Project time: 10 hours Tools:
Standard garden tools
Large shallow planter (for watering hole)
Knife
Hollow rocks
Coarse sand (optional)
Furniture for seating area
Decorative accents
Plant material South Africa is considered one of the greatest botanical storehouses on earth. The climate of a warm rainy season, followed by a long dry season, creates the perfect environment for the world's largest variety of succulents. The South African veldt -- a prairielike grassland, densely planted with blooming perennials, bulbs, large and small succulents and a bush area composed of shrubs, trees and watering holes -- provides a valuable habitat and foraging area for native wildlife. In the Western hemisphere, the climate of California closely mirrors the South African environment. In this episode of Weekend Gardening, host Maureen Gilmer uses design software to re-create a drought-tolerant garden environment reminiscent of a South African game camp, complete with watering hole (figure A). The first steps involve planning the layout of the area and preparing the ground. - Choose a site that has a tree area for background and to provide shade for seating. To ensure a good view of visiting birds, butterflies and wildlife, make sure the watering hole is in the line of site of the seating area.
- Level the planting bed with a rake and choose the location for the watering hole. Make a depression in the soil that will allow for level placement of the water bowl, and seat the bowl (figure B). South African game camps often create artificial watering holes to allow visitors the opportunity to observe wildlife. As the animals develop patterns of visiting the watering holes, they also develop a tolerance to being viewed by visitors to the camps.
RESOURCES :
Plants from Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Website: www.monrovia.com
Garden Maker Software
Garden Maker Software
Email: mo@moplants.com
Website: www.moplants.com/garden_maker_software.html
Whitewater Rock & Supply
Whitewater Rock and Supply
Whitewater, CA 92282
Email: wwrock@aol.com
Website: www.whitewater-rock.com
Plants from the Flower Fields
The Flower Fields
Website: www.theflowerfields.com
Plants from Moorten Botanical Garden
Moorten Botanical Garden
Palm Springs, CA 92264
Phone: 760-327-6555
Bulbs from the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
Contact: Sally Ferguson
The Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center
Brooklyn, NY 11225
Email: sferguson@bulb.com
Website: www.bulb.com
Rustic Cylinder Planter, Low
Asian Ceramics Inc.
Website: www.asian-ceramics.com
Vulture Sculpture
Vicki Banks
Phone: 818-755-0090
GUESTS :
Matthew Levin
Tropical Buyer, Roger's Gardens
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
E-mail: MatthewL@rogersgardens.com
Website: www.rogersgardens.com
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