Cape Town Biodiversity Garden Showcase

The project is one of five of the City of Cape Town's (CoCT) Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB)

. LAB is a global urban biodiversity programme coordinated by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, in partnership with the IUCN.

The purpose is to showcase the diversity of plants and animals in the Cape and demonstrate responsible garden practise. Stephen Granger, Head of major programmes and projects at the City's Environmental Resource Management Department, recognized its purpose 'to showcase the Cape's biodiversity and demonstrate responsible gardening practises.' Its goal 'is to raise public awareness about the value and importance of regional biodiversity, and to disseminate practical knowledge on how to help conserve it.'

Art in the form of insects, animals and displays have been placed throughout the garden with steel, bronze and beads, to name a few materials, by Roddy McGuffog, Zizamele, Michael Methven, Streetwise and others. A few animals to spot in the garden include the grey mongoose, spotted genet, cape hare, cape fox and caral. All the animals and insect sculptures had to be original indigenous species from the cape.

One display really stood out for me as I walked through the park was the ceramic fish, based on the Clanwilliam yellowfish, which were brightly coloured jumping' or swimming' above the water. As gardener designer Marijke Honig said she "wanted a visual reminder that biodiversity includes life in the water."

The Biodiversity garden is themed into three topics; People & Biodiversity, Explore Biodiversity and Wetlands. Within the areas are interactive displays demonstrating how to garden for biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, Everything is Connected' and veld displays. The garden also holds a medicinal plant area and a Khokho food garden.

There are over three hundred plant species within the garden, which are irrigated by overflow spring water from the mountain. One plant that caught my eye which was also mentioned by Marijke during her presentation was the Hesperantha Falcata a small plant with exquisite flowers of red. What makes the flower particularly special is that it only flowers in the afternoon.

The Biodiversity garden is part of the 12.5ha People Park' being constructed by OvP Associates and Urban Landscape Solutions, which cost R54 million to construct.

Currently the plants are all still new and have to still grow to their full size meaning it will only get better in time. I overheard one of the planners saying that the garden might expand in the future which will give us all something to look forward to.

Cape Town Biodiversity Garden Showcase

By: Celeste

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