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.

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.

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.

Garden landscapers in the 21st Century have to be more than just garden builders and planters. People are demanding more and more from their landscapers. Requests such as installing a garden pond, a water feature or a water fountain are fast overtaking the more conventional garden makeovers. Today’s landscapers are now far more likely to be garden technicians, requiring skills and knowledge of irrigation products, pump flow rates, water lighting requirements, water fountains, effects of head of water, stream flow effects and much more. Top class garden landscape companies now have to be equipped with garden designers, builders, labourers, water garden technicians, horticulturalists, electricians, fencing contractors along with all the necessary garden machinery and garden supplies to turn your dreams into reality.

Garden landscaping is an art, a devotion to duty and care that goes far beyond sticking a few plants into the ground. Landscapers can work with nature’s resources of earth, water, light, wood, rock and stone, and this is what makes them a commodity unto themselves. They have to provide areas for seating, eating, playing and interacting with nature often within the limited space of a small garden. At the same time they must end up with a product that is pleasing to both the client and his family and guests. Given the opportunity, landscapers can create breathtaking garden makeovers. They can turn a space that was once no more than a backyard into a space of tranquility, inspiration, meditation and admiration. Contact us for further information about our services.

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.