Strolling through a tropical garden paradise in Glenashley, Durban North, we spoke to landscaper Ashleigh Clare from Garden Heart about her career and the construction of this garden.
How did your career in landscaping start?
I was blessed to be guided straight into the field that inspires me daily. I studied Landscape Technology at the Durban Technicon, where I did a few years of training as a student and full-time landscaper. From there I spread my wings and started my company. which has flourished throughout the years, creating beautiful gardens along the way.
How has your approach to landscape design changed over the years?
As the saying goes: Experience comes with time. Over the years my attention to design detail has become extremely important to me. Working with the clients and their homes to create spaces that follow the client's overall philosophy is very important. What we produce must complement my client's personality and home. We don't cut and paste the same design over and over. We like to create unique spaces.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt-1680596423953/5605299955.jpg]
What was your brief when designing this garden?
The brief was to create an inspiring pool area, running with the theme of the home, using black as the grounding colour. As the whole home looks down into the space, it had to have the wow factor. We did this by building a feature wall at the back of the pool, which we tiled in a stunning black and white tile. Custom-designed water-feature spouts were used to create a feature water wall.
How did you approach the initial design of the garden?
Knowing it was a central area that was very visible to the home, I considered that I needed to bring the home and pool area together to create one space, so that when the large stack back doors were opened, the area flowed. Large 1m x 1m pavers make the space feel bigger, as larger pavers are more calming to the eye. We incorporated dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) between the pavers to soften the area and bring in more green to complement the black.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt-1680596423953/Sf22IJbfh1680596781823.jpg]
Which plants feature prominently in the design?
With this design, we were lucky enough to have all the framework plants, such as the large bamboo palms. The planting template was designed around the idea of creating a tropical oasis, using Philodendron 'Xanadu; large elephant ears (Colocasia) money plant (Plectranthus verticillatus), and large Chlorophytum bowkeri. As a special touch, white Phalaenopsis orchids have been attached to the bamboo palms to really give you that tropical feel.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt...
How did your career in landscaping start?
I was blessed to be guided straight into the field that inspires me daily. I studied Landscape Technology at the Durban Technicon, where I did a few years of training as a student and full-time landscaper. From there I spread my wings and started my company. which has flourished throughout the years, creating beautiful gardens along the way.
How has your approach to landscape design changed over the years?
As the saying goes: Experience comes with time. Over the years my attention to design detail has become extremely important to me. Working with the clients and their homes to create spaces that follow the client's overall philosophy is very important. What we produce must complement my client's personality and home. We don't cut and paste the same design over and over. We like to create unique spaces.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt-1680596423953/5605299955.jpg]
What was your brief when designing this garden?
The brief was to create an inspiring pool area, running with the theme of the home, using black as the grounding colour. As the whole home looks down into the space, it had to have the wow factor. We did this by building a feature wall at the back of the pool, which we tiled in a stunning black and white tile. Custom-designed water-feature spouts were used to create a feature water wall.
How did you approach the initial design of the garden?
Knowing it was a central area that was very visible to the home, I considered that I needed to bring the home and pool area together to create one space, so that when the large stack back doors were opened, the area flowed. Large 1m x 1m pavers make the space feel bigger, as larger pavers are more calming to the eye. We incorporated dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogon japonicus) between the pavers to soften the area and bring in more green to complement the black.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt-1680596423953/Sf22IJbfh1680596781823.jpg]
Which plants feature prominently in the design?
With this design, we were lucky enough to have all the framework plants, such as the large bamboo palms. The planting template was designed around the idea of creating a tropical oasis, using Philodendron 'Xanadu; large elephant ears (Colocasia) money plant (Plectranthus verticillatus), and large Chlorophytum bowkeri. As a special touch, white Phalaenopsis orchids have been attached to the bamboo palms to really give you that tropical feel.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1373620744/1680552866/articles/nIKwNgtt...
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South African Garden And Home (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2023