Appropriate drainage in a garden is of utmost importance; otherwise you will end up with muddy areas in your garden, rotting plants or even worse, damaged house and wall foundations.

Soil types, such as clay soil, will certainly cause drainage problems in your garden, as it tends to retain water.  A shallow water table on your property will also create drainage problems.  You can check for poor drainage on your property by looking out for wet patches or puddles of water on the ground.  

The first technique you can use to improve the drainage in your garden, entails removing the first 15cm of topsoil and replacing it with more soluble soil.

Another technique which can be used – and which is not as intensive – is to create different levels in your garden area.  You can either arrange a slightly sloped ground level in your garden, or you can shape your garden areas in such a way, as to create channels to carry the excess water away.

A third technique involves installing a French drain.  This entails creating a type of underground sieve, by digging a trench and filling it with loose debris, like excess building materials or pebbles.  This sieve should be covered by a strong steel grid and a layer of top soil of about 15cm thick.  The ideal place to create this sieve would be at the lowest part of the garden, where most of the water gathers.

You can also utilize a poorly drained area by having your landscaper design and create a large pond. 

Should you wish to have your very own Kingfisher garden, you can contact our office on (012) 460 7990 or send us an e-mail to edrich@badecbros.com and we will send one of our highly experienced and innovative landscaping designers out to create a unique garden design, tailored to your specific needs.  You will also be provided with a free, no-obligation quotation.

Our team of dedicated professionals has been designing and implementing exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner for the past 12 years.  We can also provide the home owner with any exterior decorative feature.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.

Linda Poultney ©

The black wattle tree is a dangerous alien invader.  It is an evergreen tree and can grow up to 30 meters in height.

These intruders were introduced into South Africa between 1858 and 1864.  it is not sure whether the first black wattle trees were planted in the Cape Town Botanical Gardens (1858) as decorative trees or in the present-day KwaZulu-Natal near Camperdown (1864) as commercial trees. 

Due to its high tannin content (around 30%), the black wattle was planted commercially to be used in tanning leather.  The wood was also used for firewood, building materials and as wood chips.

Unfortunately these exotic trees – native to South-East Australia – have started growing profusely outside commercial plantations, along water courses and roads.  They tend to grow in dense copses, especially after a fire has passed through the area.  Because these trees were planted outside of their natural habitat, they do not have to contend with their natural enemies, which control their numbers.  These trees steal water, nutrients and light from our indigenous plants and trees, and therefore replace our native flora.  Especially our fynbos areas are threatened by the black wattle.

The black wattle has been declared an invader plant throughout South Africa, except in areas where they are commercially planted.    These commercially planted trees should be monitored, however, and be prevented from spreading out of the plantations.

Black wattles reproduce by their seeds, which can remain dormant, yet fertile, for a period of 50 to 80 years.  These seeds do not germinate immediately, and can gather quite thickly under the trees.  Should a wild fire spread through the trees, all of the seeds will germinate simultaneously, which causes an even bigger problem.

These trees also re-sprout rather heartily, adding to the level of difficulty in getting rid of them.  Should you fell a wattle tree, you must ensure that you treat the stump with a herbicide, to prevent it from re-sprouting.  As these trees normally flourish along water courses, you need to ensure that you use a registered herbicide and definitely steer clear of diesel-based products, as this will contaminate the water course.

If the trees are still young – seedlings and saplings – you can pull them out by hand, when the soil is wet.  However, if there are very many of them, it is best to use chemical control measures, as extreme soil disturbance will also promote the germination of seeds.

The bottom line is that you should never plant a black wattle in your garden and you should do your share in terminating these plants responsibly to enhance the growth of our indigenous flora.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner and can provide the home owner with any exterior decorative feature.  We pride ourselves in providing our clients with excellent, efficient and comprehensive service.  We offer all the products and services associated with creating a peaceful, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor living space which will complement the style of your home and in which you can relax.