When Bronwyn Magor of Pietermaritzburg swapped her almost one hectare English garden that she had established over 10 years for a much smaller 500m² garden in a security estate, she wanted to take along all the plants she’d grown to love.

But the new garden had no structure and was filled with chipped stone and just a few scraggly shrubs, lavender bushes and olive trees. ‘There was nothing pretty or decorative,’ says Bronwyn. ‘It wasn’t a gardener’s garden at all!’

Luckily, she is a passionate gardener and with the help of her life-long friend Candy Wise, a horticulturist and landscape architect, and the muscle of landscaper Gordon Stuart of Gordon Stuart Landscaping, she removed tons of stones and added edgings and paving. In just three years, Bronwyn has transformed her new garden into a lush and colourful sanctuary.

Pathways
Cobbles and larger mixed pavers used for the pathways on the south side of the garden create a formal look that’s softened with plants; and flowerbeds boasting a profusion of plant material were edged with Buxus to create structure. In some places texture was added by breaking the monotony of the pavers with finely chipped stone and greenery, such as Viola odorata and Acorus variegata.

Text and image: Home