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ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

Benches in the shade of the school’s old trees, with their previously impacted
root areas loosened up with gravel and gravel fix covering.
Patches of shade - loving grass and bulbous species provide the undergrowth.
Photo: Ida Breed

One of the teaching staff said that she and have been chosen for their sculptural Amongst the flowering species are the
often brought students to the newly appearance and different flowering shade-loving Clivia miniata under the
planted area under the mature trees and seasons; while some of the veldgrasses trees and bright orange Crocosmia aurea
taught lessons amid the sounds of bees, are thick and clump-forming to allow for (Falling Stars, the dangling anthers of
fluttering of butterflies and nest-building rainwater capture. There is no irrigation which are attracting the pollen-seeking
of weavers. She commented that the system in the veldgrass beds; only the Carpenter Bees). Watsonia angusta (red-
restful natural area “...rejuvenated the soul”. lawn area is irrigated. The compost in the flowered) blooms earlier in summer along
The relaxed and lush green setting has beds is plentiful and mixed with vermi- with some of the Kniphofia (Red-hot Poker)
seen pupils gravitate towards the garden compost (earthworm droppings). species. The pale blue Wahlenbergia (Bell
tables in the shade to do their homework.
Lansdown said it took some parents and
visitors a while to get used to the less
manicured appearance.

She added that teachers could well be
drawn to use the area as an outdoor
classroom for natural sciences, art and
other subjects. Birds and insects that have
been attracted to the more natural gardens
are sunbirds (noticeably the Amethyst
Sunbird), finches, Bronze Mannikins and an
increase in Thick-billed Weavers. There has
been a marked proliferation in butterfly
numbers; and Carpenter Bees which,
Lansdown says, are frequently spotted.

The veldgrass plantings interspersed with
woody shrubs, herbaceous and bulbous
flowering species are in beds and raised,
red brick clad planters; manifesting
an older aesthetic in keeping with the
brickwork of the school buildings. It is not a
purist locally indigenous grassland garden Sculptural Aristida junciformis (Ngongoni Three-awn), clump forming and
but plants are all South African indigenous stabilising grass which captures water, in the foreground. In the background
is Tricholaena monachne (Blue-Seed grass), planted extensively for its misty
appearance from autumn into early winter.
Photo: Carol Knoll

Landscape SA • Issue 93 2020 27