The Sunday Mail
Beautiful landscapes need not be water guzzlers, drought resistant options can be adopted, think of succulent plants and pot plants. Other drought tolerant ground covers can be used as lawns.
I was glad to see city council men busy planting flowers on the flower beds along Julius Nyerere Way one morning, a sight I hadn’t seen in a long time.
A big thumbs-up to the city fathers for all their efforts in beautifying the capital city. Harare was once dubbed the Sunshine City and that title can still be redeemed.
A positive trend has also recently gripped Harare.
Various companies and organisations have made it their business to adopt barren road islands and magically transform them by planting an assortment of colourful plants and lawns. Such efforts are to be highly commended as they help bring back the once revered Sunshine City.
Garden landscape design can play a great role in transforming our cities countrywide.
I love shopping at Westgate, Eastgate and Sam Levy’s Village because of the great atmosphere there. The many beautiful plants adorning the malls places them in a world of their own.
Harare can learn a great deal from the great cities of the world. Aesthetic appearance can play a great deal in upgrading Harare’s status as one of the best cities in the world.
As the capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare must be adorned and landscaped to look the part.
Improving the aesthetic beauty of our capital city will greatly increase tourism.
Let us all as citizens work towards landscaping and adorning our properties.
Beautiful landscapes need not be water guzzlers, drought-resistant options can be adopted, think of succulent plants and pot plants. Other drought-tolerant ground covers can be used as lawns.
We must plant trees throughout the year, not just wait for the tree planting day. The more trees we plant, the cleaner the air we will enjoy considering the increased traffic on our roads.
However, in the process of planting new trees, we must remember to safeguard our own heritage by planting indigenous plant species as opposed to planting exotic ones.
We have the expertise and the knowledge to transform our city into a world-renowned destination.
Harare already boasts of great sights such as the Kopje, magnificent parks and gardens and a variety of wildlife sanctuaries that make it a unique city.
Having said all, a great culture change needs to occur in the way we dispose litter in the Central Business District.
There is need to avoid littering our streets.
More bins need to be provided at busy spots in the city, especially at commuter omnibus ranks.
Thinking green is the modern trend internationally.
Most cities have begun transforming high storey buildings into gardens.
In the CBD, the empty roof tops can be transformed into beautiful gardens so as to soften the concrete jungle and help clean the air.
The Eastgate complex is one such ingenuity design which has won awards for incorporating plants in its air conditioning system.
Choosing the best plants for your project becomes the most important step.
Select drought-tolerant hardy specimens but of course do not ignore their aesthetic appearance, which is the most important feature in your garden designs.
Let us keep the Sunshine City shining!
For your garden enquiries and advice contact the author by email: [email protected]
