A Surprise Around Every Corner

Take a walk with us through the beautiful rooms in this structured garden.

- Marié Esterhuyse

A garden with structure, steps, low walls and an abundance of blooms. This was a long-time dream for Beatrice Moore-Nöthnagel, a member of Home’s editorial staff for many years and now a regular contributor.

However, her garden had quite a steep slope and the clay soil was a problem; Beatrice and hubby Christo soon realised that they would not be able to achieve the garden of their dreams on their own and called in Wouter Kruidenier of De Kruidenier Exclusive Gardens for assistance.

“We explained our wishes and Wouter and his team took care of the rest,” says Beatrice. “He drew up the plans, chose plants that we love and managed the entire project. I always tell people that we decided not to extend our home but rather to ‘build’ a garden. Our garden gives us immense pleasure. It was worth every cent!”

First, the site was levelled

The property’s slope made gardening difficult. In addition to the soil that was excavated for the pool, another 85 cubic metres of good loamy soil was brought in to level the surface. With this quality garden soil as a top layer, the poor clay soil was no longer an issue. In the lower part of the garden, French drains were installed to improve drainage. A sturdy low retaining wall was also built between the pool and the boundary wall to support the weight of the additional soil and to prevent the boundary wall from toppling over.

Next, building could commence

With the ground levelled, low walls and steps could now be built; these created different levels and garden rooms. Cement paths with a red brick edging that complements the red facebrick of the house links the various parts of the garden. This edging ensures that the garden and house form a cohesive unit.