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PROJECT
THE FOREST he original garden was a fragment of the Albany thicket
vegetation which existed before Settlers Park was built,
Tand during 2019, half of the original garden space was
used to build an extra residential cottage.
Settler’s Park Retirement Village in Port Client’s brief and design approach
Alfred, Eastern Cape, was first opened The client requested a wheelchair-friendly area which would
be easily accessible to residents living in the care centre, to
in 1986. Today it houses 350 residents be used by them when going outdoors with their care givers.
and its 16 hectares of established The Forest garden pathway also links the clinic with the
care centre and restaurant, which makes this garden a busy
surrounds were recently upgraded by walkway. Visitors who stay in the holiday cottages can also
enjoy the space.
Kenton Gardens.
Kenton Gardens was also asked to provide some lawn space
in the garden, as well as on the outside close to the restaurant.
All existing plants and trees were to remain untouched, and
Project Team the garden was required to be very low maintenance and
Client: Settler’s Park Retirement Village drought hardy.
Landscape Design and Installation: Kenton Garden Services
The garden is shared with the resident in Cottage 52, so the
residential and public areas needed to blend in. Residents
around the forest area requested screening from the public
area.
The design idea is a circular area in the middle of the garden,
consisting of half grass and half light green groundcover to
match the lawn colour. Existing rocks were moved and placed
as a frame around the main circular area, with silver-grey
foliage plants to accentuate the circular shape. Additional
planting was to be natural and wild, in keeping with the low
maintenance scope of the upgrade.
Plant selection
Although mainly endemic and indigenous plant species
were used, specific exotic plant species were requested by
management. These included lemongrass, lavender and
santonella. Some existing exotic trees were also retained
but are being systematically reduced and felled as local
indigenous, self-seeded trees mature alongside them.
A variety of dormant plants, not planted by Kenton Gardens,
emerged after completion of the garden rehabilitation. These
plants survived despite all the damage during building and
soil preparation.
Kenton Garden Services mows the grass outside the
perimeter fence of the retirement village and continuously
rescues and relocates plants from mowed areas to the forest.
These include various bulbs and groundcovers.
Plants were specifically used to attract a variety of local bird
and insect species. The resident in the cottage fringing the
forest is a keen bird enthusiast and has recorded various
species in the garden.
Lawn is a mix of Buffalo and Berea which will rejuvenate with
a little rain. Usually, these grass types would not be used in
such a dry, shady environment, but this was a request from
management. A large Fiddlewood tree was felled, and a
Milkwood is now growing in its place. This will allow more
rain and sun onto the struggling lawn area.
All trees, excluding invasive Brazilian peppers, were retained.
Dormant seed bank and local species are encouraged to
mature, and local species are relocated from ‘wasteland’
areas surrounding the park.
The gardens are low maintenance and drought hardy n
Landscape SA • Issue 118 2022 13
