The Sunday Mail
Andrew Mangwarara
THIS week, we profile the Cresta Lodge in Msasa, Harare.
It is an ideal place to unwind, rethink and restrategise. Upon visiting the place, you end up forgetting your sorrows.
The landscape is characterised by majestic trees. You are greeted by the Nyanga flat-top (acacia abyssinica), with its flat crown a sight to behold. It forms a tight roof for the car park.
The fig tree (ficus capensis) gives an ancient feel of the African bush. The tree produces edible fruits relished by many.
At the junction that leads to the service area at the back, the giant banana (strelitzia nicolai) seems to make a statement.
The front entrance of the hotel has a few surprises.
You come across a wall with the tickey creeper (ficus pumila), a self-clinging climber. The name “Cresta” is inscribed on an adjacent greyish brick wall, which is a good design, especially with a round pot with the variegated weeping fig. There are other similar pots with chamaedoreas.
The wild date palm (phoenix reclinata) is lined up by the side of the hotel.
As you enter, you will notice a hanging garden with colourful indoor plants. Once inside, you will notice another gem in pots, in the sitting forecourt area. The mother-in-law’s tongue (sansevieria trifasciata and s. hahnii) is included here because of its aesthetic value and indoor air-purifying capabilities.
If you choose to eat, you will not miss the swimming pool area, where guests can sit and enjoy the tranquil environment.
When you green up your space to these standards, you would have managed to tame the concrete jungle.
This is truly an African setting, which you can visit right in the capital city.
What stands out about the gardens are the well-maintained lawns, which ease your mind into the place. Many other trees are found in this landscape, for example, the mobola plum (parinari curatellifolia), known for its delicious fruits and, of course, its unpleasant odour, which it releases at intervals into the atmosphere.
The fever tree (acacia xanthophloea) is also among the trees found here, with its characteristic yellow bark.
A large specimen of the weeping fig (ficus benjamina) gives a pleasant shade that cools any summer heat.
The bar area is worth visiting. There, you will be intrigued by a flowing stream that passes through the tables of sitting patrons.
Flowing water always gives life to a place.
If you would like to be profiled in the green-up campaign, contact us on the number above. Feedback: [email protected] or [email protected]
