Before
After
Before
After
Hardy cottage-garden style planting
After
A budget Cottage Garden makeover to prepare for sale
(... except, after we did this, they loved it so much they decided not to move!)
Location: Somerset West
Completed: April 2017
BRIEF: Nelia and Elco wanted to sell thier house but first it needed some beautifying.
CHALLENGES:
Extreme water restrictions -see box left below for how we dealt with that.
A very tight budget.
The entrance path to the front door which was unclear and uncomfortable.
SOLUTIONS: The pathway needed to run to the one side, so we defined it as a beautiful ,easy to walk S - curve. To avoid short cuts when walking it we created a beautiful cottage style garden to walk though which also introduces a little mystery to the pool and beyond, slowing one down, setting the scene for the thoughtfully decorated stoep and interior. We reduced the lawn way down to a small, edged rectangle next to the pool which was neat and easier to maintain.The client did the pole edging themselves to save costs.
Update: October 2017
This new garden is thriving with only grey water.
How?
1. We planted at the right time - at the begining of the cool season (April) so that the plants would have time to settle in.
2. A good water wise plant pallet in the theme of soft, airy meadow- like grasses and perennials in cool colours
3. Thick woodchip mulch (10cm)
4. Excellent vermi-compost which promotes sustained robust growth
5. Trees provide some shelter from all day glaring hot sun and wind
6. We greatly reduced the lawn