The Kingfisher Landscaping specialists created yet another striking indigenous garden, which flawlessly harmonizes with the pastoral theme of this contemporary farmstead.

 To enhance the eye-catching entrance to this charming home, we had our in-house steel décor factory, Badec Bros Deco, manufacture steel gabion columns, which we planted with syzigium trees.  Yellow abelias were planted around the columns to break the rigid aspect of the steel and the rock wall.  These plants will grow into a lush border.

The trough-like water feature makes one expect the resident cows on this exclusive estate to arrive for a drink of water at any moment.  Clean lines and layers were incorporated into the entire garden, to fuse with the style of the architecture.  Once again Kingfisher planted abelias in the bed against the boundary wall to fill out the bed with leafy splendour.  Syzigium multi-pops were used as feature plants.  Sizeable celtis africana and olea africana trees were planted to add height and a sense of establishment to the bottom of the garden, which overlooks a verdant maize field.

Badec Bros Deco produced curving steel arches for the area leading to the main garden.  Kingfisher built the brick columns into which the arches were fixed and planted jasmine creepers, which will transform these exposed bows into a blossoming passage fit for a fairy tale.  To add texture to this area, the Kingfisher Landscaping professionals planted a row of viburnums against the walls, with a row of abelias in front.  These two species of plants will grow into dense hedges and can be trimmed to one’s liking.  Stepping stones, interlinked with dwarf mondo grass, make for intricate ground cover.

Kingfisher Landscaping provides outstanding workmanship and expert implementation of landscaping design, irrigation, water feature design and wooden decking installation, as well as, garden illumination, trendy exterior steel dècor and striking mosaic and Koi ponds.

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.

Yet another magnificent garden was created by the imaginative experts of Kingfisher Landscaping; employing copious quantities of indigenous plants and an advanced landscaping philosophy.  The garden envelops this spectacular home and flawlessly complements the fashionable architectural style. 

Kingfisher Landscaping utilized the spacing of the established trees to position the generous plant beds, which we planted with flowering indigenous plants, such as jaburan grass (ophiopogon jaburan vittatus), wild garlic (tulbaghia violacea), bulbines (bulbine frutescens), mountain aloe (aloe marlothii) and strelitzia (strelitzia reginae).  The beds were then bordered with cobble edging and arabella rock (sandstone dump rock).  Substantial lawn areas among the plant beds enhance the available space on this property and invite one to take a relaxing amble through the garden.

As you enter the property, a winding driveway escourts you to a salient water feature, with three spouts protruding from a steel gabion wall; allowing the water to flow into a raised, square trough below.  Papyrus (cyperus papyrus), wild garlic (tulbaghia violacea) and bulbines (bulbine frutescens) swathes the water feature in feathery profusion. 

Along one border line, Kingfisher Landscaping planted cape aloes (aloe ferox) in a bed of arabella rock, with a wall of mountain aloes (aloe marlothii) behind it.  Textured layers of varigated grasses (ophiopogon jaburan variegata), evergold carex grass (carex oshimensis), and cape thatching reed (chondropetalum tectorum) form a pleasing backdrop to this eye-catching area. 

Raised circular planters were constructed next to the swimming pool and planted with tree aloes (aloe bainesii), which act as striking feature plants.  A flourishing bed of jaburan grass (ophiopogon jaburan vittatus) was planted around the planters, to soften the austere quality of the hard landscaping in this zone. 

The end result is a picturesque landscape which serves as a tranquil refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday city living. 

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.

By planting herbs, shrubs, creepers and trees in your garden that exude heady aromas – by means of essential oils – you will enhance the dimensionality of your garden.  Perfumed plants emanate aroma via their flowers, leaves, wood, bark or fruit.

Shrubs, such as lavenders, abelias, buddleias, azaleas and gardenias are perfect fragrant plants to incorporate into your overall garden layout. 

Fragrant creepers include star jasmine (jasminum multiflorum) and most other jasmine species, Rosa species, such as rambling roses, Wisteria species, and Chilean jasmine (mandevilla laxa).

The indigenous white gardenia (gardenia thunbergia) and September bells (rothmannia globosa) are perfect fragranced garden plants to add to your garden.

