African Design Magazine ADM #43 August 2018 | Page 21

GRASSLAND GARDEN
plants and the close spacing served the
dual purpose of rapid stabilisation of
the mounding and the creation of an
instant aesthetic effect. The planting was
finished in August and flowering was good
throughout that first summer.
As Lockwood points out, the veldgrass
areas should be cut back every season in
early August to give the flowering plants
space to flower as they would have after
a burn in the natural veld. Herbaceous
plants do not flower in long grass,
especially when it becomes moribund,
as they do not waste their energy in
producing colourful flowers unless these
can be seen by bees, butterflies and other
insects that serve as their pollinators.
Taller perennials and shrubs that produce
flowers above the level of the fully grown
grasses will usually bloom into autumn,
as these are visible to their pollinators.
This grassland garden attracts many
insects including a variety of butterflies,
honeybees, carpenter bees and bird
species... particularly, seed eaters.
The mounding comprised topsoil with
some sub-soil, enriched with top of the
range compost and vermicast. Large
rocks were carefully positioned to add
to the natural feel, and help to increase
the height and breadth of the mounding.
Rocks also provide micro-climates in the
form of shelter and capturing water for
the needs of certain plants.
The large trees were supplied by Just
Trees, the well-known wholesale nursery
in the vicinity of Paarl. Lockwood
commented that he chose to use these
trees for a number of reasons, even
though the nursery was far afield. Firstly,
because they were all container grown
from the outset and their survival rate
was, as a result, excellent. He said that
the quality control of the Just Trees team
was meticulous; that they would not
release a tree from the nursery if it was
not in very good condition or if it was
not ready to be planted out. Lockwood
added that the appropriate soil medium
in which the trees were grown was of
great importance as it did not break up
when the tree was being transported or
craned into a property or lifted by back-
actor. He emphasised that the trees were
also cost-effective even with long distance
transport expenses.
Wentzel commented that the client
wanted grassland plants that would
attract wildlife but were also aesthetically
pleasing. Another consideration was
AFRICAN DESIGN MAGAZINE © | AUGUST 2018
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