Growing the garden

As you’ve read on a previous post we are developing an ecological garden.  During the past 5 months nature has returned to our beautiful rock.

In the north garden, on top of the rock, grasses decorate the terrain with green, red, white and tan colours. The species include Melinis Repens (Natal Red Top), Melinus Nerviglumis (Bristle-Leaved Red Top), Eragrostis Capensis (Heart Seed Love Grass) and Themeda Triandra (Red Grass). We also have a few aloes hidden in the grass. Flocks of tittle birds called Bronze Mannikin (Gewone Fret) visit every morning, balancing their tiny bodies on the blades of grass.   

The south garden is the social garden where we have the braai and enjoy the view over the nature reserve. We planted LM grass here to create a soft outside surface for sitting and playing. LM is a low water, low maintenance grass.  Kiggelaria Africana (Wild Peach) trees were planted for shading and privacy. The Wild Peach is indigenous to the nature reserve and well suited. The female trees carry fruit to attract more birds into our garden. At the back where our garden meets the nature reserve we are not planting but rather allowing nature to take over. It is a slow progress but already we enjoy a few 1m high Ochna Pulchra (Lekkerbreek) trees, Burkea Africana (Wild Seringe) trees, a Diospyros Lycioides subsp. Guerkei (Bluebush) and plenty of grasses.