78 SEPTEMBER 2019 | gardenandhome.co.za
roses scattered about. With children and dogs, it was the kind
of garden that suited us,” recalls Manuela.
Having always admired Shirley’s work, Manuela was thrilled
when she responded promptly to her call. Their brief to
Shirley was to honour the many trees, like the huge paperbark
thorn tree (Vachellia sieberiana) that Manuela and Fred had
fallen in love with when they bought the house.
Only one tree had to be sacrificed, a massive acer in the
centre of the lawn where the rose garden is now. Its removal,
however, opened up the whole garden, and Shirley was able
to capitalise on that in her design by opening sight lines right
down to the boundary.
THISPAGE,FROMTOPTOBOTTOM: Aviewacrosstherose
gardenrevealsaprofusionofrosesincluding‘TawnyProfusion’,
‘GardenandHome’,‘SouthAfrica’,‘LaRochelle’,‘GlamisCastle’
and‘LynKeppler’. Mass plantings of alstroemeria and
heliotrope combine to great effect in the tropical garden.Wavy beds were straightened and bordered with clipped
hedges, giving a sense of structure and cohesion. “I still have
to get used to the hedges,” admits Manuela, “but they make
sense and I like the feeling of organisation.”
While it appears that you can see the whole garden from
the house, that’s not actually so. Shirley has created five or
six different garden ‘rooms’, interlocking spaces that are
just glimpsed from the patio and invite further exploration.
Pathways lead through the garden around and behind banks
of shrubs that act as screens. There is always a surprise around
the corner.
Many of the existing plants were reused. To the right of
the house, the original tropical greenery has been retained
and reorganised to resemble a mini rainforest. Towering
strelitzias, yuccas and philodendrons also provide a green
backdrop for a long perennial border that faces the lawn.