Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Winner of the 2017 premier award in landscaping in South Africa  Project TeamClient: Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital TrustArchitects: GAPP Architects and Urban Designers, Sheppard Robson International, John Cooper Architecture and Ruben Reddy ArchitectsLandscape Architects: GREENinc Landscape ArchitectureL...

With the current water shortage in the Western Cape, Contours Landscapes offer solutions focused squarely on incorporating Water Wise plants and principles into every landscape we create.  So to help the water-conscious gardener, we have added to our list of our best water wise plants.In the Cape, now is a good time to get the planning done fo...

​Why is indigenous Cynodon dactylon grass targeted by government? Indigenous Cynodon dactylon turf grass is under attack by government. On 16 February, 2018, South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs published amendments to the regulations and lists relating to the National List of Invasive Species. Published in the Government Gazette, dra...

The right procedures for soil preparation, establishing and maintenance of our lawns will determine the success and satisfactory look of your grass and lawn. There are various processes one must adhere to, to make sure of success. Below we present a few lawn maintenance tips to get your grass growing.  YOUR GRASS NEEDS MORE TLC THAN YOU REALIZ...

Landscaping for wetlands Celebrate 2018 World Wetlands Day by appreciating the ecological and investment importance of landscaping wetlands into property developments across South Africa. World Wetlands Day is celebrated annually on February 2, a day marking the adoption of the Convention of Wetlands, known as the Ramsar Convention, held in Iran in...

 The water crisis is a major cause for concern and poses a serious threat to some businesses and people's livelihoods. On the positive side it has raised public awareness about the value of water and highlighted the bad practice of using potable water for irrigation. A workshop was held in August called 'Water restrictions as an agent of posit...

​Introduction Like your hair, a good cut is revitalising. Correct lawn mowing promotes growth whilst also leaves your lawn looking great. Did you know that you can mow your lawn better than an expert without spending money? All you only need is a guide, and you will be relaxing on a pristine lawn in no time. It's essential to mow correctly as certa...

 What's with all the paper? We're in the business of planting trees not cutting them down!  Life Landscapes, a division of Life Green Group, is making a concerted effort to use less paper in the office; after all we are in the business of planting trees not cutting them down. Here is how the six divisions of Life Green Group are using les...

 Growthpoint Properties has launched its G-Eco initiative with the installation of a food waste composting machine at Growthpoint Business Park in Midrand. This machine, the Heron IVC, is locally manufactured in South Africa by Earth Probiotic Industrial (Pty) Ltd. The Heron IVC turns food waste into compost and can process up to 1,000kg of fo...

​Recently, Servest's Landscaping and Turf division received the SALI Rand Water trophy for Best Water Wise Project in South Africa in recognition of their contribution to the Meyersdal Eco Estate, a residential estate in Alberton, south of Johannesburg. This achievement is an important breakthrough for any landscaper and is particularly remarkable ...

 Low maintenance, high impact kerb appeal If you own an investment property, a corporate building, or if you simply wish to implement better maintenance techniques into your business complex, kerb appeal is the cornerstone to making a positive impression on all of your visitors. Following these simple tricks can minimise time spent invested in...

 Life Sports Turf and Life Water IQ redesign artificial sports field drainage to collect rainwater. Saving client's money whilst preserving water. When looking to do rainwater harvesting for a property there are two vital variables, precipitation levels and surface area. And what greater surface area for rainwater harvesting than an artificial...

Trees South Africa plants up a Higgovale rooftop in Cape Town! Can you imagine a forest of trees on your building's rooftop, overlooking the Cape Town harbour at the foot of Table Mountain? This was the dream of one of the residents of Higgovale, and Trees South Africa made their dream became a reality. "Over a two-day period, and in collaboration ...

 It is time to get the spade out the garden shed and start digging because, along with Spring, Arbor Week has arrived! This year Arbor Week takes place from the 1st of September to the 7th of September, the theme for this year is Forests and Water. Arbor Week is a Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries event aiming to raise awarenes...

Soil quality determines the quality of your plants; the volume of water needed to produce crops; and ultimately – your production costs. Through years of over-usage, soil becomes depleted of nutrients and can eventually be devoid of the fertile qualities needed to cultivate healthy plants. Overusing herbicides also results in poor soil condition an...

 A Lovely, lively living wall to add colour to the office. Living walls – the interior plantscaper's response to a lack of space.Having the word, Life, as part of our company name requires that we live up to the name. So Life Indoors has made sure our offices are full of living plants and has even gone as far as to add a living wall in our rec...

​TreeKeepers believe that the only way to conserve our urban forests is to raise awareness of the value of trees for human health and well being thereby encouraging the Public to become more active in preventing trees from being removed. One of the biggest concerns that TreeKeepers (TK) currently has, apart from the need to develop skills in the tr...

​Insects, whether pests or pest predators are essential for garden stability. Pesticides upset the delicate balance that exists within gardens. It is possible to radically reduce the number of insect pests in your garden without having to resort to hosing your garden with a potion of harsh chemicals and toxins. Poisoning the lower end of the food c...

Slow down a runaway fire by firescaping a defensible space around your home with three zones of firewise plants.​ ​Midsummer is fire season in the Western Cape. In landscapes situated near mountain fynbos or near nature reserves, it is a good time to assess whether your landscape would protect you – or increase your danger – if your home lies in th...

 There are six different types of irrigation and sprinkler systems that Life Landscapes, the landscaping division of Life Green Group, works with. All of which offer different watering services to a garden. Irrigation has revolutionised watering. A hosepipe is an outdated way of watering a garden. Hosepipes damage vegetation, require manual la...