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January 2018:
This new garden is currently looking good with no water other than seasonal rain. Not even grey water.
How?
1. We planted at the right time - during the cool season (June/ July) 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. The use of Stockosorb moisture retaining granules
4. Thick woodchip mulch (10cm)
5. Excellent vermi-compost which improved the soil structure
6. Trees provide some shelter from all day glaring hot sun and wind (Only the largest trees were there before we began)
Solving a Narrow Garden
Location: Vredenberg estate, Somerset West
Completed: July 2017
BRIEF: Lara and Nick wanted an extension of their entertainment area which would make the garden feel integrated, inviting and more usable. They also needed a secondary seating/ entertaining space so that the family, including soon to be teenage children, could spread out more comfortably.
CHALLENGES:
Extreme water restrictions -see box left below for how we dealt with that.
As is often the case with housing estate gardens, the home is slap bang in the middle of a small property, making all the garden space very narrow. The garden and pool area was cut off from the stoep by a pronounced height difference and steep steps, creating a disconnected feeling and a disinclination to move into it. Winter shade, dogs, a clay soil and water restrictions made maintaining a lawn or even beds there impractical and it was looking sad and uninviting.
SOLUTIONS: We created a deck midway between stoep and ground level that maximizes the small space and facilitates ease of flow between all areas and a clean, inviting landing surface to spill out onto from the stoep. Garden lights lead the way to a secondary entertainment area, partially obscured by vegetation. A deck walkway extends towards the pool, visually and practically linking it to the whole.
FRONT GARDEN: We improved limited parking space by cementing pavers to formalise a half parking strip. Existing hardy plants were split and mass planted to help reduce costs.