Reader garden A low-maintenance haven surrounded by fynbos

Armed with a surplus of natural stones from their surroundings, fynbos and succulents, the Rimells have developed a lovely low-maintenance garden.

When Simon and Toni Rimell started their garden 15 years ago, the land was overrun with invasive plants such as Port Jackson willows and blue gums.

“High Riding Estate was a new development. We had to build our house and develop the garden from scratch. We got a bulldozer to clear the land and built the first section of the house; it was all we could afford at the time,” says Simon. “Then we planted the garden in stages, starting closest to the house and moving outwards.”

The Rimells had no master plan, they simply tackled the garden one section at a time. “We figured it would be more manageable if we had big areas designated for certain things, so we made an area for olives, another one for succulents and one for lawn. We also built raised vegetable beds.

“We used hosepipes to lay out paths and then lined them with rocks or logs we found on the property. That helped us to decide where the beds should be,” Simon explains. “We tried to use blocks of the same kind of plants, such as a large group of agapanthus, as this had more impact. It made us feel like that spot was full!

“A few focal points also helped to divide the garden into different areas. We bought some old sleepers from a neighbour and stood them upright to form a stunning wall; the main succulent garden is behind them. We put a gate in the middle of the garden – we discovered it hiding at the back of a nursery in Hout Bay and Toni talked the owner into selling it to us. Although it’s rusty and falling apart, it’s awesome. It invites you to step through to another area of the garden. All these features helped the ordinary become extraordinary.” >>

Aeonium arboreum The Aeonium arboreum (below, in the foreground) is one of more than 50 plants that Simon has propagated from a cutting he took many years ago off a plant in the church gardens where his brother-inlaw was getting married. The sleeper wall (below left) was created after an inspirational visit to the Elgin Open Gardens.