Posts Tagged ‘green’

AFRO-CONTEMPORARY GALLERY

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

 

 

The trend-setting experts at Kingfisher Landscaping were approached to provide a breath of fresh air to this existing garden, which was originally installed by our professional team.  The clients’ brief to the resourceful landscaping designer was to add a couple of new features and spice it up a bit.  They also wanted to create more privacy in certain areas of their garden. 

 

Kingfisher Landscaping incorporated clean, straight lines into the hard and soft scaping elements, and added stylish art and décor pieces to the overall garden design.  We started this project by cleaning up the areas that needed to be revamped and then proceeded to construct raised, angular planting areas.  Each of these beds differs in height, which creates interesting levels.  Combined with the various textures – interesting plant palette, pebbles, screed blocks and sleepers – our innovative designer created an aesthetically pleasing exterior work of art.

 

We cast concrete screed blocks on site, which act as stepping stones and lead the garden ambler through this fascinating outdoor gallery.  Black pebbles were strewn around the steppers, to fill the area and add contrasting texture. 

 

This fascinating garden was specifically designed to incorporate and exhibit the clients’ impressive anthology of African art.  We also added a few artistic items – dogon ladders, a dogon bench, and authentic mill stones – to complement the client’s collection.  Our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco, manufactured wooden feature poles, as well as, solid mild steel screens and gorgeous trellis screens, which were finished in a rust effect.  The magnificent sculptures were brought to their full glory, by placing them on mild steel Cubedec pedestals – courtesy of Badec Bros Deco – which were also finished in a rust effect, to match the organic theme of the garden.

 

                                                                                                                                                           Where the boundary walls were not sufficient in providing privacy to certain parts of the garden, we brought in customized, mild steel screens.  These screens were placed in an overlapping manner, which creates privacy and adds to the artistic theme of the garden.  The same effect was achieved by grouping together wooden feature poles in another part of the garden, which was too exposed to the clients’ liking.

 

We used a limited amount of plant species in our palette, but chose these plants for their interesting textures.  Bromeliads (aechmea fasciata), desert spoons (dasylirion wheeleri), aloes “hedgehog”, bitter aloes (aloe ferox), carex green sedges, mother-in-law’s-tongues (sansevierias laurentii), candelabrum (euphorbia ingens) were all planted strategically around the garden.  The home owners also posses a lovely collection of cycads, which were moved and re-planted in order to best exhibit their beauty.

The aloes “hedgehog” were planted in neat rows in one rectangular raised bed, which was covered with rough sand to augment the use of texture.  The spiky desert spoons and plump candelabrum were planted against the boundary walls to soften the area.  Another angular planter was planted with lush mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus), whilst yet another elevated planter was decorated with authentic mill stones and planted with dainty daisy lawn (phyla nodiflora).

The end-result is a beautifully renovated garden, which perfectly displays the individual art pieces and complements the attractive home, which it so effortlessly envelops.

 Whether it is landscaping, installations of Koi ponds, water features, wooden decking, garden illumination, swimming pools, irrigation or the inclusion of mosaics and garden décor in the garden – Kingfisher Landscaping will always define your exterior lifestyle in a stylish fashion.  For more information, visit the company’s detailed website.

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.

Linda Poultney ®

 

 

 

CONTEMPORARY CREATIONS

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

The superlative landscaping experts from Kingfisher Landscaping created this phenomenal garden, reflecting a contemporary minimalist style. At the front door of this beautiful home, the landscapers constructed a unique water feature by placing three steel tubes into a square concrete basin. This feature was strategically built in a circle of lush, green jaburans, which create an interesting contrast against the clean look the rest of the garden displays. Three Mosaic circles placed against the wall perfectly complement the silver colour of the steel tubes, and playfully reflect the natural light. In the front garden, the experts from Badec Bros Mosaic created the phenomenal mosaic mural. The circular mirrors in this work of art reflect the circular shapes of the three mosaic features that are placed against the front door, as well as the steel tubes of the water feature. Two beautiful, well-established aloe bainesii were planted as feature plants to flank the mosaic mural. The circle of jaburans was hemmed in by a double cobble line, filled with arrabella rock, creating an interesting effect.

The Kingfisher team went on to construct a seligna wooden deck around the swimming pool, and laid down a matching footpath consisting of seligna stepping blocks leading towards the Koi pond. Four feature walls were built at the bottom of the deck and painted in a bright red to act as a distinctive water feature. Luxuriant bamboo was planted behind these walls to create a soft and contrasting backdrop. Cobbles and gabion baskets filled with arrabella rock were used to create neat borders and provide the garden with interesting lines. The experts planted plump grey rock roses next to the path leading towards the Koi pond to add some appealing texture to this exquisite garden.

