Welcome to the World of Landscaping Landscaping transforms outdoor spaces into functional, aesthetic, and sustainable environments. It goes beyond just planting trees and flowers; it integrates hardscaping elements like pathways and patios with softscaping elements such as lawns, gardens, and water features. Landscaping is not merely gardening or lawn care; it’s an art that combines horticulture and design to enhance the beauty and utility of an area. Topics covered in this blog Understanding Hardscaping and Softscaping Key Role Players in Landscaping Cost Considerations Starting from Scra ..read more

This blog lists shrubs, small trees, and other shrub-like plants that you can use as architectural form plants to create an eye-catching piece in your garden. When you add a couple of carefully chosen trees and shrubs and other shrub-like plants, you can go far in increasing the appeal of your garden. Furthermore, adding some of these plants to your garden will add interest and dimension. Turn dull uniform areas into modern, jaw-dropping show ‘pieces’. We have chosen some South African favourites, which we will discuss below. Rhaphiolepis indica – Indian Hawthorn shrub This is one of our favo ..read more

Do you want to add some drama and raw appeal to your garden? Gabions can do just that. Stone and rock have long been part of our human experience and the natural language of the earth. When you add them to your outdoor living space, they not only add warmth but also a sense of time, stability and unity with the landscape. In this blog, we at Contours Landscapes would love to help you understand what exactly Gabions are. What is a Gabion? Google defines the word ‘Gabion’ as a cage, cylinder, or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil. Engineers, Landscapers and military str ..read more

In this blog, we at Contours Landscapes will discuss the striking Leucospermum. It is more commonly known as the Pincushion or Sugarbush. This fynbos plant is in full flower from the end of winter right through spring. What makes the Pincushion spectacular is that during the flowering season, it bursts with big, bright flower heads in fiery yellows, oranges, and reds. The Remarkable Leucospermum (Pincushion) Flower Pincushions are known for their distinctive flowers that resemble giant pincushions. Their large round heads feature springy matchstick-like styles that spread widely as the flower ..read more

Fynbos, often perceived as rugged and dull by casual observers, is, in fact, a realm of remarkable diversity. This is especially true regarding colour, shapes, and textures, surpassing many other plant kingdoms in this regard. A Unique World of Flora The Fynbos biome, aptly named ‘The Garden Route,’ continues to surprise with its strange and alien-looking plant species, even for long-time residents. Some of these plants are so specialised that they only exist in specific conditions. These conditions are above certain altitudes, facing particular directions, sheltered from prevailing winds, or ..read more

Love your Garden Birds? We love birds too! March and April are excellent months to provide nesting, resting, feeding and water sites for birds in your garden. Here at Cape Contours Landscaping, we are taking some time to think about our feathered friends who add so much life and joy to our gardens. Let’s discover everything you need to know about birdfeeders and beyond and exactly what you need to do to bring birds to your garden. Autumn is usually a good time of year for the birds in your garden as many plants have gone to seed by now and are providing our garden birds with regular food. Howe ..read more

ABOUT OUR ARTIFICIAL PLANTS Don’t let anyone fool you! Faux is the new cool! The new possibilities for using artificial plants for greening up your interior and outdoor living spaces are reaching new heights! We have been working hard developing our growing range of artificial green walling options. It is becoming very difficult to tell artificial plants from real plants. We introduce you in this blog to some of our new products in our Artificial Plants range. In addition, we will give you some tips on where best to consider using them. In our previous blog on Artificial Plants, Contours ..read more

Spring has Sprung Spring has officially sprung, and now is the time of the year to get stuck into your garden, particularly in adding new flora to your garden. This article will cover what you should be doing in your garden over the next two months as well as some suggestions of what to add to our garden. It’s starting to get warmer, yet it’s not hot yet. This means soil temperature is on the increase, which is great for new planting. There is still adequate rain to get plants settled in, yet we are almost over our heavy rainy season that can damage newly planted areas (This is obviously in re ..read more

February and March are our last two months of summer before the weather starts cooling down. Make the best of the hot weather by having a green and unique braai with family and friends, which will be sure to impress and leave life long memories. This blog will give you recipes and ideas for braai meals made with herbs as well as other edibles plants, and will also inform you of how to grow some of the mentioned herbs. I hope this blog will leave your mouth watering and your brain bursting with ideas and facts. Mixed herb fresh from the garden  Sliced lemon in a vase with mint and lavend ..read more

It’s the end of the summer and temperatures are finally cooling down. Your vegetable garden may be looking a little tired with many plants having gone to flower and seed. Now is the time to do a general tidy up in your veggie patch, remove what you now longer want to make room for new plants and rotate your crops. Let look at what you need to be doing now to ensure good vegetable production through the winter and beyond. 1.Weeding Weeding your veggie garden is an ongoing task and very important. Weeds compete with your vegetables for water and food in the soil. Pull them out when they are sm ..read more