South African Garden and Home – September 2019

66 SEPTEMBER 2019 | gardenandhome.co.za

TEXT

NATALIE BORUVKA

PHOTOGRAPHS

KARL ROGERS

AND

SUPPLIED

O

riginally, the garden at the

back of Tone and Claire

Alexander’s holiday cottage

in Milkwood Park, Cape

A love affair with the south of France inspired this

charming courtyard makeover

Courtyard

BLISS

Town, was rather drab, comprising a

raised level area of lawn and a narrow

gravel path separated by a low, retaining

wall. “Despite its small proportions, we

were determined to turn it into a stylish

area that we could make better use of,”

they recall.

Tone, a landscaper for more than

20 years, drew inspiration from his

many trips to Europe, specifically

the south of France. He envisaged a

picturesque courtyard with a small

plunge pool and built-in seating beneath

a pergola. For privacy, the entire area

was excavated by half a metre to create a

sunken effect.

The pool was positioned centrally

so that it gets plenty of sun, and a

BEFORE