Indigenous trees, which radiate heady scents, include the monkey thorn (acacia galpinii), camel thorn (acacia erioloba), fever tree (acacia xanthoploea) and the sweet thorn (acacia karroo).

Most scented plants prefer direct sun in hot and dry weather, with good drainage.

Just keep in mind that you should try your utmost to select indigenous plants, and that you need to consider the toxicity of plants, if you have children or pets.

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.

The Working for Water programme – introduced through the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry – is a staunch fighter against alien invasive plants in South Africa.  It is estimated that around 10% of our country is covered with approximately 9000 species of alien invasive plants, which steal water, nutrients and sunlight from our native flora.

The Working for Water programme was initiated in 1995 and has since then cleared out more than a million hectares of alien invasive plants.  It works in conjunction with the Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, and Environmental Affairs and Tourism, as well as, local governments and communities.  Around 20 000 people are trained and provided with jobs every year, due to the Working for Water programme.

This programme uses four methods of clearing and controlling areas which have been invaded by alien plants, namely mechanical (felling, burning and removing), chemical (environmentally safe herbicides), biological (species-specific diseases and insects), and integrated methods, which combines all of the above.

You can do your share of working for water in your own garden, by planting only indigenous gardens and by employing environmentally friendly measures in dealing with pests and diseases on your plants. 

A water wise garden consists of plants that do not require a lot of watering.  These plants are normally indigenous plants, which can survive on rainfall and do not need additional watering.  Succulents are also very water wise plants and look beautiful when planted in masses. 

Hard landscaping features, such as sculptures, trellises, wooden decking, cobble lines, stepping stones, 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.

By reducing your lawn area, you will also save on water.  Mulching – layering bark chips, hay, pebbles or grass cuttings – will keep the soil around your plants moist for longer periods and therefore require less watering.

When you have a drip-irrigation system installed, you will also save water.  You can set your irrigation system to water the garden at certain times of the day, such as early morning, when the sun will not just evaporate all the water.

Even weeding regularly will make your garden water wise, as all these unnecessary plants also use a lot of water. 

By using organic fertilizers in your garden, you will be applying responsible measures to ensure that your plants are healthy and grow to their best potential.  You will also be contributing to the fight against soil and water table contamination. 

Organic fertilizers, for instance raise the nutrient content in your garden soil, which feeds your plants and assists the roots of your plants in getting optimal nutrition from the soil.  The three most important nutrients needed by your plants are phosphor, potassium and nitrogen.

Another advantage of using organic fertilizers is that it enhances your soil composition and improves water retention, which in turn does its part in combating drought.

By using organic pesticides in your garden, you will be applying responsible measures to ensure that garden animals, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians will not suffer poisoning. You will also not harm your pets and you will be contributing to the prevention of soil and water table contamination. 

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.

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.

The round-leaved teak is the second rare tree that was appointed by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.

The round-leaved teak is another gorgeous indigenous tree.  It can grow up to 10 meters in height and is deciduous, which means it looses it leaves during winter.  During spring and summer, the tree carries small, vivid yellow flowers, which are shaped like peas.  These perfumed blooms attract wasps and bees and the leaves are used by birds for constructing nests. 

These trees often grow together – forming arbour colonies – and occur in all the warmer climates of South Africa.  They naturally grow on rocky hills and in open bushveld.  The wood is used as firewood in some areas of the Limpopo province and it is used in bee farming, because the flowers are so rich in pollen and nectar.

The round-leaved teak provides lovely shade.  Combined with its beautiful appearance and its attractive qualities to birds and insects, the round-leaved teak is an ideal garden tree.

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.

The tree fuchsia (halleria lucida) has been appointed as one of the two rare trees of the year for 2009, by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.

This beautiful tree, with its lush, wide-spreading canopy has shiny, bright green leaves and is an indigenous evergreen tree.  Birds love to gather in this tree, so it will be ideal to plant in your garden, if you want to attract birds.  Insects also enjoy feasting on the flowers, which are very rich in nectar. 

