WHO LIVES HERE? Hannes and Carol-Ann van Jaarsveld
WHERE Val de Vie Evergreen retirement village, Val de Vie Estate, Paarl
SIZE OF ALLEYWAY 48m²
TYPE OF SOIL Clay; partly replaced with enriched topsoil
ORIENTATION East-facing with lots of sun, especially in the hot summer months
The Van Jaarsvelds moved from a large property with a beautiful garden in Graaff-Reinet to the Val de Vie Evergreen retirement village outside Paarl in June 2024.
Keen to make the most of every nook and cranny in their new garden, they enlisted the help of Petro Jacobs of Petro Landscaping.
The problem
One of the challenges was the hot alleyway on the east-facing side of the house.
It runs from the front of the property to the back garden, and the entire surface was covered with brown gravel, giving it a stark, harsh appearance.
In addition, the walls reflected the sun, making the space seem even hotter.
The alley was divided into three sections:
1 The rear part (9.5 x 2.3m), onto which two of the bedrooms overlook.
2 A narrow strip only 1.3m wide and 5m long.
3 A section about 8.5m long and 2.3m wide at the front of the house.
Soil improvement
“The soil under the gravel was poor. After removing all the gravel (except in one section), we also removed the top 300mm of the soil, as well as any rocks, and carted them away.
“We then added a layer of good quality garden soil,” explains Petro.
The next step was to plant trees.
The holes for the trees were dug deeper than the 300mm of soil that had already been removed.
The poor quality soil dug out from the bottom of the holes was also removed and some of the new soil was used to fill the holes once the trees had been planted.
A compost mulch of about 5cm was incorporated into the entire area to ensure a healthy topsoil.Initially, there was no irrigation in the alley, so the existing system had to be adapted.
“I prefer to install the irrigation after the soil prep has been done and the trees have been planted, since all the digging for the planting holes can damage the pipes,” she explains.
“In the alleyway, the creepers had already been planted against the walls when they came to install the irrigation pipes.
“It’s a bit disheartening when a space that’s already been planted is dug up, but the chaos was short-lived and so worth it!”
Greenery
Petro has started softening the alleyway by greening the boundary wall with star jasmine climbers.
Stainless steel cables were laid in a crisscross pattern along the wall for the plants to creep up. The idea is not to maintain the crisscross pattern, but to give the climber something to wrap itself around and eventually form a green wall.
“But if you only add greenery to the wall, there’s no depth and dimension in the space and it doesn’t connect to the house.
“So it was paramount to also plant trees in the alleyway. There’s little that beats the natural coolness and shade of a tree. Trees also create a sense of tranquillity and attract birds.
“When the bedroom windows overlooking the alleyway are open, the sound of the birdlife becomes part of the room. In this way, the alley and the house become one,” she explains.
Petro’s initial design included four leopard trees (Libidibia ferrea), but she decided an indigenous tree would work better here.
“I chose the lavender tree and planted five of them to form a mini woodland. It’s a lovely tree with a non-aggressive root system – perfect for a small space like this.”
Pathway
One of the most important elements in an alleyway is the pathway, and doing it properly takes time.
“First decide how you want the pathway to run, then work out how many stepping stones you will need.
“I usually work on a gap of about 15–20cm between the stepping stones and prefer a flowing, winding pathway in a narrow space like this.
“Make sure the pavers are laid solidly and are level – use a little builder’s sand to fill in under them if necessary.”
Petro says the choice of pavers is important in order to disguise straight lines.
“I chose and placed the stepping stones in such a way that the pathway looks like it is meandering. A gentle curve gives it a more fluid aesthetic and creates a sense of space,” she explains.
“An alley is always narrow, and if your pathway and paving stones have straight lines, it emphasises the dimensions and will only make it appear even narrower.
“The charcoal-coloured pavers measuring 680 x 440mm were perfect for what we needed.
“They have an uneven shape and no two blocks look exactly alike – something that enhances the softness of the winding walkway.”
Plant selection
Petro selects plants that will add colour and interest to an alleyway.
Other than a single lemon tree, she used seven different plants and repeated them throughout:
Cape scabious (Scabiosa africana)* is a perennial that boasts light purple flowers in spring and summer.
Dwarf mat rush (Lomandra ‘Lime Tuff’) is a small ornamental grass with narrow lime-green leaves; it requires minimal maintenance.
Lavender tree (Heteropyxis natalensis)* is deciduous; the leaves have a lavender scent when crushed.
Lemon tree (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’)
Philodendron ‘Shangri La’ (Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum ‘Shangri La’) is a beautiful plant with a compact leaf shape that is suitable for a small space.
Plectranthus ‘Magic Mona’* has a compact growth habit and bears beautiful purple flowers in autumn.
Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) works well to soften walls. In early summer it is covered with small, sweetly scented, star-shaped flowers.
Wonder lawn (Dichondra repens) grows in between and around the pavers; this groundcover copes well with foot traffic.
* indigenous
Tips
The limited space of an alleyway shouldn’t stop you from planting trees.
Trees provide shade and greenery without taking up too much space. Other trees with non-aggressive roots that can be planted close to structures are the forest elder (Nuxia floribunda) and the wild pear (Dombeya rotundifolia).
The latter does grow bigger but can be pruned back as needed. I would’ve only been able to use one wild pear or forest elder in such a small space, so I opted for lavender trees instead – you can plant more of them to create a mini woodland.
A winding pathway with large paving blocks provides a sturdy walkway that’s easy to navigate. Rather avoid pavers that are too small, as this makes the space look busy. Round stepping stones with a diameter of 500mm or 600mm work well.
Soften the stepping stones with groundcovers in between. This allows the path to integrate with the rest of the plantings and contributes to a sense of space.
Avoid planting shrubs to add height. This makes the space feel cramped and you lose the sense of depth and dimension. Instead, use climbers for this purpose.
Limit plant combinations and repeat the same plants for simplicity. Ornamental grasses are a good choice – plant three to five together and add an accent plant or two to draw the eye.
The plants you use should create a tranquil, green space without competing against each other or making the alleyway feel too crowded.
CONTACT AND STOCKIST
