Pears & Parrots in Paradise
Karen Chapman | Uncategorized | art, artist, design, edible, Focal points, foliage, path, South Africa, Travel, water gardens
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The perimeter pear orchard acts as a buffer from neighboring farms as well as a visual picture frame for the interior plantings. Photo taken from roof top deck.
Edibles
Paula has been experimenting with growing edibles in a variety of ways including companion planting, trellising and layering.
Vines scramble over tall trellis structures while other fruit are corralled within simple wire systems
Irrigation
What at first looks like a lap pool or ornamental pond is in fact an irrigation reservoir that holds water from the well. Solar power is used to pump water during the day so that they can run the irrigation at night. The bronze sculpture was commissioned by Athol Moult. He was inspired by all the birds (hens, owls, parrots) at Le Poirier so the sculpture is a representation of a falling feather. (There's a much better photo of this on the artists website). They also made use of a drip irrigation scheme called Responsive Drip Irrigation or RDI, which I found interesting and need to do further research on. Basically it is a 'plant-responsive water and nutrient delivery system'. If you've got any experience with this I'd love to hear from you.Design Elements
As always, I look at the overall design of any garden we visit to glean ideas and gain a better understanding. Le Poirier was fascinating.Transitions
We entered the garden through the pear orchard – the wildest part of the property, with vegetables growing on mounds beneath the fruit trees using RDI irrigation mentioned above. From here a small bridge provided a transition to more naturalistic plantings which acted as an entry sequence to the primary entertainment area. These beds were rectilinear in shape which made a pleasing contrast to the loose plantings and fine textures. Boulders and columnar evergreens punctuated the plantings, creating focal points.Use of Axis
One of my favorite design elements is the use of sight lines – or axis, so I was thrilled to see several strong examples in this garden. The view above can be appreciated from the roof top garden too: Mystery is another intriguing design ploy and suggested in this next image. The pathway/axis is evident – yet somewhat concealed by virtue of the tree-like vine which is growing in it.Shadow Patterns

Indoor-Outdoor Connection
Botanical inspired light fixtures and tactile art were the perfect addition to this light-filled home, which incidentally was magazine-worthy gorgeous (and especially delighted our four guests who were architects!)
The home's interior was equally beautiful. The intricate wall hanging was created by local artist Gabriella Kruger

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I'm a serious plant-aholic. In other words I'm usually covered in a layer or two of soil, I drive everywhere with a large tarp for impromptu plant purchases and I'm truly passionate about sharing the joys of gardening.