Reader garden
Indigenous plants and a limited colour scheme define this well-planned garden.
Trish Guilhermino refrained from changing her garden until she’d done some careful planning. “The first year after we moved in, I spent hours – at different times of the day – in the garden observing the movement of the sun and the shadows during the different seasons and which plants were thriving or struggling.”
She did rough sketches, using the house plans and Google Earth to get an idea of the unusual shape of the property. And then she started clearing. “I removed the plants that were dotted all over the lawn, two long hedges in the middle of nowhere and about a dozen Tibouchinas. The plants that were removed were shredded and turned into compost and mulch,” she says. The next step was to create garden rooms leading from one to the other.
Since the soil in large parts of the garden was extremely poor, Trish incorporated loads of compost; in some areas the compost was mixed with river sand to improve drainage. She also started planting trees to create privacy and a habitat for birds. Now she loves watching the wildlife in the treetops from her entertainment area.
Form, texture, colour
“I actually had no budget for the garden. The money I did have went on labour costs and felling unwanted trees. I would ask for trees as birthday gifts and got cuttings of the plants I was looking for from friends. I was quite specific about what I wanted to plant.”
Trish says form, texture and colour determined her choices. “I limited my colour scheme in the different garden rooms as it is restful on the eye. It is very easy for a garden to look like a fruit salad.”
Trish prefers to work with indigenous plants that are endemic to her region.
“We are fortunate that there are so many indigenous plants that can be easily divided or used for taking cuttings. My garden is now at a point where I can give an abundance to others and share my plants with neighbours and friends.”
Yet she believes a garden is never done. “I started planting here nine years ago but as the trees grew, they created more shade so the understorey has had to change.”
Trish has in the meantime also adjusted her original plans and is now focusing on creating a food forest. >>
Working in the garden is so rewarding. During lockdown, I even started mowing the lawn – it’s great exercise! – Trish
I love watching the thin blades of grass swaying in a breeze, and the bounty of birds feasting on the seed and plucking the plumes for their nests. – Trish
Garden rooms
Trish has created nine garden rooms, each with a specific theme, a focal point and hidden pathways leading to the next room. She is ably assisted by Chimango Mphande to keep these rooms well maintained – they include a woodland garden designed to create privacy; an entrance garden with topiaries; the circular garden with a more formal layout, as well as a veggie patch ,a meadow and a food forest.
The meadow garden is one of Trish’s favourite rooms, with ornamental grasses and perennials that bloom at different times of the year. Her inspiration for this room comes from Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.
“I’m intrigued by the meadows he designs and love studying his plans – they’re a bit like a puzzle with patterns within patterns which I find very exciting,” she says.
Trish’s meadow consists predominantly of indigenous plants, mainly in blues and greys. “As Piet Oudolf says, if you want to create a meadow, best you become a fan of green and brown, as the grasses provide those two hues in abundance. Then limit the colours you select to go with them. I mainly planted perennials with an upright growth habit among the ornamental grasses, as the perennials have to compete with the grasses for light and attention, so they must be visible from a distance. Shrubs are not such a good choice as they take up too much space and don’t flower as prolifically as perennials.”
Trish’s plant choice ensures that there’s always something in bloom. Among her favourite dependable plants are agapanthus, blue stars (Aristea ecklonii), wild garlic (Tulbaghia violacea), lavender, fairy bell (Dierama pendulum) and a variety of salvias. In areas with more shade, she has planted yellow wild iris (Dietes bicolor). Favourite ornamental grasses in the meadow include Gongoni grass (Aristida junciformis), bristled-leaved red top grass (Melinis repens) and common rush (Juncus effusus). >>