The recent drought in Cape Town certainly woke the city up to the reality of how precious our resources are. Ironically, it has been a great time to get involved in Landscape Design. There are so many creative ways we can use our skills to implement holistic designs that take into consideration their impact on our ecosystems. I am passionately engaged in learning about new sustainable solutions to incorporate into my garden designs, including new water systems, pest reduction through companion planting, using eco-pools to naturally filter water, and applying permaculture to create self-sustaining gardens. I feel that as a garden designer it is my responsibility to centre my designs around these practices, and I believe that this can be done without sacrificing beauty or functionality.

 

Here are a few points on how I try to implement my environmental responsibility:  

• Encourage diversity

• Use local materials

• Context specific design (use what is indigenous to the area)

• Be water wise and water aware

• Explore endangered options rather than follow trends

• Create a permaculture system (mini eco-systems) and encourage wildlife (especially bees)

• Companion planting (natural insect and weed deterrents)

• Be sustainable in terms of maintenance and resources available (encourage composting, rainwater tanks etc).