December 15, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
FEEL like taking a stroll in the luxuriant part of the Namib Desert or the Sahara? Now you can - at the new Succulent Garden, a little forest of cacti at the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens.
The garden, a botanic heaven for lovers of succulent plants, was officially opened by the managing director of Johannesburg City Parks, Luther Williamson, at a ceremony attended by members of the Succulent Society of South Africa at the gardens on Thursday, 14 December.
City Parks MD Luther Williamson, Succulent Society representative Jeffrey Abrahams and City Parks officials officially open the succulent garden
There are more than 85 species of succulent plant in the garden, which was developed "100 percent internally" by City Parks employees, according to Shonisani Munzhedzi, the general manager of environment conservation development at the utility.
"The garden cost less than R25 000 to develop. [It] will also be easy to maintain because all the succulent plants need is rain water."
Williamson urged visitors to the botanic gardens and the succulent garden in particular to "respect" and take care of the flora. He said the succulent garden was part of a broader plan by City Parks to beautify the City of Johannesburg ahead of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup.
"City Parks is planning to build 100 fountains around Johannesburg in the next five years. We want to develop the city into what I call ‘The Fountain City of the World'".
A member of the Succulent Society of South Africa, Jeffrey Abrahams, said succulents were water-retaining plants adapted to dry climates or soil conditions. The society's objectives were to promote knowledge, cultivation and conservation of succulents.
"This garden is so well done and I am proud to be associated with such an endeavour to protect and conserve all indigenous flora and their habitat," he said.
As a token of appreciation of City Parks and the Johannesburg Botanic Gardens, Abrahams donated to the succulent garden what he called South Africa's only indigenous cactus. After the ceremony, Williamson, together with Abrahams and staff from the gardens, cut a ribbon to signal the official opening of the succulent garden. A City Parks mosaic in the garden was also unveiled.
Munzhedzi said the succulent garden contained the aloe, euphorbia, emblem, sansevieria and the cactus family.
"The aloes were already well established in the garden and we decided to incorporate them into the succulent garden as it will create the idea of a maze with the huge surprise of a variety of succulents in different shapes, sizes and colour."
Senior horticulturalist Sandra Viljoen and Luther Williamson unveil a City Parks mosaic at the succulent garden
Each plant is labelled with scientific names like Euphorbia lydenbergensis, Aloe karasbergensis, Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii and Gymnocalycium schickendantzii, names which seemed to fascinate most of the guests.
The design of the beds includes the creation of a desert scene using only silica sand and a dry river bed with natural rock and wood stumps. The rocks and stumps are incorporated into the design to create a natural habitat for plants, wildlife and soil organisms and enhance the aesthetic elements of the plants.
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