Indigenous Beauties - Rhagoda (Salt Bush)

Rhagoda histata

Salt Bush

I have to say I'm a sucker for grey foliage. I love the beautiful contrasts that it creates with most colours. It's a lot like a bridesmaid at a wedding - it's function is to show the main colours around it, at their best.

Rhagoda is that kind of selfless plant. It's common name is Salt bush, because it grows so well in salty coastal conditions.
It's foliage looks so soft and velvety that it makes you want to take a nap amongst its leaves, but it releases an unpleasant fishy smell when you brush your hand over it.

It has been largely ignored by most people, but is quite a rewarding plant. It grows best in full sun and in well-draining soil. It is fast growing, and will reach about 1m high.
It can be trimmed into a slightly unkempt low hedge, and should be done regularly to keep it neat.

How much does landscaping cost?

One of the most important elements in landscape design...is budget.

When I meet with clients in the initial stages of planning a garden to discuss their desires for the garden, they will often have a good idea of what plants they really don't like, what views they would like to improve on or hide, and what they hope to do with their new garden.

But very seldom do they seem to have a 'conscious' idea of what their budget for their dream garden would be.

I've used the word conscious, because I believe most people really do have a pretty good idea of what they can spend on the project.

But very often people only realise what their budget is, after hours of planning and designing have gone into a concept that may or may not be achievable with the available funds. This means that it is probably necessary to go back to the drawing board, quite literally in order to come up with a new design that suits the financial constraints.

When I ask for a budget, the answer is usually: "I have no idea how much landscaping costs, how much should I spend?" As a rough guide, for new houses and gardens, you should be setting aside 5-10% of your building costs for landscaping. This seems like a lot of money at first, but when you consider that when a garden is appropriate, and beautiful, it can add about 20% to the value of your home.

On the other side of the coin, what most people don't realise is that designing and building gardens can be one of the most variable costing exercises in any profession. That's not to say that you can't be exact. Its just that you can have a beautiful garden on almost any budget.

I know that sometimes, people are also reluctant to let on how much they can spend in case they are over-charged, but when you consider that designing is a time-based exercise, its best to give good clear guidelines (budgetary, aesthetic and practical) to keep the time and therefore costs down.

Obviously, when you reduce the budget there will always be some trade-offs though. The aspects of a garden that generally-speaking either cost more or have less room for negotiation are things like:

1. Instant gardens - the more mature a plant is, the more it costs.
   
2. Hard materials like paving, and edging have fixed costs that can't be negotiated unless buying in quantity.
3. Features, such as walls, structures, fountains, statues etc. often have fairly standard associated costs.
4. Specialist advice or consultation can be quite costly too.

A good design hinges on good information. In order to plan, and estimate correctly, you need to have as much information as possible. Try to collect pictures from books or magazines of gardens or designs that you enjoy. Look for gardens around your neighbourhood that you appreciate. All of this information will help to speed up the design process, and prevent mis-communication.

The truth is though, that most often, you'll find that any designer or landscaper with a good reputation sees what they do as an expression of art. They are often less concerned about money than they are about creating something that can be both enjoyed and admired.

More of my thoughts on budgets here...

The Corner Cafe Hearts Street Trees

This tree gets a new heart despite its decayed heartwood

Durban is quite well known for its abundant well established street trees. The Flamboyant (By name and description) creates an incredible display in Summer with its masses of red flowers. Its flowers take over from where the more serene purple blooms of the Jacaranda end. At the moment the Tabebuia are blooming in splashes of pink and yellow that seem to fall to the floor around the trees like a matching carpet. Other trees that stand out are Tibouchina and Spathodea, while the ever green Trichelia (Essenwoods/Natal Mahogany) and the canopy-forming Albizia (Flatcrown) are some of the few indigenous trees used to line our streets.

Unfortunately, some of these trees that were planted about half a century ago, are starting to reach the end of their lives. There have been a few cases lately of cars being flattened by their huge branches, as the heartwood has rotted away, or white ants have taken what strength is left in their limbs.

So it warmed my cockles to see a tree that had been recently felled because its core had decayed, being given new life by The Corner Cafe. A huge big heart was sculpted out of one of its now well shortened branches by the members of the Tree Amigos - a tree felling company from Durban.

