Page 20 - Landscape-Issue146

FEATURE

PROFILE ON JONATHAN FOLEY

Dr Jonathan Foley has been involved in the landscape industry in various roles for
close on 40 years. Working for Wilfred Grey of Tropical Jungle Nursery immersed
him into the world of exotic plants and Bruce Stead of Natal University showed him
how he could combine his love of art and plants into practical landscaping.

oley grew up in Durban in the late
1960s and 70s, at a time when
Fhorticulture and Durban Parks in
particular was booming. His family owned
a small property on the Bluff where he
set up a shade-house and grew tropical
ornamentals, inspired by a friend who had
just established a 30 m tunnel in his yard
and was growing tomatoes and cucumbers
hydroponically. Garden clubs were popular
and he was introduced to (the late) Vernon
Rippon or ‘Mr Gardening’, a major force
within the Durban Parks Department.
Rippon recommended a career in
horticulture and after matriculating, Foley
enrolled at Technikon Natal in 1979.
After qualifying, he worked as a senior
horticulturist with the Natal Provincial
Administration, developing landscapes
at Edgewood College and other Dr Jonathan Foley
provincial facilities, as well as managing a
maintenance depot and growing nursery.
Commercial landscaping projects followed, new University of Technology. Foley says
including residential clients and corporates he was privileged to have great staff on
such as Eskom, SAPPI Fine and Tongaat- his team, including landscape architects,
Huletts. A teaching opportunity opened soil scientists, botanists and horticulturists.
up at Technikon Natal in 1995 and he then “They all contributed their respective
had the privilege of training young people technical expertise with compassion and
in horticultural and landscape techniques, clarity in their teaching”, he says.
equipping them for life in the green After two terms as head of department
industry. he stepped down, developing and running
short courses for the ‘Greening the Nation’ SAGIC Excellence in Training Award
Academic career at DUT project, a SANBI-driven initiative. This was
Over the years, Foley taught all subjects hosted at DUT on a part-time basis and
pertaining to horticulture and landscaping, empowered educators, entrepreneurs
also contributing substantially to and contractors to work on a range of for 2025, taking over from Sbu Dlala. “This is
developing the curricula for the new landscape projects throughout the country. a new personal challenge and responsibility
Diploma in Sustainable Horticulture His teaching work continued and he was that I look forward to,” he adds.
Landscaping. In addition, he undertook part also responsible for assisting learners in
time study, first at the University of Natal their practical work year, developing the Significant changes in the green
Pietermaritzburg’s Centre for Environment ‘School of Horticulture’ program for them. industry
and Development, where he graduated This was a six month, hands-on teaching According to Foley, the demand for
with an Advanced Post Graduate Certificate platform where learners were exposed residential gardening in less affluent
in Environment and Development, and to numerous field trips and were able to suburbs has sadly declined, with the focus
then later a Master’s degree from Durban engage practically with the core concepts now on high-end estate living. This shift
University of Technology (DUT) in 2001, of horticulture and landscaping. The is not going to change, since landscaping
focussing on the biodiversity and flora program commenced in 2007 and to date is effectively competes with other activities
of Shongweni Reserve. He obtained a still running successfully. and demands for the leisure rand. The socio-
doctoral degree in biodiversity and science political landscape of the country has also
communication from the University of Involvement with SALI changed – in many suburbs unfortunately,
KwaZulu-Natal in 2017. In all these studies Foley started judging landscaping projects there is little appreciation for the value of
was a common thread, namely the wide for SALI KZN in 2017, also serving on a well-kept garden space, as municipalities
diversity of global and local plant life and the KZN Exco with the education and struggle to deliver basic services.
the interaction of the human component training portfolio. “The standard of work
with nature. in the province has been high, with many Trends in the green industry
During his six years as head of the talented designers and contractors winning The main trend has been the paradigm shift
Horticulture Department, the Technikon recognition for their work,” he states. He has over the last 30 years from garden exotics
Natal merged with ML Sultan to form a now been appointed SALI National Judge to a purely indigenous plant palette. This

18 Landscape SA • Issue 146 2025 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za