A surprise in the Karoo

Two years after the first sod was turned, guests find solace in this lush, colourful oasis - despite the obstacles presented by an arid environment.

- Marlene Malan

WHO LIVES HERE? Johan Lubbe and his two Italian Greyhounds, Thomas and Lilly

WHERE Prince Albert in the Great Karoo

SIZE OF GARDEN 2600m²

A sea of colour, brimming beds and carefully planned 'order' are the hallmarks of the back garden. Johan kept the hardy thorn trees for the shelter they provide; a myriad shade-loving plants thrive beneath them. Salvia, edible artichokes, hollyhocks and Iceberg' roses attest to a garden designer who knows how to colour-in the Karoo soil. On the street side (inset) a greater sense of formality is evident as you enter the garden gate.

If you've lived and worked for 40 years in Cape Town's Kloof Street, snug against Table Mountain, it takes courage to transplant yourself - and to the Great Karoo no less, where 'drought' and 'water shortage' have been the watchwords for years.

That's exactly what Johan Lubbe did five years ago. But it's only now that his garden at '81 on Church' in Prince Albert is starting to reach its full potential. "And some of the plants are not even fully grown yet... We'll talk again in a year's time," he says proudly.

We're taking a stroll with Johan through his rather expansive slice of heaven that stretches from the main road, Church Street, to Market Street, parallel to it. We stop often because he firmly believes that "a garden is there to be enjoyed; it's the reason why we have one".