COMPACT GARDEN

Potted specimens, elegantly framed views and bespoke art define this impeccably tended garden of rooms – and illustrates what’s possible when space is at a premium

An impeccably tended garden of rooms illustrates what is possible when space is limited

Tucked into a leafy, urban cul-de-sac, plantsman and landscape architect hank Lith has created an emerald oasis in the heart of newlands Village. spanning three strips of block paving, which wrap the sides and rear of hank’s gracious georgian home, the largely potted garden has evolved over time.

‘The formality of the architecture called for a complementary garden linked to the interior of the house,’ says hank. French doors and sash windows opened up opportunities for vista lines and focal points into the garden. By using high steel trellises to define areas, and regency-style, metal garden furniture designed by hank, just the right structural bones were laid. ‘The focus was on creating a garden with several rooms – all with a specific function and giving the illusion of space,’ says hank.

When it came to planting, the directive was for a cool, calm mood and evergreen background that held its own throughout the year. dicksonias, many other ferns, aspidistras and clivias were chosen for their architectural quality.

For colour, camellias, azaleas, brunfelsias, wisterias and rhaphiolepis were

selected for winter and spring flowers. Blue hydrangeas, perennial begonias, ‘Billy green’ and other fuchsias,

Scadoxus multiflorus ‘Katherinae’ and hippeastrums were planted for summer colour. For scent – an element hank feels is vital to any garden – brunfelsias and Murraya exotica’s have been strategically placed at doorways and seating areas, and brugmansias hang fragrant overhead.

The courtyard garden is low on maintenance and the plants require repotting only every few years. Being a shady garden, it doesn’t require much water, and the potted specimens allow for selective hand watering: clivias, begonias and ferns require little, hydrangeas more, but water does not get lost in a bed. ‘I find hand watering very relaxing and it gives me the time to examine the plants and pests, health and feeding needs,’ says hank.

above Homeowner Hank Lith’s travels has inspired the garden objet and sculpture collection, like the Italian water bowl and Kenyan artist Stanislaw Trzebinski’s Crouching Man OPPOSITE Page, CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP The architecture of the home is...