In Perfect Harmony

A creative couple’s beautiful garden on a rocky outcrop in Johannesburg pays homage to English gardens but with a local twist.

- Cecile Greyling

Pianist and entertainment artist Rocco de Villiers and sculptor Clive van den Berg’s heritage home in Parktown, Johannesburg, boasts a fabulous garden with steps, low walls and charming secret nooks.

But maintaining a garden like this when your house is built on a rock requires skill, passion and constant planning.

Respected British architect Robert Howden designed the residence, Howden House, completing it in 1913. Rocco and Clive bought the property in 2001. They say the garden was a mess back then. “It was in such a state. There were ugly tiles and plants crying out for water. Others, on the other hand, were drowning in too much water. The previous owners religiously watered everything indiscriminately, whether it was dry or not. It was clearly by rote.”

But hidden beneath the obvious neglect was proverbial gold that would make an avid gardener’s eyes light up like the Randlords of old: all the original stone pathways and stone walls surrounding the historic house had been preserved. “There was a solid foundation with which to work, which was fantastic,” says Rocco.

“When you look at the stonework and how it was done, it is much the same as that of the house. This was Howden’s personal residence and with an old house like this, you soon realise how incredible the old stonemasons’ workmanship was. The quality is unsurpassed.”

The garden was cleared and then planted with indigenous grasses from all over the country. “Clive is knowledgeable about gardens,” Rocco says. “He has a passion for plants and knows exactly what he’s doing.”

However, eight years later, it was time for a change.