Page 18 - Landscape-Issue159

FEATURE

BRAHMAN HILLS:

A NEW HOME FOR OLD TREES

Twenty-seven mature
Plane trees have found

a new home at Brahman
Hills, where they now
form part of what is set
to become one of South
Africa’s most ambitious

garden developments.

t over 20 hectares, the Serenity Garden
development in the KZN Midlands
Ais being designed on a scale rarely
seen in private garden developments. The
project will include expansive garden rooms,
water features, an underground orchid
house, walking paths and a record-breaking
labyrinth, all developed intentionally as part
of a long-term landscape legacy project.
But while the scale of the development
is significant, one of the meaningful stories
within it is not only about what is being built,
but also about what has been saved.
In June 2025, as the team began sourcing
mature trees for the gardens, they came
across 27 Plane trees at Gowrie Farm, also
located in the Midlands, that were due to
be cut down to make way for development.
Instead, the trees were carefully lifted, their
root systems preserved and placed into
protective growing bags, where they were
maintained for several months ahead of
their relocation.
In February 2026, the trees were
transplanted into the Serenity Garden, where
they now stand as some of the first major
structural elements within the developing
landscape. Relocating mature trees forms
part of a broader approach at Brahman Hills,
one that focuses on working with the land
and preserving what already exists wherever
possible.
Planting new trees is important, but
preserving mature trees is just as important.
These trees will survive and cast shade
for future generations, witness seasons of
change, and help root the Serenity Garden
in legacy.
As the Serenity Garden continues to
take shape, the Plane trees stand as a quiet
reminder that environmental stewardship
is not just about planting something new,
but about preserving what already carries
strength and story.

To follow the Serenity Garden journey, visit
https://www.brahmanhills.co.za/serenity-garden

16 Landscape SA • Issue 159 2025 Check us out www.salandscape.co.za