August 3, 2004
By Philippa Garson
A SPECTACULAR garden is in the pipeline for Johannesburg residents who want to pay tribute to people who have died of Aids or who would simply like to soak up the fine weather in a beautiful environment.
The Johannesburg Property Company has leased an unused piece of ground in Troyeville, next to the busy Bezuidenhout Street, to Sidney Meyer, a project mastermind who - with the help of Aids orphans - plans to create the botanical paradise.
A view of the city from the top of the koppie
The piece of land consists of a large grassed area and the rocky ridge above it, which is peppered with indigenous trees and aloes. From the top of the koppie, the view of the city and the skyline - featuring Ponte, the Carlton Centre and Hillbrow's Post Office Tower - is spectacular.
"It is the last piece of open land that visitors coming in from the airport see before they hit the city. It should be saying a huge WELCOME with flowers," writes Meyer in a document about the project.
"The message could be going out to all that, 'Yes, we have a big HIV/Aids problem, but we are doing something about it. Yes, people have died but here are some of their surviving children and this is their message: Hope Grows."
Meyer, who lives with his partner two houses away from the unused ground, has dreamt up Hope Grows - a project he's determined to see to fruition.
Planting will begin in spring: Meyer is planning to transform the grassed area into a huge garden with a large "clock-like circle" in the middle made up of 12 "pie slices" for each month of the year. Memorials to heroes or martyrs in the struggle against Aids - such as Gugu Dlamini, Simon Nkoli and Nkosi Johnson - will be attached to their birthday months. Flowers that bloom in each month will be planted in the appropriate slices.
It is hoped the garden - which will have paved walkways, benches and lookout points - will attract tourists, residents and all those who want to pay their respects to people who have died of Aids. The ridge above it will be cleaned up - it is strewn with litter and broken glass - and will be stocked with indigenous plants only.
Residents of surrounding houses have agreed to fund a full-time security guard for the park.
Meyer writes: "We'll take these two groups of South African orphans - the kids who have lost their parents to Aids, and gardens and parks no one really wants to look after - and get them to look after each other.
"In this way we can honour all those who have lost their lives in this war in a practical and useful way - remembering them in life in a place of beauty, created by the children of some of the victims."
Meyer's long-term plan is to start a garden academy and to train Aids orphans who can then start their own gardening or landscaping businesses.
"It will all be part of the drive to rescue the art of gardening from its colonial 'garden boy' stigma.
"Gardening does not deserve its ill-gained reputation as the lowest of the low jobs. It is a noble occupation, almost a calling; there is joy in creating beauty with your hands in the dirt," he says.
Joburg's balmy weather is manna from heaven for many plants that thrive here all year round. Yet, instead of capitalising on this and creating more beautiful parks that could attract tourists, the city has neglected its parks, writes Meyer.
"Wonderful old-world parks like Rhodes Park are completely neglected. Most of the old flowerbeds have been planted with ivy and only here and there a brave clivia can still be seen poking through the dense growth…
As Meyer asks, surely people such as those living near Rhodes Park would be prepared to pool together to have a few enthusiastic young gardeners turn things around?
Anyone interested in supporting Meyer's Hope to Grow project can email sidneymeyer@telkomsa.net or phone 082 904 9468.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
