Caxton magazines staff
A move to Riebeek West in the Western Cape offered the owners of this home the opportunity to develop a colourful, multi-faceted garden
This property was blessed with a well-established garden surrounded by magnificent trees which makes it feel like an oasis in this hot, dry town. The owner, and landscaper, Julie Lovemore also inherited large berms which the previous owners had planted with aloes, vygies and pachypodiums. Although not a fan of ‘prickly’ plants, they kept these for their architectural appeal and started adding a personal, more romantic touch to the garden.
As they developed focal points and features, they realised the diverse nature of the garden would offer a variety of locations for wedding photographs and ceremonies. With the help of Simon Wala, they began shaping and positioning plants, adding hard landscaping to create frames and settings which have since proved popular with local wedding photographers.
As a result, as you wander around this large garden, you are transported from a Lowveld-like section with typical flat-topped thorn trees and cabbage trees to a rocky slope with aloes reminiscent of the Eastern Cape while traditional Tuscan pencil cypresses flanking a path conjure up images of Italy. Under a forest of trees on the far side of the stream, which runs down the side of the house, are cool shady glens overflowing with lush tree ferns and mass plantings of Clivia miniata.
The garden is constantly evolving; the latest project has been a fragrant rose-covered walkway leading to a gazebo on the lower terrace. This is a more romantic part of the garden with soft colours and pretty flowers.
As a landscaper, Julie not only loves working with colour and flowering plants, but with foliage texture and form as well. This she feels is the secret to keeping the garden in shape and interesting throughout the year especially in the hot summer months when flowers are few and far between.