It has elegantly drooping branches and normally has more than one stem.  Bright orange, red or yellow tube-shaped flowers – which grow on the stems and in clusters of leaves – bloom in summer and from early spring this decorative tree carries round black berries, which are clustered together.  The bark of the tree fuschia is a dull grey to brown in colour and has vertical grooves.

These trees occur naturally in coastal areas, near water and on stony mountains or hills.  The tree fuchsia can grow between 12 and 20 meters high in ideal conditions, and up to 5 meters in less favourable conditions, such as in exposed areas.  They require a lot of water.

Historically, the wood was used for tools, spear shafts and for the construction of wagon poles, as the wood is strong and hard.  Traditional medicinal uses included treatment of ear aches, by infusing the dried leaves in water. 

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.

The monkey thorn (acacia galpinii) has been appointed as one of the trees of the year for 2009, by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.

This fast growing tree – with its lush, light green foliage – can grow up to 36 meters in height and has a wide, spreading crown.  It is a deciduous tree, which means that it loses its leaves during winter.  During spring, this lovely tree carries light yellow flowers and maroon-coloured seed pods during late summer and autumn.  The monkey thorn is ideal for large gardens and can be planted in your lawn – or along the edges of your lawn – as it provides mottled shade, which will allow enough sunlight through to the grass blades.

This indigenous tree is quite hardy and can survive in hot and dry weather conditions, as well as, frost to some degree.  Saplings should be properly protected from frost, however.  It also attracts insects, such as bees and wasps, and will also provide shelter for birds in your garden.

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.

You should carefully consider the selection of plants for your garden, in order to ensure that you do not plant invasive alien plants. These are plants that are not indigenous to South Africa. They tend to grow faster than our indigenous plants and can easily take over. They also take up precious water, nutrients and light which is more needed by our native plants.

Many of us have invasive exotic plants in our gardens, such as lantana, pipe grass, cat’s claw creepers, privets (ligustrum robustum privet), water hyacinths and wattle, jacaranda, pine and seringa trees. Rather opt for indigenous plants in your garden.

Indigenous gardens are not only less expensive, water wise, hardy and proudly South African, but also very versatile. You have thousands of indigenous plants to choose from, which means you can design your garden in a variety of styles, ranging from tropical to bushveld. Another advantage to indigenous gardens is that you will attract birds, insects and animals to your garden; creating your very own ecosystem in your backyard. You will also be contributing to the preservation of our indigenous plants.

Typical indigenous plants that we use include tree aloes, cape aloes, marlothii aloes, honey suckle, clivias, agapanthus, arum lilies, bulbines, wild garlic, acacia trees, olive trees, white stinkwood trees, and indigenous grasses, such as three awn grasses, thatching grass, buffalo grass, broad-leaved turpentine grass, bristle grass, Natal red top grass, red grass and fountain grass.

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.

What do birds require to not only survive, but thrive?  Once you have determined that, you can start by providing for these needs and attracting birds to your garden.

Just like us, birds need food, water and shelter.

Different birds require different types of food, such as seeds, fruit or insects and also have various needs for shelter, depending on their habitat preferences.

You can start by setting up a bird feeding tray in your garden.  Make sure that you can view this bird restaurant from your favourite spot in the house or garden.  Ensure that the birds will be safe from your dogs or cats, while they are occupied with feeding.

Secondly, you can install a bird bath, which will both provide water to drink and to bath in.  It would be best to place the bird bath close to the feeding tray.

Finally, you can attract birds by planting indigenous plants in your garden.  Some birds, such as weavers, hadedas, and barbets love large trees.  Robin chats and thrushes love dense bushes.  And mousebirds, touracos (louries) and barbets love fruit-bearing trees.

Guarantee your feathered visitors’ safety, by keeping an eye on your cats and dogs.  If you can not train them to leave your guests alone, put the feeder and bird bath in a part of the garden where your pets can not reach.  It is also a good idea to put the feeder and bird bath in an area where the birds will have a good vantage point.  This will afford them with a chance to flee if Felix or Fido is on the prowl!

You should also make sure that you do not use any pest control that will be harmful to birds.  Stick to non-toxic and organic methods of pest control.  It is a much healthier option for your plants too!

Once you have followed all of these steps, you can sit back and await your first plumed friends.

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.