Innehållsförteckning för Home Yard 2020 från Home

Blades of glory While designing the walkway leading from her parent’s contemporary home in Zwavelpoort, Pretoria to the cottage located on a lower level on the erf, architect Nadine Engelbrecht made the most of the slope of the yard to create these beautiful integrated grass steps. “The separate two-bedroom cottage, used for visiting family, is not internally connected to the main house. The grass stairs provide easy outdoor access between the two spaces,” explains Nadine. “Using grass steps softens the link and creates a continuous landscaped path.” Working with contractor Hans Boersema and landscape architect Nandi Koster, the team planted concrete curbs into the landscape, using steel rods to secure them, then filled them with soil and planted LM grass. Mind the gaps Designer Marius Hitge solved the problem of…

WHO LIVES HERE? Tammy Kruger and Simon Pringle WHERE Plumstead, Cape Tow SIZE OF GARDEN 181m² When Tammy Kruger and her husband Simon Pringle first saw this old home in Plumstead in 2019, they knew it was exactly the kind of “fix-me-upper” they were looking for. While there was plenty of potential to create large open spaces, the backyard was the best bet when it came to designing the ideal entertainment spot. “Although there was just a grass patch with no flowerbeds, we fell in love with the tranquil atmosphere and the beautiful trees that provide ample shade here,” says Tammy. “We knew from the start that we wanted an outdoor living space with a kitchen, jacuzzi and fire pit – this area fit the bill perfectly!” For Simon, it…

In this yard outside Darling, Wouter had to make a plan with the excess water that was accumulating on the lawn. The garden is on different levels, so he wanted to connect the pipe in the French drain to a hole already in the retaining wall on the lowest level – this is why this French drain is deeper than normal. 1 The trench was already dug to the desired depth and Wouter lined it with Bidim, a geotextile that prevents roots from growing through the gravel. The drainage pipe must slope slightly down towards where you want the water to drain away. 2 Next, the hole was filled with 19mm stone chips; the layer covering the pipe must be at least 70–100mm thick. Stamp the stones down, then carefully…

#1 FRENCH-STYLE CAFÉ By Marlene Malan Photographs Francois Oberholster Styling Shelly Bergh WHAT Back garden (30m2) WHERE Strand, Western Cape WHO Anneme Venter When Anneme Venter noticed a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of an old Victorian house in Strand almost nine years ago, she wasn’t keen to buy it based on what she saw in front of her – but rather for the potential it held. “I was specifically looking for an unrestored house because I love doing refurbishments!” says this hands-on renovator who runs her own interior business, Geroes Vintage Interiors, just a stone’s throw away. The Victorian architectural style of the house was just what she was looking for but since it’s 111 years old and has accommodated several generations and families, it was ripe for a revamp – from…

#1 WHO LIVES HERE? Beatrice and Christo Nöthnagel with their three kids, Emma (10) and twins Philip and Nielen (3) WHERE Durbanville SIZE OF ALLEYWAY 14 x 3m, widening to 6m TYPE OF SOIL Clay topped up with loam This narrow strip down the side of the Nöthnagels’ house only gets sun in summer. When they revamped their garden (see page 100 of our March 2020 issue), they decided to use this area for a built-in veggie planter, two compost bins and an outdoor sink with a work surface on either side. There is ample space for storing firewood underneath. “It was a dead part of the garden but now with the veggie box and work surfaces, it has a whole new purpose!” says Beatrice. “Our kids enjoy the veggie…

ELECTRICAL ADVICE “Always use a qualified electrician who will issue a Certificate of Compliance after his work is completed,” advises Gerrit Terreblanche of GTEC in Cape Town. Also consider the following: • Choose garden lights with an IP (ingress protection) rating of at least 65 if they are out in the open. • Make sure that it will be simple enough to change the bulb yourself when it needs replacement. • Use a combination of ambient and security lighting for best results. A few garden lights work better than a 100W LED floodlight if you want to create a more subtle atmosphere, but a floodlight has obvious security advantages. • Advancements in technology means that there are plenty of great options for illuminating your garden – from solar-powered options to…

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WHO LIVES HERE? Schalk Jonker, Nellie Brand-Jonker and their daughter Emma (9) WHERE Woodstock, Cape Town SIZE OF GARDEN 31m² Did you know? Artificial grass costs between R260 and R800/m², which in some cases includes installation. Schalk Jonker and his wife Nellie Brand-Jonker disliked the uninspiring façade of their house in Woodstock, Cape Town so much that they rarely used that side of their property. It took seven years of planning and dreaming before they eventually decided to give their 1940s home a fresh new look and lay out a compact, waterwise garden in 2019. “Because there was so little privacy in this part of the property, we rarely sat on this stoep,” says Nellie. The couple, both journalists, enlisted the help of a construction team to make changes to…