The walkway, layered with seligna stepping blocks and over-shadowed by bright red steel hoops, leads one from the pool area to the Koi pond and the rest of the garden. In the background, the team constructed two more feature walls and tiled them with red mosaics. This feature mirrors the bright red walls of the water feature at the swimming pool.

In the foreground, the Kingfisher landscaping experts created a large, circular dry bed that perfectly complements the abstract theme this garden holds. Tiling the boundary wall with mirror mosaic tiles, this look fashions a strong contrast to the plump, prickly succulents such as the euphorbias, golden barrels and aloes planted in the dry bed. In the background, a triangular Koi pond was built and tiled with mirror mosaic tiles, falling in sync with the overall theme of the garden, and above the pond the team constructed an interestingly shaped wooden deck as a relaxing seating area.

Whether it is landscaping, installations of Koi ponds, water features, wooden decking, garden illumination, swimming pools, irrigation or the inclusion of mosaics in the garden – Kingfisher Landscaping will always define your exterior lifestyle in a stylish fashion.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFRO-CONTEMPORARY GALLERY

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trend-setting experts at Kingfisher Landscaping were approached to provide a breath of fresh air to this existing garden, which was originally installed by our professional team.  The clients’ brief to the resourceful landscaping designer was to add a couple of new features and spice it up a bit.  They also wanted to create more privacy in certain areas of their garden.  

Kingfisher Landscaping incorporated clean, straight lines into the hard and soft scaping elements, and added stylish art and décor pieces to the overall garden design.  We started this project by cleaning up the areas that needed to be revamped and then proceeded to construct raised, angular planting areas.  Each of these beds differs in height, which creates interesting levels.  Combined with the various textures – interesting plant palette, pebbles, screed blocks and sleepers – our innovative designer created an aesthetically pleasing exterior work of art. 

We cast concrete screed blocks on site, which act as stepping stones and lead the garden ambler through this fascinating outdoor gallery.  Black pebbles were strewn around the steppers, to fill the area and add contrasting texture.  

This fascinating garden was specifically designed to incorporate and exhibit the clients’ impressive anthology of African art.  We also added a few artistic items – dogon ladders, a dogon bench, and authentic mill stones – to complement the client’s collection.  Our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco, manufactured wooden feature poles, as well as, solid mild steel screens and gorgeous trellis screens, which were finished in a rust effect.  The magnificent sculptures were brought to their full glory, by placing them on mild steel Cubedec pedestals – courtesy of Badec Bros Deco – which were also finished in a rust effect, to match the organic theme of the garden. 

Where the boundary walls were not sufficient in providing privacy to certain parts of the garden, we brought in customized, mild steel screens.  These screens were placed in an overlapping manner, which creates privacy and adds to the artistic theme of the garden.  The same effect was achieved by grouping together wooden feature poles in another part of the garden, which was too exposed to the clients’ liking. 

We used a limited amount of plant species in our palette, but chose these plants for their interesting textures.  Bromeliads (aechmea fasciata), desert spoons (dasylirion wheeleri), aloes “hedgehog”, bitter aloes (aloe ferox), carex green sedges, mother-in-law’s-tongues (sansevierias laurentii), candelabrum (euphorbia ingens) were all planted strategically around the garden.  The home owners also posses a lovely collection of cycads, which were moved and re-planted in order to best exhibit their beauty. 

The aloes “hedgehog” were planted in neat rows in one rectangular raised bed, which was covered with rough sand to augment the use of texture.  The spiky desert spoons and plump candelabrum were planted against the boundary walls to soften the area.  Another angular planter was planted with lush mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus), whilst yet another elevated planter was decorated with authentic mill stones and planted with dainty daisy lawn (phyla nodiflora).

The end-result is a beautifully renovated garden, which perfectly displays the individual art pieces and complements the attractive home, which it so effortlessly envelops.

Whether it is landscaping, installations of Koi ponds, water features, wooden decking, garden illumination, swimming pools, irrigation or the inclusion of mosaics and garden décor in the garden – Kingfisher Landscaping will always define your exterior lifestyle in a stylish fashion. 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

USING PLANTS AS A SECURITY MEASURE

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

The use of hedges in your garden has numerous advantages.  They can be used to create privacy in your garden; as dividers to create different areas in your garden; to muffle noise and act as a windbreak; to create mazes; to attract birds and butterflies to your garden; to hide ugly walls; to improve your security around your home and garden; and to act as a green background for other plants in your garden.  Hedge plants are relatively cheap and low-maintenance.

The maintenance required once you have planted your hedge plants, involves pruning when the plants are still small.  This will encourage the plant to grow dense.  You also need to pinch the tips, while the plants are still actively growing to promote the growth of side shoots.

