An almost 300m² indigenous garden was already laid out on paper when the drought stopped us dead in our tracks. We were only to plant the necessities – trees out front and a bare bones framework at the back.
The hard clay slowly gave way under the picks as we dug new homes for magnificent 100ℓ trees from the Elgin Valley. Olea europaea subsp. africana, Syzygium cordatum and Erythrina lysistemon. Beautiful specimens that will dance on the Plattekloof hill and cool the earth below. Some might argue us insane, but we planted a group of three Cussonia spicata for height and sculptural interest where a tall, double-storey wall loomed too bare to the south.
The views are endless. Carissa macrocarpa swiftly moved in all along the bottom boundary to stare at Table Mountain, interrupted intermittently by the likes of Searsia crenata, Nuxia floribunda, Dodonaea angustifolia, Buddleja saligna, Brachylaena discolour, Tarchonanthus camphoratus. Old favourites, rejoicing in the splendour perspective of the Peninsula. Once the vicious summer southeaster blows over and their roots establish in the concrete-like clay, we’ll have a show for sure.
A first flower is visible on the Strelitzia juncea, a spiky colourfest is about to ensue. We’ll be back to plant the rest after the rain has come.
