World Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March SALI asked several female industry leaders to share their advice to fellow new and existing women in the green industries. Wander through our gallery of outstanding women in the South African landscaping industry. #SALI #landscaping #internationalwomensday #greenindustry #landscapearchitechture #leade...

The 5th of December is World Soil Day and at BERA BV we plan on getting our hands dirty with BERA Urbanscape... There are three BERA Urbanscape products on the market:  BERA Urbanscape Green Roll, BERA Urbanscape Green Flocks and BERA Urbanscape Green Cubes. These green products are not only hugely beneficial for soil quali...

Thunderstorm season has arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa. These electrically charged storms are a welcome addition to the Highveld - adding important nitrates to the soil as a natural fertilizer. While the theatre of the sky entertains and enthralls us, closer to earth calamity and chaos ensues as stormwater drains flood. Urban stormwater...

Southern Africa boasts some of the world's most beautiful bird species. As the country's avid bird watchers gear up for Birding Big Day on 30 November, how can you birdscape your landscape to attract feathered guests ? Encouraging birds to visit your garden is easy if you create the right environment for them. Birds have simple ...

Mature tree specialists, Trees South Africa grow, plant, rescue, relocate and rehabilitate trees. Owner and founder, Dag Willems, an ecologist and arborist offers his professional consultation services to various organisations, including the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town City Council and a number of universities.  Trees S...

Projects entered into five of the six categories for the annual South African Landscape Institute (SALI) Awards of Excellence are now automatically reviewed against the principles of water wise best practice.Cape Town's, Peninsula Landscaping was awarded a Double Gold for water wise landscaping excellence in the 2019 SALI Awards...

Peninsula Landscaping received the Rand Water Trophy for the Best Water Wise Entry, presented at the 2019 South African Landscape Institute (SALI) Awards of Excellence, held recently. The Award was presented for landscape construction at Steenberg Green, an upmarket housing estate, located on the urban edge of Zwaanswyk in Tokai and ...

What are Geotextiles? Geotextiles are permeable fabrics or materials associated with landscaping and soil. Geotextiles are used to: separate, filter, reinforce, protect, or drain soils.Typically, geotextiles are made from polypropylene or polyester. When it comes to gravel stabilisation products (made from geotextiles) the porous membrane is typica...

The first week of September is Arbor Week where all South Africans come together to celebrate the importance of trees for our planet.  Trees are essential for biodiversity in our ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide and provide a place for birds to roost. In our gardens, trees provide height interest, shade and structure in the landscape. Ar...

Green roofs are a trend on the rise. In South Africa, the city of Durban is at the forefront of this phenomenon. While Germany, is listed as having the most green roofs in the world.  BERA Urbanscape has created a green roof product that helps landscape architect, engineers and construction companies with installing roof top gardens. In&n...

Managing a holiday home remotely can be a source of stress for home owners. The garden needs like weeded, watered, mowed and pruned. Most second home owners rely on garden service companies to maintain their gardens while they are not there. However, there are ways to make your holiday home garden more self-sufficient, eco-friendly and hassle free,...

Capetonians may have weathered the drought but water problems are not going away in the foreseeable future. It has citizens digging for boreholes, planting indigenous water-wise plants and investing in grey water recycling systems. The 22 March is World Water Day, water is a basic human right, for thousands have lived without love but no one withou...

South Africans have become used to the El Nino effect causing havoc with our seasons. The amount of rainfall we can expect during the wet season differs in all regions. Many of our towns are still struggling with extreme water shortages, and don't have enough water to even keep a household going. Luckily, we have had r...

Who said gumboots are the only shoes to wear in the garden?!Be kind to the environment and your shoes. Gravel is generally not considered to be shoe-friendly, especially when it comes to high-heels of stilettos. The heel of the shoe sinks into the ground and is damaged by small sharp stones but not with BERA Gravel Fix.Ladies, how often have you sc...

What do you need to know about South Africa's new marijuana laws?  Libra Landscape and Facilities Management...  looks into the issues and offers this advice:1. WHAT DOES THE NEW MARIJUANA LAW IN SOUTH AFRICA MEAN FOR THE WORKPLACE?• The employer needs to embed the issue within their organisational disci...

It is April and still there is no rain forecast for the Cape…  Extreme water saving efforts are needed in the Western Cape. In an effort to ease the pressure on our water supply, municipalities across the province have implemented level 3b water restrictions for the foreseeable future. What are the biggest users of water in your home? The toil...

Colour landscaping with indigenous plants Life Landscapes explains how to use colour in your landscapes, using indigenous plants. Discover how to use red, orange, yellow, green, blue, white, pink and lilac-flowering indigenous flora in your landscape. Red in landscaping For all intensive purpose as red palette garden is a sunbird garden. Red is a b...

Water wise landscaping Planting with species that thrive on less than 500mm of winter rainfall a year is the new reality for landscaping in Cape Town. The politicians may have done away with the Day Zero concept, but the realities of the water situation in the Western Cape remains dire. Water restrictions and the price of potable water have encoura...

Between 25% to 40% of turf is grown in partial or deep shade. A 50% or more light reduction is not uncommon. Shade effects turf by: Reduced light intensityExtremes of temperatures are moderatedWind movement is restrictedRelative humidity is increasedIntensity and duration of dew is increased &Turf has to compete with tree roots for water and pl...

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...