAKESPEARE:
Students from the
Sonwa Sakuba
Institute for the
Performing Arts
showcased a
stunning
performance of
their African
rendition of
William
S h a k e s p e a re ’s
Macbeth this past
week. The
students put their
talents in acting
and storytelling on
full display under
the guidance of
director Xola
Mziwakhe and
Sonwa Sakuba.
Picture: FAITH
M T WA N A
SA mental healthcare industry in crisis
East London and the larger area
and is seen as a vital part of its
community. With around 1,000
people per month receiving
counselling for many issues
including bereavement, sexual
assault, trauma, suicide, anxiety
and depression, a small dent is
being made in the issue at hand.
Remember that you are not
alone. When you stumble, there
will be someone to help you up,
all you need to do is reach out.
Masithethe Counselling
Services is located at 3 St James
Road, Southernwood, East
London. Call 084-091-5410 or
043-743- 7266 or email
admin@masithethe.co.za
WINNING GROWERS: Glenn Miles, left, first runner up winner and Dave Coulson, right, the
best on show winner and a second runner up winner, with their stunning clivias. Pictures:
TAMMY FRAY