Urban Oasis: Jan Blok's Nature-Inspired Garden Retreat Transforms Johannesburg into a Bird-Lover's Haven
With a deep appreciation for nature, garden designer Jan Blok has transformed a cluster of neighbouring properties in the heart of Johannesburg into an extraordinary garden retreat for its bird-loving homeowner
The project began with an ambitious vision: to unify several neighbouring properties into a tranquil ‘naturescape’ surrounding a new home build. ‘Our aim was to open up the existing garden and create an expansive space that would connect the garden to the home,’ says Jan.
Collaborating closely with both the homeowner and the architect, Peter Cohen, Jan faced the challenge of balancing the scale of a triple-story home into the garden’s design. The solution involved planting a verdant screen of trees close to the house, effectively softening the structure and focusing attention on the surrounding landscape.
‘By incorporating species like Celtis africana and Erythrina caffra, we created a green buffer that integrates the home into its setting,’ Jan says. Initially, the garden was a maze of stairs connecting an entertainment boma, swimming pool and action court, across a variety of levels. To create a layout that enhanced accessibility and the experience of the outdoors, an eight-metre retaining wall was erected.
‘The retaining wall allowed us to remove cumbersome stairs and achieve an easy transition between the various garden zones,’ Jan says. ‘We brought in 5 000 cubic metres of soil, and redefined the property’s topography,’ which is now a landscape of low, rolling berms and gentle embankments supported by a cascading palette of grasses and salvias.
Jan’s planting strategy emphasises a dynamic and responsive palette, reflecting Johannesburg’s seasonal shifts. ‘We selected plants that thrive in the local climate, ensuring the garden remains vibrant all year round,’ he says. The garden is a now sprawling, rolling landscape adorned with an array of grasses such as Muhlenbergia capillaris and Stipa dregeana.
Among the grasses one finds plantings and small groupings of Aloes, Gaura, Kniphofia and Echinacea, each bursting into colour at different stages through the year. This cyclical process adds visual interest and reinforces the garden’s connection to the changing seasons. The garden has naturally evolved into a haven for local bird life. ‘Plants like Halleria lucida and Buddleja saligna have attracted a wonderful range of birds,’ says Jan.
Halleria lucida’s nectar-rich flowers draw in a myriad of sunbirds, and the berries are favoured by many fruit- eating birds, white-eyes, thrushes, robins, mousebirds and barbets. Buddleja saligna, known for its insect-attracting blooms, draws a flurry of warblers and babblers to feed and nest in the garden. This delightful aspect underscores Jan’s intention to create thriving ecosystems within a domestic urban setting. A feature here is the artful combining of functional as well as playful elements throughout the garden.
A whimsical circular water feature serves as both an area to cool off in the heat of the Johannesburg summer, and a much-loved splash zone for children. For maximum outdoor allure, seating has been placed strategically beneath trees for shelter and dappled shade. The family engages with the garden daily, be it as a perfect retreat for afternoon tea, on a favoured garden bench for a work-from-home day, or simply to recharge surrounded by birdsong.
Despite the garden’s relatively recent genesis – it was created in only six months, and completed less than nine months ago – it feels timeless. The careful selection of large Celtis africana, Pappea capensis, Erythryna caffra and quintessential jacaranda trees forms a mature green backbone to the garden that defies its age. ‘The garden is a continually growing and evolving space that feels natural and enduring – the family’s happy place,’ says Jan.
Text by Heidi Bertish
Photopraphy by Connall Oosterbroek