A practical plan with Vibracrete

Platteland reader Tobie Hanekom found the Vibracrete wall in his back garden in Blouberg an eyesore, but fortunately he is a landscape designer who has a plan (and the plants*) for every problem.

1 A GOOD SCRUB AND PAINT

The wall had been badly neglected and stained by iron-rich borehole water. Tobie raised the wall for more privacy and replaced broken panels. He then scrubbed it with a steel brush and gave it an undercoat, followed by two coats of deepgrey paint.

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DOUBLEPURPOSE RAISED BEDS Tobie has two large mountain tortoises that tend to cause damage to the garden. “What they don’t eat, they flatten as they move,” he says. He therefore built high plant beds that they can’t reach. The beds add extra dimension to the garden, and make for a pleasant area where Tobie can relax in the late afternoons and contemplate the day’s events. 3 A SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR CLIMBERS Although the wall has now been painted, Tobie eventually wants it covered with climbing plants. So he bought eye bolts and cable from a hardware store, fixed the bolts to the wall, then threaded the cable through them to create a diamond-patterned trellis for the climbers.

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BED PREPARATION

Tobie first tried to fill the beds with topsoil from the garden but soon realised he didn’t have nearly enough soil. He then ordered a large load of compost, which he worked into the garden soil. “Good compost makes a big difference. The plants grew really well and produced a lot of flowers in their first year.”

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THE RIGHT PLANTS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

“This wall receives full sun in summer and a lot of shade in winter,” Tobie says, “so I had to think carefully about the plants I could use here.” He has always had a soft spot for a cottage garden, but needed to choose plants that would thrive in the Cape’s climate. He settled on a mix of agapanthus, butterfly bush (Gaura), lavender, rosemary, white confetti bush, roses and star jasmine in front

(to cover the bed wall). He also planted bougainvilleas against the Vibracrete, which he is training to cover it.

It possible to improve an unsightly Vibacrete wall – you just need a plan and the right plants.