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FEATURE

MELVILLE KOPPIES:

GARDENS OF THE GOLDEN CITY

The Melville Koppies Nature Reserve and Joburg Heritage Site is a scenic
garden along natural paths that meander through grasslands, forests,
rocky ridges, an arboretum with towering trees, and the Westdene Spruit.

his mosaic can be found in the ‘garden’ of Melville Koppies
Nature Reserve and Joburg Heritage Site, just 5km from
Tthe city centre, and the reserve will be open on the last
weekend of October 2022 as part of the Gardens of the Golden
City programme.

October is a beautiful month on the koppies with the fragrance of the
Acacia flowers (Senegalese robusta and Vachelia caffra) permeating
the air and geophytic flowers (underground bulbs) peeking out
in the burnt grasslands. The mauve-flowering Bobbejaanstert
(Xerophyta retinervis) are in bloom, early spring grasses are slowly
greening up and insects are collecting pollen.

The ‘garden’ has the added bonus of beautiful three billion-year old
quartzite ridges. Although the rocks slowly weather to thin acidic
soils, indigenous plants such as Mountain Sliver Oak (Brachylaena
rotundata), Wild Apricot (Ancylobotrys), Stamvrug (Englerophytum
magalismontanum) and the underground tree, Parinari capensis, One of the ‘exposed’ rock formations
thrive here, given the added protection from fire by the rocky ridges.

Conservationists are not gardeners. They do not mulch, water,
use pesticides or fertilisers, prune or plant in ‘straight stripes’,
monoculture patches or seasonal colour patterns. Instead they burn,
assault alien vegetation, and dig out indigenous grassland bush
encroachment which has been exacerbated by global warming and
more atmospheric CO .
2
They do however undertake some gardening/manipulation of the
landscape. Vegetation from rock formations has been cleared so that
people can appreciate their majesty. Overhanging and protruding
branches on paths are cut back for the safety of visitors and erosion
control measures have been made on paths with gradients. Discreet
numbers on recycled kerbstones are placed where trails intersect
and visitors are given maps with the paths and numbers so they
don’t get lost.

The open days will include Lynne Maree’s succulent garden which Bobbejaanstert clump
borders on the Melville Koppies.

Details of the open gardens
Venue: Melville Koppies Nature Reserve and Lynne
Maree’s succulent garden
Dates: 29 and 30 October 2022, 10 am to 4pm on both
days
Parking: 11th Avenue, Melville
Cost: R50 per person and R40 per person for Melville
Koppies conservation by the volunteer
committee. (Optional guided tours of the Koppies
at 11am and 2pm).
Contact: Wendy Carstens 079 532 0083

Photos by Wendy Carstens and Alan Cawood Vachellia caffra n

16 Landscape SA • Issue 117 2022