WHO LIVES HERE? Alwyn and Maria Neethling WHERE Worcester SIZE OF GARDEN 2 000m² Alwyn and Maria Neethling’s garden in Langerug, Worcester was always one of the lushest paradises in town. However, it required constant maintenance and the drought in the area over the past few years forced the couple to rethink their space. “It was a true tropical oasis,” says Maria. “If I fell in love with a plant, I would add it to my garden! But I soon discovered that ‘Iceberg’ roses, lavender, agapanthus, Statice and Carissa do best here – so I planted masses of them. “We also had about 55 cut rose bushes, Queen palms, date palms, leopard trees, Leyland cypresses, plane trees and Australian brush cherries. But some of them had become badly diseased after…

Any garden, no matter how big or small, can be a haven for birds, bees, butterflies, insects, frogs and other creatures. A good starting point for encouraging biodiversity in urban areas where space is often limited is to take pollinators into consideration when you create a garden bed. A beneficial habitat for pollinators is often a good habitat for other creatures as well. These five factors will ensure that you have an abundance of wildlife in your garden: #1 FOOD In a natural ecosystem, there are diverse plants that provide food for birds and insects, and you can mimic them by growing a variety of plants in your own garden. Where possible, select indigenous plants over exotics because they are adapted to local conditions, and remove invasive plants to make…

QUICK PROJECT GUIDE Hard labour 4/10 Skill level 4/10 Time needed 3 hours You will need SHOPPING LIST • eight beams (38 x 114 x 1 800mm), cut to: four 1 000mm (wall planks) four 560mm (short beams) eight 400mm (brace planks) two x 1 800mm (long beams) • eight 120mm coach screws with washers and wall plugs • five 600mm lengths galvanised roof sheeting • one packet roofing screws • one packet cut screws (8mm x 60mm) • Alcolin Fast Set Glue • pine wood filler • 220-grit sandpaper TOOLS • cordless drill; 3mm and 8mm drill bit • jigsaw • pencil • tape measure • try square • wood clamps • masonry drill with 10mm masonry drill bit • ratchet wrench PROJECT NOTES • We used recycled roof…

WHO LIVES HERE? Trix and Koos Grové with Prince Charles the cat WHERE Napier SIZE OF GARDEN 750m² TYPE OF SOIL Clay Get the basics right from the start and you’ll save yourself a lot of money and effort in the long run. With this as their guiding principle and drawing on their previous building experience and creativity, Trix and Koos Grové of Napier converted their property into a hassle-free, waterwise showstopper where they can now sit back and relax, instead of dealing with the hassle of maintenance. Which is precisely what they wanted. The Grovés are the owners of Napier Antiques, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in May this year. Having lived in several houses in this beautiful Overberg town over the years, they finally decided to build a…

WHO LIVES HERE? Helen Muir, her kids Kerris (28) and Klyne (26), and her mom Marietjie van den Oever WHERE Roodepoort, Johannesburg SIZE OF GARDEN 75m² on a 1ha property TYPE OF SOIL Acidic, sandy and rocky Twenty years ago, in 1999, Helen Muir bought a 1-hectare property in Poortview, Roodepoort near the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. A year later, she started a nursery there. It was shortly after her husband Samuel’s death, and today she describes it as “a leap of faith”. The following year, she helped to design and build her house on the same property. However, a section on the south-facing side, between the house and a 35m-long retaining wall that separated it from the backyard, was never developed. The problem “It was ugly and neglected,”…

THE HOMEOWNER Riaan Pienaar WHERE Robertson SIZE Erf 625m² Imagine being able to keep your garden spotless with a dustpan and a brush – and perhaps a vacuum cleaner on the odd occasion. And what about putting away the lawnmower and edge trimmer permanently? This is what Riaan Pienaar, owner of House of Pinardt Guesthouse in Robertson, had in mind when he designed his new back garden. And that’s just for starters… “I also wanted the outdoor and indoor spaces to form a cohesive whole. The outside area had to be like a living room where friends and family can gather around the fireplace while the cook is busy in the kitchen. I wanted everything to become one as soon as the doors were flung open,” he explains. However, when…

We chose patterned tiles and pops of colour to bring personality to our outdoor spaces.– Marc and Natalie WHO LIVES HERE? Marc and Natalie De Gois with their daughter Leah (21) and twins Gabrielle and Pascale (18) WHERE Durbanville SIZE OF ENTERTAINMENT AREA 67m2 The problem Marc and Natalie’s first impression of their new home was that it lacked an entertainment area and had a sorely neglected garden. “We love to entertain, so a sociable space was top of our list,” they say. A beautiful large tree was a drawcard, even though there was only a sparse lawn beneath it and the garden was little more than sand with a few tufts of struggling grass. “There was also an old concrete storm water pipe buried vertically into the ground in…

1 STRETCH YOUR SPACE Tired of being indoors? By creating a sitting or dining area in your courtyard or on your patio – even on your balcony – you can escape that feeling of being cooped up and make the most of the sunshine. Abi James created an intimate nook in her 40m² courtyard in the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town with the help of some striking decorative pieces. Now when she spends time out here, she feels as if she’s miles away from the busy city centre, even though it’s actually just around the corner. 2 START SMALL Nothing freshens up a space like a flowering plant or greenery – and a small container garden that’s easy to maintain is a good way to start. With the right accessories, your…