A Family Affair

From mother to daughter. This is a delightful story of how a talented young woman has successfully built on the foundations of a gracious garden laid down by her equally gifted mother.

- Lindsay Gray

This elegant Johannesburg house with its stylish garden was once the childhood home of the current owner. Many of the exciting features in the garden were implemented by her mother, who “Should have been an architect as she has such an innate understanding of space and design”, the owner says proudly.

Structure

The beauty of this garden lies in its structure. Situated at the bottom of a hill, its natural slope has been cleverly terraced and reshaped over the years to create a logical flow with many points of interest. The garden is divided into a series of spaces that showcase the owner’s favourite plants according to the light conditions they require.

The strength of the design lies in the fact that aspects of the garden can be seen from different vantage points, creating a wonderful feeling of space.

The serene water feature, flanked on either side by a pleached hedge of viburnum, creates a wonderful focal point for the beautifully appointed verandah where the family spends much of its time. The feature replaces the tennis court that was demolished some years ago.

The original swimming pool still occupies its position on the lower terrace, set in an expanse of lush lawn. Broad, grass-covered steps form gentle terraces along the slight slope from the driveway towards the pool.