If ever there was an Everest I have climbed, this particular project for Mr and Mrs North and South would be it. Whilst the interior project was my Cinderella, handling the exterior was the ugly step sister….don’t really know if that analogy works but you get the just, highs and loooooows.
We started with a brief to make the front garden look a little nicer and ended with a project that spanned almost 8 months. Challenging? Nooooooo, piece of cake.
Firstly, the entire garden is literally built into the side of the mountain, and so we dealt with major excavation work removing boulders, tall pine trees and enough soil to build our own island. The word underestimation of what we had undertaken sprung to mind a few times over this time.
What started as a small splash pool ended up being a large eco pool with lily pond frontage and 3 tiers of waterfalls down the side. Add a major water crisis happening ¾ down the project path and its enough to make you go insane.
Needless to say, we stuck at it. The going got tough and the tough became machines determined to reach the end of this never ending summit.
So, with too much of the client’s money invested into this project to back out, we instead made it shine. Tree stumps became magical creatures and paths were carved to make meditation areas. Water storage was researched and installed on site to create a harvesting environment that was self-sustaining. Boulders and rocks were rehoused and incorporated into the design and indigenous plants were sourced and installed.
And just when we thought the climb would never stop, it did. I stepped onto site by myself one morning to meet the client who had just flown in from Europe. There was mist rising all around the pool, the smell of wood chip in the air and complete stillness…it was quite simply breath taking. It was in this moment of stillness, that you respect and appreciate the challenge you completed and you give yourself a very gentle pat saying “you got this, wanna do it again?”.
The Brief:
Relandscape the front garden, creating a seating and eating area, braai and small swimming pool.
BEFORE:
The Transformation:
- area landscaped and trees removed
- eco pool installed
- front and top deck built, and decked with balau
- pergola built
- full landscaping
- trees carved
- stairs tiled
- new door and fence installed
Best feature: The wooden tortoise carved out of the tree stump.
AFTER:
