Garden paths lined with cleverly combined foliage colours and textures and densely planted beds make this backyard a place of serene beauty throughout the year.
Hans and Marijke Steinz, who commute between the Netherlands and the small town of Montague in South Africa, called on the professional gardening skills of local landscaper Jan Hagen, from Zantedeschia Concepts, to help establish a pretty garden with a distinct Dutch influence at their Montague home.

Together they first planned the different routes and walkways that would traverse the whole backyard garden. Next, they used a natural planting style typical of Dutch garden design to fill the spaces in between with ordinary garden plants, both exotic and indigenous, that would survive the cold winters and extremely hot and dry summers of Montague. The plant choice consisted of plants that are available in most nurseries across the country, and which are most able to ‘look after themselves’ when Hans and Marijke, the human equivalent of a pair of swallows, are abroad. In their absence Jan and his team of gardeners do general maintenance like pruning and weeding.
The strong framework of shrubs and trees and the simple layout of the garden frees up the owners from having to do too many run of the mill gardening chores when they are home. Instead they are afforded the opportunity and the pleasure of spending quality time in their garden. They like to add new plants, including some impulse buys, and informal focal points with a local influence, like the clay pots they love.

Hard landscaping
The success of this garden relies heavily on its no-nonsense design and simple pathways built of brick and filled with gravel. The layout created huge blocks for planting and quiet little corners that are not immediately visible as you enter the garden. The latter ensures that there is always an element of surprise around the next corner, with the small resting areas concealing either a garden bench or a simple focal point like an attractive pot or bird bath. There is a little thatched lapa in the centre of the garden, where the braai, that most traditional of South African pastimes, takes place. To one side a free-standing rustic pergola, covered by lush wisterias and wild grapevines, offers a cooler option for relaxing with a glass of sweet Montague muscadel.

The plants
Trees: Established and new plantings include a lovely TRICHILIA emetica (Natal mahogany) along with QUERCUS palustris (pin oak), LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua (amber tree), BETULA pendula (silver birch), OLEA europaea subsp. africana (wild olive), CAESALPINIA ferrea (leopard tree), KIGGELARIA africana (wild peach) plus buddlejas, erythrinas (coral trees) and frangipanis. These trees were all chosen for a particular characteristic, their flowers, autumn colours, the shade they provide in summer, their bark, or the food they provide for birds.
Shrubs: Large shrubs, like pomegranates and HIBISCUS ‘Canary Island’, supply flowers and fruit while the butterflies and bees turn LEONOTIS leonurus (wild dagga) into a hive of activity. Thick clumps of flax form sharp contrasts, while old favourites like heliotrope, rosemary, lavender, HYPOESTES aristata (ribbon bush), WESTRINGIA fruticosa (Australian rosemary), hebe and erica add colour with either their foliage or dainty flowers. The real magic in this garden is created by little hedges and large swathes of plants with yellow or old gold leaves, like DURANTA ‘Sheena’s Gold’ and MELALEUCA ‘Revolution Gold’, both can be trusted to light up any foliage garden beautifully.
Groundcovers: The usual old and trusted plants, like wild garlic, fleabane, vygies, blue kingfisher daisies and masses of perennial Australian violets, are to be spotted at floor level.

Get the look
The basic design principles on which the garden is based come from old-fashioned Dutch design, and are simple enough to adapt to our local town gardens. They include:
• a strong framework of large plants and trees,
• a natural planting style within a strong design,
• skilfully-shaped plants as focal points,
• innovative plant combinations, taking into
account foliage texture and colour,
• aromatic herbs, and
• flowering trees and shrubs, and cooling climbers.

Best season?
The Steinz garden was photographed in late autumn, when the last of the autumn leaves were falling and the first cold of winter had already begun to deepen the colours of the foliage plants. It will be equally picturesque in late winter when the wisterias flower, in spring when the bulbs and the mostly indigenous groundcovers bloom, and in summer when the deciduous trees are covered in leaves and the frangipanis, hibiscus and golden-orange roses, dotted here and there, start performing. It is truly
a garden for all seasons.
Thank you to Hans and Marijke Steinz for allowing us to share your garden.
Jan Hagen from Zantedeschia Concepts can be contacted on 082 416 2835