Leisure Bay Conservancy Open Gardens: Untouched beauty underpins special garden
Libby and Mick Goodall will open their green creation to the public during the indigenous garden show.
IT is 30 years since Libby and Mick Goodall acquired a Leisure Bay property and built ‘Plumbago’, their lovely home, but, according to Mick, God had started their garden years before that.
Back then the natural vegetation on their large, tree-filled property was virtually untouched. This provided them with an empty canvas and wonderful natural material for a green creation to complement what was then their holiday home.
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As nature lovers, they have always appreciated KwaZulu-Natal’s wonderfully lush and diverse vegetation so their instincts were to go the indigenous route and to keep their newly acquired piece of coastal bush as pristine as possible.
This was also a practical consideration. As Plumbago would only be a part-time home, it wouldn’t do to have swathes of heavy maintenance lawn and formal beds. An informal, water-friendly garden layout, input from Mother Nature and indigenous plants that would take care of themselves made far more sense.
The Goodalls, who took up permanent residence in Leisure Bay some 10 years ago, have had great pleasure in watching their beloved garden flourish and mature into the stunner it is today. They are looking forward to opening their mini-nature reserve to the public during the Leisure Bay Conservancy’s open indigenous gardens weekend on June 16 and 17. Plumbago and the other three selected gardens will be open from 10am to 4pm daily.
Over the years the Goodalls’ garden has matured into a stylish but still wonderfully wild green creation, boasting an extremely high percentage of indigenous plants. The magnificent trees, many of which tower above the double storey house, form the bones of the design.
This is fleshed out with an incredibly wide range of mainly shade-loving shrubs, herbaceous plants and pretty ground covers. The biodiversity of this garden is absolutely amazing, making it valuable from a conservation point of view. For instance, trumpeter hornbills, who depend on our tall coastal forest trees, are frequent visitors to Plumbago.
It is such a joy to wander around the garden with Libby and Mick, both passionate conservationists, committed nature lovers, indigenous gardening gurus and botanical boffs. They love to share their wide knowledge of all things green, so a walk around their garden is an outdoor natural science lesson.
Over the years they have built up a considerable collection of special plants endemic to the sand forests of northern KwaZulu-Natal, so open garden visitors should look out for these green treasures. The Plumbago property is situated on an old coastal dune so sand forest plants thrive there.
As for the garden design, look out for the informal pathways that wind through the shady sections, inviting you to wander around a space that is a delight to explore. Everywhere are hidden nooks and crannies, striking form plants and Libby’s ‘stories’. These are interesting corners with grinding-stone bird baths, garden art and natural treasures, all artfully arranged to tell a story and to stimulate the imagination. It wouldn’t be surprising to find a fairy or two at the bottom of this garden.
These little arrangements combine with handkerchief-sized patches of lawn, some formal paving and neat pathways to provide the garden with structure and contrast to the wilder sections. Not only is this garden a treasure trove of wonderful indigenous plants but its pleasing layout and design will offer any gardener plenty of inspiration.
All four show gardens are situated in Leisure Bay. Plumbago’s address is 546 St Ives Avenue. The other gardens are at 1668, Seaton Avenue, 1311 Fisherman’s Drive, and ‘Kalimera’, at 1043 Fisherman’s Drive. They will be well signposted from the main road.
Tickets, at R30 to see all the gardens, will be available at the garden entrances during the garden show and from selected local outlets, members of the Leisure Bay Conservancy and the participating gardeners. All profits go to the Leisure Bay Conservancy.
Each garden will offer some refreshments and will host visiting gardening and conservation experts. There will be limited indigenous plants and other garden-related goodies on sale, plus some competitions.
For information, contact the Goodalls at 082 561 6993, Mark at 082 4282087, Stephanie at 083 3029382 or Merle at 083 4075219.
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