Overheard: GOD and St. Francis talking about our lawns

My Sister-in-law sent this to me today. If you were wondering what God thinks of our gardens and lawns, read on...

GOD: St. Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the World is going on down there on Earth? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honeybees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers weeds and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it, sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, sir -- just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back On the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a Sheer stoke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.

ST. FRANCIS: You'd better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: Nooo. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the Winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy Something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about.............

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.

Silent Green Vandalism

A friend of mine once joked that if there were ever a nuclear explosion in South Africa, the only things that would survive would be the cockroaches and Natal Figs (Ficus natalensis).

In the right place, these beautiful trees can be the crowning glory in a garden. Birds and bats love their fruit, insects love their flowers, and a host of creatures use them as homes and hiding places. They grow easily from seeds or cuttings, and will reach a height and circumference of ±20m if they are in the right place.

They can also be a nightmare if they are left to grow in the wrong place. I have seen countless broken walls that have had a small Natal Fig left to grow in a tiny crack. The leaves and stem are often hacked back, but the roots are incessant. Before you know it they have expanded and done irreparable damage. The roots can often be found at a distance of 2-3 times the radius of the canopy, looking for water. So they should never be planted anywhere near pools or drains.

Because of their amazing roots, they are also commonly known as strangler figs. They are often found growing out of a tiny reservoir of decaying leaves in hollows of other trees, but the roots soon find their way down to the ground, and within a short space of time, they begin to surround and smother their supporting tree. Its actually a very effective way of dealing with unwanted alien trees. (Provided you have the space for a large Fig in its place.)

If you do find a little green vandal growing where it shouldn't be, try to pull the plant out by the roots (if its still young), or cut it back and apply a mixture of diesel and garlon to the cut piece. If you do manage to pull it out, they make great-looking fast-growing bonsai that are easy to look after.

Are things Black & White, or Shades Of Green?

As I said in a previous post I was admiring how green the grass on the artificial side is. But according to a book that I picked up today - Shades of green by Paul Waddington, in his chapter on grass, he says about artificial grass:

...it will need replacing after as little as fifteen years; it's made from fossil-fuel-derived products and it performs none of the CO2 absorption, water purification, pollution absorption or wildlife habitat services that a real lawn will provide. Won't smell nice, either. So artificial grass's status as a big sheet of dead stuff in the middle of your garden condemns it to the least green spot.

His assessment of the 'greenness' of grass was that a Wildflower meadow would be regarded as Deep Green, while a home grown, infrequently mown, unwatered lawn would be Dark Green.
If you're striving for a perfect lawn, you would be considered pale green.

The book had an interesting perspective - looking at the topic of how green various things are; from cars to bananas to the internet.
It was written in a light humorous way, but I wasn't sure how factual all his assessments were. I also thought having a chapter explaining which drugs were and were not green friendly was a little irresponsible.

There were a couple of surprises though. Apparently, green-blogging is an oxymoron? The use of the internet left a quite large carbon footprint, especially compared to TV or newspapers.

It did leave me thinking that awareness and balance, are most important. I may never be a 'dark greeny', but then maybe that's not so bad?

Green Spaces - D'MOSS

I've been working across the road from a reserve called Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve. Its a little breath of fresh air (literally) in the middle of the Berea (a suburb of Durban). Its part of a bigger picture of parks, open spaces, recreational areas and green corridors.

These all link together to create an environment that helps to preserve the city's ecological diversity, by creating corridors through which plants and animals can move through the city. It also helps keep our surroundings beautiful and green.

The planning of the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D'MOSS) began as far back as 1979, and has developed and transformed through quite significant political, social, economic and environmental changes in this country.
It has come under significant pressure in a country where housing, land ownership and land use is quite a strongly debated issue. But its value can't be underestimated - the savings to the city are conservatively estimated at about R2.24 billion (294 million USD). This is apart from the role that D'MOSS plays in providing clean air, fresh water, protected soil cover, protection from exposure to light, noise, heat, and flood attenuation.

It was quite a forward-thinking project when it was initiated, but I think the true positive effects of it will really only be fully appreciated decades from now.