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ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

Eucomis autumnalis favoured by
Side view of vertical garden (February 2020) at House Miller.
Photo by Tania Anderson bees (November 2018).
Photo by Tania Anderson

Camouflaged on the Hypoxis is a crab spider capturing its prey.
Photos by Tania Anderson

his green wall at the home of the The client wanted the wall to be relatively rainfall and the drip irrigation system
Millers is entirely south facing at easy to maintain. The green wall system that was installed has to be adjusted
Tthe end of a long driveway. The she selected was the Vicinity Modular seasonally. Liquid organic fertiliser is
plants were chosen by Anderson with System which has honeycomb pockets, provided through fertigation. Anderson
input from the client to suit the shady and strong porous bags with adjustable advises that plants should be bought
aspect, and attract insects and birds. strings to hold the soil and plants. The small and allowed to grow into spaces.
The vertical garden is a wonderful mix of bags are easily removed if a plant needs The Vicinity bag holds 3L, and 2L plants
textures, colours and structures, and the to be replaced. The frame was installed are suggested.
plants are all South African indigenous. by DesignNature, while Anderson and the
The plants are virtually all evergreen but Millers’ gardeners planted up and placed Anderson emulates natural habitats in
species flower during different seasons, the bags. her designs and the plants are a cleverly
and these seasonal changes provide arranged placement of largely shade-
an additional aesthetic dimension to The soil mix is lightweight and drains well, loving species, giving the overall feel
the wall, as well as attracting different comprising plenty of compost, topsoil of ‘rocky grassland’ but focusing on
insect and bird species according to the and vermicast (earthworm castings). The herbaceous and bulbous plants, along
particular season. wall is too sheltered to receive adequate with ferns. A grass species she knew

Hypoxis hemerocallidea on the wall Ripe fruit of Carissa bispinosa with shiny Pure white star-like flowers of Carissa
(September 2019). leaves and two-pronged spines. bispinosa. Photo by Carol Knoll
Photo by Carol Knoll Photo by Tania Anderson

Landscape SA • Issue 94 2020 27