Summer patios are made in winter (In Johannesburg that is!)

No one can dispute that the best thing about living in Joburg is the weather. During this time of semi-migration to Cape Town, I believe it’s the main reason many of us choose to stay here. As they say in Turkey, “Lemonade weather” — the kind we enjoy during our summer months and look forward to on chilly winter mornings like today.

We’re working furiously to complete our backyard restoration and landscaping project in time for those lazy lemonade afternoons! Even the ancient cycads we planted a year ago — which, to the untrained eye, seemed dead just a few days ago — have received the memo and are now showing signs of life.

Layers of work go into a project like this. First, we had to clear the entire plot. My client called in the cavalry to remove all the overgrown garden, leaving us with a clean slate — albeit a very desolate one at first — to assess the extent of decay and the lay of the land.

I didn’t want to reinvent the entire garden but rather to see where the original footprint was and build from there. We proceeded to restore all the original retaining walls and steps. We also reclaimed what appeared to be a garbage dumping ground, turning it into an entertainment area complete with a water feature, viewing deck, and a beautiful breeze block wall to hide the water tanks.

The solar panel pillars were cladded in stone to match the original stonework around the garden. Vegetable boxes scattered across the lower levels are patiently waiting for the first harvest of beautiful produce.

We planted a few indigenous trees to replace the alien species we removed: a Coral tree (Erythrina lysistemon) in one corner, a Kirkia wilmsii (mountain syringa) in another, and an Acacia abyssinica in the middle. In honour of our client’s European roots, a row of olive trees now stands below rows of lavender.

For now, we’ll continue pruning, weeding, and tidying up while we wait for spring — the perfect time to plant grass and enjoy those first sundowners overlooking the Joburg skyline.

Warmly,

Lisa
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