If you want to plant a hedge for security – along your border walls – you can use a paper flower bougainvillea (bougainvillea glabra), num-num (carissa bispinosa) or natal plum (carissa macrocarpa).

Other plants that can be used as security measures include aloes, cacti, agaves, and any other plant that has thorns.

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.

Ultimately the design and type of plants selected depend on the architectural style of the home and the home owners’ preferences.

LAWN CARE IN SPRING

Monday, September 21st, 2009

Spring time is a good time to prepare your lawn for summer. Mowing, watering and feeding are all important aspects to lawn care during spring. Your lawn has probably started turning green again, after being dormant during winter.

You can mow your lawn at a height of between 2cm and 2½cm. You should mow your lawn once a week to stimulate blade growth. After the first mow of the season, you should feed your lawn. Lawn dressing or organic compost is ideal lawn food. Cover your entire lawn with either lawn dressing or organic compost, and make sure to water the lawn properly afterwards, to ensure that the compost goes down all the way to the roots and soil.

Lastly, you should water your lawn two to three times a week. Do not water it more often than that, as the lawn is likely to rot or attract weeds and diseases. Irrigation is the best option for watering your lawn, and the rest of your garden. Irrigation saves water and time.

Kingfisher Landscaping has been installing state of the art irrigation systems for many satisfied customers over the years. An irrigation system takes away the need to water your garden the old fashioned way with a hosepipe and sprinkler, which is time consuming and wastes water. It is a much more convenient and effective approach to ensure your garden stays alive and healthy.

You can choose between a manual or computerized system. The former being less expensive, with the latter being automatic and, therefore more convenient. Our irrigation specialists can install a watering system which would perfectly suit the spread of your garden, as well as, the varying water requirements of all the plants in your garden. Kingfisher Landscaping will take into account the amount of watering stations you would need on your irrigation system. Each station will cover a specific area in your overall garden layout. Should you prefer a computerized system, our irrigation experts can set the times of your watering according to the length of the watering period, as well as, the intervals between watering, depending on the water requirements of the plants in any specific area. This feature gives you peace of mind that your garden will be watered often enough, while you are away on holiday.

With a manual system, you will need to operate the system by hand. It is still, however, much more effective than watering your garden with a hosepipe and sprinkler, which needs to be moved continuously. Furthermore, you can choose between rotary and pop-up sprinklers. Pop-up sprinklers are the better choice, as they are concealed in your lawn or plant beds, and only “pop up”, when the watering period commences. Both types of sprinklers can be set to cover only a specific area, preventing water being wasted by having a sprinkler spray against a wall or onto a paved area. This element adds to the water saving benefit of an irrigation system.

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.

ROCK ROSES AS POT PLANTS

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

Rock Roses (echeveria elegans), also known as Mexican Roses are perfect feature plants to decorate our unique Cubedec pots, manufactured by our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco. 

These plump, grey succulents are usually planted as ground covers, but contrast beautifully with the mild steel pots.  They are perennial and flourish both outdoors and indoors.  The leaves are grey to green in colour and overlap one another.  Mexican Roses have pink, yellow and red flowers during spring and autumn.

Pot – or container – gardening is a very low-maintenance way of creating a garden and is also ideal for small areas.  Another advantage to pot gardening is that you can bring the outdoors indoors.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  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.

 

 

 

JAPANESE GARDENS

Monday, July 20th, 2009

A Japanese garden is probably the most therapeutic garden.  With its evergreen plants, tranquil water features and elegant, flowing lines, the Japanese garden quickly eases your mood and relaxes your mind, soul and body.

Plants typically used in Japanese gardens consist of perennial plants.  This means that your garden will be green all year round and that you will not need to remove any plants every year.  Should you want to add splashes of colour to your Japanese garden, you can allocate a small area to seasonal colour.

Japanese gardens are timeless and will always be an attractive attribute to complement your home.  Small gardens or courtyards are also suitable for Japanese gardens. 

Hard landscaping features, such as oriental sculptures, stone lanterns, water features with an eastern theme, trellises, wooden decking, cobble lines, paths created with stepping stones, water basins, cement screed blocks, feature walls, garden benches and other exterior décor will decorate your garden and requires no water.  Different textures will add dimension to the garden lay-out.

Our in-house décor company, Badec Bros Deco, can manufacture any type of trendy exterior décor that your heart desires.  Badec Bros Wooden Decking, our in-house wooden decking company, is a highly professional and qualified company, fit to install your wooden decking in a variety of wood types with a range of stylish finishes.

