If you could incarnate as a plant, you’d probably want to avoid being a Cape Flats fynbos plant. For a start, you’d have to withstand flooding in winter. Then, because you grow in sandy soil, in summer, any available water drains rapidly, leaving you parched. Add to this relentless urban development and the accompanying march […]
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Worms, wonderful worms
Intro: Pat Featherstone met Dawn Kennedy at the Soil For Life Resource centre and garden in Constantia and explains how worms work wonders in the garden. COPY: Pat Featerstone, a striking red- haired Amazonian earth mother, founded the NGO Soil For Life in March 2004. It teaches people to grow their own fruit and vegetables, […]
Home with a View
Julia Naughton fell in love with her Constantia home the moment she first stepped onto the veranda seven years ago. “When I saw the stunning view across the damn that was it! I decided to buy the house before I even knew if it had a kitchen.” Previously the Naughton family had lived in a […]
The Alchemist’s garden
INTRO: Biodynamic gardener Howard Dobson has an alternative approach to growing vegetables in his Constantia garden. COPY: At first glance, Howard Dobson’s garden looks like any typical, well cared for suburban garden. The manicured green lawn is edged with pretty shrubs. Then you notice a few unusual aspects – a pyramid -shaped net construction in […]
A Cinderella Story
HEAD: Cindy Siegal’s life was totally transformed when she renovated one of the oldest properties in Chelsea Wynberg. COPY: To see the relaxed and radiant Cindy Siegal it’s hard to believe that at one stage she was destitute with no means of supporting her children. But, as the song goes, you can’t keep a good […]
HOME AT THE HILTON
INTRO: The Fortmans named their High Constantia home The Hilton because of the number of guests that come to stay. Dawn Kennedy snooped around. Copy: The moment you step through the front door you understand why The Hilton is such a popular destination for visitors. Immediately you enter this High Constantia home you are steeped […]
Where the wild things grow
Intro: When is a weed not a weed? When it’s a welcome guest that’s providing a valuable function in a garden. Jenny Lowe tells Dawn Kennedy why weeding is a waste of time. Copy: “Weeds are wonderful,”says Jenny, a classically trained landscape gardener who calls herself an “Earth Artist” and is set to become the […]
AN INDIGENOUS EVOLUTION
INTRO: . Anne Dew tells Dawn Kennedy why she chose to opt for an indigenous garden. COPY: Nowadays it’s trendy to plant indigenous gardens but when Anne Dew first started gardening in the 1970’s she was the only indigenous gardener in the Constantia Gardening Club. Then the tendency was to uproot indigenous plants and replace […]
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