If there is one factor which sets the truly professional property developer apart from the less successful and short term fly-by night-operators, it is the quality of the landscaping that is associated with their developments.
This is the view of Paul Henry, Managing Director of Rawson Developers.
“It always amazes me,” said Henry recently, “how some developers are prepared to spend millions on their buildings – and to take great care to see that they are handed over in good condition – but will scrimp and save on any item related to the gardens and the surroundings. This has a huge detrimental effect on the appearance of the development, but that does not seem to worry them. Our aim should always be to ensure that Cape Town’s suburbs continue to be green and leafy.”
Developers with a feeling of responsibility to the communities where they are operating, said Henry, often draw up lists of the landscaping principles which they are committed to and these are shared with the Home Owners Association.
At Rawson Developers, he said, the obligations list includes such policies as:
1. Replacing all trees removed by the building process with new plantings and wherever possible trebling the previous number of trees on the site. Trees, said Henry, reduce noise levels and attract birds.
2. Attending to the landscaping of all surrounding areas. This often requires the consent of the local council who own these areas. A developer can upgrade a whole precinct by attending to road verges and undertaking to improve a local park and/or green belts.
3. Sticking to indigenous vegetation throughout. Although foreign plants can be very attractive, on principle, they should never be planted in South Africa. Cape Ash, Waterberry and Keurboom are just some of the trees which Rawson Developers have found to be particularly useful in developments.
4. Committing to the use of water-wise plants. In general, indigenous plants are far less ‘thirsty’ than imported European vegetation. In this connection, the high cost of municipal water makes it unwise to have extensive lawns today. In their place, attractive groundcover or stone chips will, very often, be just as appropriate. Where lawns are laid down, the Rawson Developers policy is to use only water-wise species such as Buffalo grass and Cynodon (Kweek grass).
5. Establishing at least one (or more) well points on the site and using these for the irrigation of the gardens. This can have a huge saving on municipal water bills. As a corollary to this, it is important to install an efficient garden irrigation system, again one which does not waste water. Where the apartment block or development has full time gardening staff, it is more effective to operate the irrigation manually rather than to automate it.
6. Selecting trees for their ability to give shade in summer and allow natural light to penetrate the site in winter. This may seem very obvious, but again it is surprising how many developers choose trees ‘because they like the look of them’, but which actually makes the buildings colder in winter. Due to the fact that trees take a long time to grow, added Henry, the developer cannot rely totally on young trees and shrubs. His budget has to include several big trees of the kind that can weigh anything from 500 kg to 4,000 kg each and which need a crane to lift. These trees can be expensive,” said Henry, “but experience has shown that they ‘make all the difference’ to a new development. The cost of such trees can run into many thousands of rands, but we have never had a case where we regretted having spent this money later.
7. Employing an experienced landscaping consultant to colour match the landscaping with the surroundings and buildings. This is definitely work which has to be undertaken by a professional because the impact of colourful plants strategically set out at the right points on the site is far greater than the average amateur gardener realizes.