Another typical Japanese garden feature is the shishi odoshi – which looks like a bamboo shaduf.  Water runs into one end of a horizontal bamboo rod (which is attached to two vertical bamboo rods) and eventually causes the horizontal bamboo to drop to the opposite side.  Once it has run empty it pivots back to its original position onto a flat stone, which emits a striking sound.  The cycle repeats continuously.  Traditionally this device was used to scare of browsing and grazing animals, to protect the plants in the garden.  Nowadays it is used to create a soothing rhythm in your garden.

Plants and trees in a Japanese garden are characteristically trimmed into neat shapes.  Beautifully manipulated bonsai can form stunning focal points in your Japanese gardens.

Ultimately, the garden design of a Japanese garden should harmonize with the architectural style of the home and with the tastes of the home owner.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  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.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

Wednesday, June 10th, 2009

There plenty of things that a landscape designer has to look out for when called in to design the exterior grounds of a home. All too frequently the family needs certain things to be included in a landscaped garden, and the landscape designer has to take these into account, whether the finished item includes them or not. Firstly, the design of the surrounds to a house, whether at the rear or at the front, must take into consideration the shape, colour and style of the house. For example a mock Tudor residence may call for the traditional English garden, with colourful beds laden with flowers, a water feature and spacious green lawns. On the other hand an ultra modern residence may call for a well-sculptured garden, with walkways and ornamental features.

Before hiring a landscape designer you must understand the costs involved. Landscaping is a pretty expensive project. Flowers and hardware have to be purchased, labourers must be paid, and the landscape designer must be paid. None of this is cheap. He must also take into account the homeowner’s needs. For example, if there are young children in the home, it might call for a play area with a jungle gym to be included. The finished garden should be original and have an air of tranquillity. It should not be a copy of the house next door. Anyone can do that. If you would like to have a chat with one of our landscapers, please contact us – we will be happy to accommodate you.

The landscaping experts at Kingfisher Landscaping design and implement exceptional and beautiful gardens in a professional manner.  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.

 

 

MODERN GARDEN DESIGN

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

 

 

Our designing principles

Our designing principles

For the past few years South African interior decorating, fashions and lifestyles have changed dramatically. With the advent of the internet and the growth of the global village people from all over the world are learning from each other and it isn’t strange to see a Balinese garden in the middle of a Johannesburg suburb. Trends for gardens from all over the world have also changed and many people want a modern garden design when they are renovating their gardens.

One of the buzzwords, and also a very important lifestyle change many people have embraced is that of being ‘green’. The world is in grave danger if people don’t change their lifestyle to take the planet into account. One such way you can incorporate this into your lifestyle and in your modern garden design is by having an indigenous garden. By planting indigenous plants you contribute to the planet by reducing your water consumption as plants endemic to South Africa uses less water to flourish.

But going ‘green’ doesn’t mean you have to have a boring garden. Fusion is another buzzword that can bring about great designs to the man on the street. You can have a minimalist garden with a water feature while still only having indigenous plants.

At Kingfisher Landscaping (Badec Bros Landscaping) we will help you to bring all your designs to life, while still caring for the environment. Our team of experts will help you to design a garden that suits your lifestyle. Our services also include installing irrigation systems that are environmentally friendly. One of the most environmentally friendly methods of irrigation is drip irrigation. Through this you don’t waste any water as it goes straight into the soil.

For more information about your perfect modern garden design, contact us today and see how you can have a trendy garden while being environmentally conscious, contact us today.

SUCCULENTS

Monday, March 23rd, 2009

Succulent plants are excellent for using in landscape design.  They are water saving plants, because they retain water in their leaves, stems and roots.  This means that they require very little watering and are, therefore drought resistant.

Water retention gives succulents their fleshy appearance, hence the name succulents.  Fat plants retain water because they are compact and have either waxy, hairy or spiny exteriors which reduce water loss and the stems of these plants comprise the main site for photosynthesis.  The leaves on these plants are either reduced, spherical, cylindrical or completely absent.  This also contributes to their water wise qualities.

Succulents have very varied and interesting shapes and sizes, making them ideal decorative plants.  A dry bed, planted with succulents, create a bold and interesting focal point in any garden.

Aloes, cacti, and agaves are all succulent plants.  Kingfisher Landscaping frequently uses variegated tulbaghia (tulbaghia violacea), fox tail agave (agave attenuata), tree aloe (aloe barberae “bainesii”), Cape aloe (aloe ferox), mountain aloe (aloe marlothii), golden barrel cactus (echinocactus grusonii), rubber bush / finger plant (euphorbia tirucalli), halfmens (pachypodium namaquanum), and stalked bulbines (bulbine frutescens).

Succulents stay green through the whole year and many flower during the winter months, which means they add a splash of colour to your garden during winter.  These are also very low-maintenance plants.