Innehållsförteckning för Home Yard 2019 från Home

Made for display A neglected steel-and-recycled-wood shelf unit was rescued from a second-hand store by Ilze and Johann Niehaus of Pretoria. They removed a bit of rust from the steel with sandpaper and then applied a primer followed by matte black enamel paint. The wooden shelves were sanded and sealed with Dulux Woodgard Rubbol. The pair decided to use the shelf in their yard to display a selection of potted plants; it stands in front of a gorgeous tickey creeper next to the door that leads out from their living room. Best of all, the unit has wheels which makes it easy to relocate. In black and white Owner Riaan Pienaar transformed the façade of this home when converting it into a guesthouse, House of Pinardt, in Robertson in the…

Like thousands of other lush gardens filled with roses, delicate plants and lawns, Carol-Ann van Jaarsveld’s garden in the Eastern Cape town of Graaff-Reinet was also devastated by the drought. For my new garden, I wanted plants that would require very little water but would still be colourful. Spekboom was a must,” she says. “Nothing beats those plants: they cope with the minimum of water – both outdoors and in – and need only a little rain in order to bloom. They are very rewarding plants.” When Carol-Ann and her husband Hannes travelled to France for six weeks in May 2018, she asked Karoo garden designer Denise Minnaar to landscape a new garden for her. Being out of the country meant that the couple could avoid all the trials and…

An artistic streak runs through Lizette Vorster’s family: her mother was a florist, she herself used to dabble in pottery and it’s clear that her daughters have inherited the same creative genes. Lizette opened her floral art business in 2006. By the end of that year, Jamie-Lee, the youngest of the four Vorster daughters, announced that she wanted to join the business after she matriculated. Now, 13 years later, she’s the one who comes up with the creative ideas, like painting other people’s kitchen cupboards and furniture – in fact, the mother-and-daughter team has since established Love to Paint at Flower and Art Café. They are also agents for Tjhoko Paint. This stoep at her parents’ garden cottage is one of Jamie-Lee’s impressive projects. It’s a lovely little nook; I…

They make a great garnish and look lovely in a pot on your windowsill. But for Ananda van Heerden of Stellenbosch, micro herbs – also known as microgreens – are a source of valuable income. And just like her plants, her business is thriving! “We are originally from Pretoria but moved to the Cape in 2016,” she says. “Because my husband Theo and I were new to the Boland, with no support network and four kids to feed, I soon realised that I would have to work for myself. One day, we went for a picnic with some new friends at the foot of the Helderberg. When I mentioned that I was interested in micro herbs, our friends told us about a farm outside Stellenbosch where these plants are grown…

Most of us would call in a plumber to install a grey water system but not Henk Louwrens of Worcester. This DIY expert tackled the project himself and says it was “easier and quicker” than one would think. Henk, his wife Sumari, and their children – Abby, Mila and Amy – live on a huge 1 500m2 plot in Langerug. More than 1 000m² of that is a lush garden where the couple likes to entertain and the children love playing with the dogs. However, the ongoing drought in the Western Cape, which reached disastrous proportions in 2018, threatened to turn their garden into a moonscape. “I had to quickly come up with a plan to keep the garden looking good and, at the same time, keep the municipal account…

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With their love of bold colours, it didn’t take long for publisher Raiël le Roux and Matt Besanko, a tax consultant, to totally transform the dull alleyway next to their Observatory home into a vibrant ‘concrete garden’ after moving in in 2017. The primary use of this narrow space, then and now, is to store a wheelie bin and hang washing. “Thankfully, it’s not a thoroughfare in any way and even though it’s the smallest and most impractical space in and around our house, we at least wanted to make it as pleasant to look at as possible,” says Raiël We are all about bold splashes of colour, so we opted for charcoal walls with yellow and red accents to pair with the greenery of the plants – all of…

Beautiful old trees and a pool were pretty much the only things going for this yard before Amanda van Wyngaardt decided to wave her stylist’s wand and give it a makeover. “The big trees are so beautiful but it was really difficult to grow anything underneath them,” she explains. “I tried planting grass twice and even a vegetable patch but with the bulging roots and shade, nothing survived.” Apart from more greenery, Amanda also wanted to create an entertainment area. So the makeover began with the construction of a 5m-long bench with a built-in braai. Amanda also removed the dead patches of grass. “I’ve been collecting ideas for years and always wanted a contemporary screed look with straight, modern lines – which we’ve achieved,” she says. “The wasted space I…

Vermicompost (worm fertiliser) is easy to make. Here's what you need to know about the different elements of a worm farm, the role each element plays, and what to do to ensure success: 1 What is vermicompost? Vermicompost is compost made by earthworms from kitchen waste and scrap paper. It’s a popular method of recycling and a simple way to get rid of kitchen scraps. A by-product of the process is worm tea, a liquid fertiliser that is just as good for your garden. Both the compost and the tea are full of nutrients, which is why gardeners commonly refer to vermicompost as “black gold”. 2 What do I need? All you’ll need is a worm farm (see point 3), kitchen waste (see point 7) and earthworms! 3 Your worm…

QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 5/10 Skill level 3/10 Time needed 5 hours Finished size 1 900mm W x 350mm D x 450mm H What you need SHOPPING LIST • one sheet of 4mm mesh (50mm holes) cut to: two 350 x 350mm pieces (base) two 350 x 250mm pieces (top) eight 350 x 450mm pieces (sides) two 350 x 100mm pieces two 350 x 50mm pieces • 6m planed pine (76 x 50mm) cut to: four 1 200mm lengths • 2mm fencing wire • 1m steel flat bar (50 x 5mm) cut to two 350mm lengths PLUS • eight 10 x 65mm cup square bolts with nuts and washers • 120- and 240-grit sandpaper • sealant/varnish TOOLS • angle grinder • drill; 4mm and 10mm drill bits • pencil…

It all started with my mom’s 80th in March. “We’ll keep it small,” she started telling me long before Christmas. “We’ll just do something at your place – just our family. Nothing fancy.” Okay, I agreed. I’ll cook. We are a family of eight and all of us fit neatly around my dining table. With enough elbow room and space for the two vegans’ extra dishes. But it wasn’t long afterwards, with the remnants of Christmas Day leftovers still in the fridge, that my mother casually, but not subtly, let slip: “On my birthday, I wonder if I shouldn’t also invite Buks and Grieta, and Frikkie and Sandra? And Alma. And Chrisjan and his wife Juliana. You know, they are really very good to me. Chrisjan brings me the sweetest…

[CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREE] Apple or pear trees are good specimens if you’d like to espalier a fruit tree, as both bear their fruits on short stems – which is exactly what you need! An espaliered tree should never bear its fruit on long branches. Pear trees, particularly Packhams, are ideal as they easily make side shoots. In addition, pear trees live for up to 75 years – and more – which is ideal, as they age beautifully with knots on the trunks adding character. Other good choices are fig, plum and quince trees. Peach trees, which only live for 15–18 years, are not a good long-term choice. Espaliering is a slow process and you certainly don’t want a tree dying on you just as it reaches perfection. HOW TO…

For this nature-loving couple, having a space in their home where they are surrounded by a growing garden was a priority. But when Charlotta Carolissen, a landscape designer, and her husband Jude, a project manager for Recreation and Parks for the City of Cape Town, moved into their Observatory home in 2012, their backyard was just a small patch of lawn and an uneven pathway. “There was almost no greenery,” Charlotta laments. “And the lawn and pathway divided the space in two and made it seem even smaller than it is. On top of that, the ground was uneven and there was no seating.” ” To create a unified space that could be utilised optimally, the couple had their yard levelled and decided on a singular surface material in order…

Blacksmith mushroom burger with charred pepper pesto Before we hit the road on our Beer Country journey, our Landy, Thirsty, needed some love. Between our braai gear, tent, tables and ten thousand potjie pots, she needed extra storage space. Our mates at Root Form Blacksmiths sorted her out and we sorted them out with these monster mushroom burgers. Feeds 4 • Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 30 minutes THE MUSHROOMS • 2 large brinjals, sliced• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper• a glug of oil for drizzling• 8 large, evenly sized black mushrooms• 1 large bag baby spinach• 2 wheels Camembert, sliced• a ball of string THE PESTO • 1 large red pepper• 40g pine nuts• a handful of fresh basil, chopped• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped• 5ml…

GARDEN#1 EVERY CENTIMETRE COUNTS When Hanniki Bruère swapped her large garden in Riebeek-Kasteel for a much smaller erf in Napier two years ago, her beloved garden décor and many of her plants went with her. The first time I came to see my new home, I thought this garden was way too small for me,” says Hanniki. “But after a while I realised how many benefits a smaller garden offers. “I carefully planned where every pot and piece of décor would be placed, and what I would have to change to accommodate everything. I wanted to find a spot for every single item I brought with me. “I think ‘the more, the better’! But I must admit, I was a little over-optimistic and had to dispose of six large pots,…

GARDEN #1 A French connection When Jacqui Dixon moved into her new house in 2018, she was less than excited about her overgrown backyard, which was predominantly grass. “I wanted to plant veggies, but I also wanted it to look pretty; I’d been given wildflower seeds while staying at the Art of Living Ashram in Germany and I was very keen to use them,” she says. “It was my dream to have a little wildflower patch!” Jacqui called in the help of landscaper Charlotta Carolissen who recommended using leftover cobbles from the driveway to create borders to contain the veggies, wildflowers and other plants that would eventually grow into hedges and so maintain an orderly effect. Since veggies aren’t always attractive, surrounding them with hedges is ideal in this 42m²…