Spring is in the air
HONEYDEW - The Harveston Village's gardens draw various bird species and welcomes spring.
Harveston Retirement Village celebrated the coming of spring by planting bright indigenous and exotic plant species in their gardens.
Kay Kilpatrick and Peggy Stone – two of the residents in the village – were involved with the planting process in order to have the plants ready in time for spring.
“We selected bright plants that are easy to maintain and looked after. We chose to plant yellow and orange African daisies in the four traffic circles in the retirement village and we were surprised at how fast they grew,” Kilpatrick said.
The communal gardens in the centre of the village received various plant species that range from a big selection of indigenous plants and also one or two exotic species.
“The garden in front of the community centre has species that range from pink and white virginias to euphorbia fingers and a couple of aloes. This beautiful garden has a short coral tree in the centre of it that has just started to bloom.”
She explained that without the two full-time gardeners Louis and Ishmael, the gardens in the village would not have looked this beautiful.
“The other advantage that the flowers have is they help to draw beautiful birds like the crested and black collared barbets, various sunbirds and a special spotted eagle owl that comes around every now and then.”
Stone said, “The gardens also uplift the spirits of the elderly people who live in the village as you can smell the different flowers and hear the bees buzzing as you walk past the gardens.”
