Trees and shrubs were planted first and after that came 'the filling up'.
Trees and shrubs are 'fundamental' to the structure of a garden. Here you find exotic trees and shrubs next to indigenous.
Flowering shrubs |
Some 80 percent of indigenous South African plants grow nowhere else in the world unless cultivated. Some of the indigenous species are endangered such as the Encephalartos species (cycads, a.o.: bread tree), Widdringtonia cedarbergensis (Cederberg pine) and the Calodendrum capense (Cape chestnut); partly by exploitation and partly by poaching. Also some exotics have proven to be invasive; smothering precious indigenous plants. |
Some eucalyptus-species and pepper trees are officially regarded as 'notorious' examples of invasive plants. In the past 100 or so years Eucalyptus species or 'Blue gum trees' overtook almost 30 percent of the number of South African indigenous trees. On the other hand Blue gums are good windscreens, suck the water out of wet spots, are the main suppliers of fire-wood and the main suppliers of 'most wanted' honey for the South African beekeepers. One of our neighbours is a beekeeper. This explains the two rows of blue gums we planted next to the large maze.
Some 15000 different plants are native to this part of the world. There is no other region in the world with such a wealth. Combined with exotics these 'natives' broaden one's mind in a globalizing world. Soekershof is a 'global' garden without the pretention of being the biggest or whatever. Soekershof is one big 'fun garden' in the sense that we had, and still have, pleasure in creating and re-creating the land.