Garden Genius-the gateway to completeness and self -fulfillment

 

By Robert Zvidza

Garden Genius Private Limited is a professional garden designing and landscaping company based in Harare. They have become a household name in Zimbabwe through their superb garden designs.

 

Homes & Styles Magazine recently caught up with Helena Du Coudray, the Managing Director and owner of Garden Genius, to talk about her company and her passion for creating beautiful outdoor living spaces.

 

This is her story.

 

“I studied landscaping at a college in Cape Town when I finished high school but l found myself on a different career path of Public Relations. I had a very long career in Public Relations where I worked for different big companies in the country. I then got tired of wearing high-heeled shoes and stockings and decided to start Garden Genius.

 

“We started from humble beginnings in 1997. At that time there was only one company in the country that did landscaping owned by the well-known landscaper Errol Tarr. We have progressed since then to where we are.

 

“We pride ourselves in having survived a  very bumpy economic situation in 2008 and have since grown to become a household brand in Zimbabwe. Experience counts,” she says.

 

Over the years Garden Genius has created thousands of gardens for residential homes, corporates, mines, and retail outlets around the country and has now purchased modern 3D equipment and software to enhance their garden designs.

 

“With this 3D equipment we are able to design a garden virtually and a client has the chance to see exactly how their garden will look and we can change virtually anything the client wants. The gardens usually turn out exactly the same or even better than the drawings,” said Helena.

 

But what inspires her? “I like clean homes, I don’t like clutter and I work with different colours and themes. These have to match. I like modern straight lines and energy has to flow. One has to feel good inside.

 

“Over the years of landscaping in Harare, I have become aware of the climate. The weather has become erratic and it’s very difficult to find the balance between plants that prefer dry conditions and water-loving plants so we’re very careful in choosing which plants to use. We have to respect the water situation and the environment so we’ve resolved to use a lot of stones and succulents in our designs.  

 

“We use suitable plants which last for a longer period of time. We don’t use annuals (plants that quickly bloom and fade away) rather we go for perennials (which bloom throughout the year) as well as succulents which provide contrasting colours - white against green, red against yellow and we also balance leaf textures and shapes.”

 

Garden Genius, according to Helena, also makes use of Japanese plants that are evergreen perennials and often have an overall harmonious shape with stylish foliage or flowers. They are slow growers and tend to have a peaceful presence.

 

To make their work easier Garden Genius has established a nursery with a vast selection of healthy and established landscaping plants.

 

“This makes our work much easier as we don’t have to run around looking for plants for our clients. We have a large amount of stock on hand and we are very fast. We take a maximum of three weeks to design and establish a normal garden.

 

Asked about her future plans with Garden Genius, Helena says they are satisfied with the level they’re at now.

 

“We are happy where we are, but I would want to get more into designing. I feel I am powerful with design. When I walk onto a site I can see what needs to be done at once in seconds, that’s my strength. I always make site visits to have a feel of the ground, soil texture, and availability of water.”

 

She has a few tips for those aspiring to have beautiful gardens.

 

“When you want to start a garden, it is good to have a plan first and be able to stick to it. You execute it bit by bit as and when you can afford it. At Garden Genius we put great emphasis on the preparation of the ground before planting by feeding the soil using natural decomposed manure.

 

 

“The colour of your garden wall is also extremely important in bringing out your garden. I like to use dark khaki grey. Even a Dura wall can be painted using the same colour,” she says.

 

So if you want a beautiful garden contact Garden Genius, you won’t be disappointed.

 

An exploration of antiques through the eyes of Birch Williams

 

By Robert Zvidza

 

When settlers came to Zimbabwe between 1890-1920, they brought with them a lot of stuff, furniture, and some treasured ornaments. These items came from all over Europe on wagons and they were their most treasured furniture and always desirable.

 

As years passed, these pieces of furniture were substituted as people became dependent upon technology and the need for constant updates. The desire for new trends has ultimately led to a depreciation in the need for older objects, sometimes called antiques.

 

One reason for such a decline is that the public, particularly younger generations, have forgotten what can make these vintage pieces unique and more valuable than modern technology, or other trendy items.

 

This is why antique collectors have become vital in preserving this history as well as  serving as both educators and providers of a wide variety of antiques and treasured items.

 

In Zimbabwe, Birch Williams is passionate about preserving antiques and has been in the business for over 30 years.

 

Homes & Styles Magazine took time to visit him at his showrooms at Doon Estate in Msasa, Harare, for an interview where he poured out his heart on his passion, which he has also merged with his home design and arrangement talent.

 

“My obsession with antiques and interior design and arrangement started at a very young age when I used to watch Roger Hamilton King doing the display in his shop at Fife Avenue Mall. I was around 10 or 11 years at that time. At 13, I would bunk school to attend antique sales.

 

“My interest in design in general is, I believe, an inherent thing. I have never done any course or studies and yet I know naturally how things should be arranged,” he said in an interview.

 

A random saunter in his showrooms will show a variety of antique collections and other treasured ornaments from cupboards, tables, and chairs, silverware, artwork, wall hangings, chandeliers, and vases among others.

 

He has grouped his collections in four showrooms which represent different styles. African Baroque is largely filled with Victorian items from Europe, Halfway House is more African in style, Orient Interiors has Asian art and pieces and  Acacia Trading is a mixture of artifacts put together in a more contemporary way.

 

In Acacia Trading, the touch of Birch’s hand in arranging and designing can be seen as the showroom already exudes the beauty of antiques when properly arranged.

 

Besides collecting and selling to customers who still see value in antiques, Birch Williams has used his talent to help customers that buy his collection in designing their homes leaving them with a tasteful and stylish look.

 

Antiques often display fine craftsmanship that is harder to come by today and feature intricate wood carving, marquetry, or decorative flourishes that one will not find in run-of-the-mill modern-day furniture.

 

“Antiques are a drying resource and you can’t get more. Until recently, there was really good craftsman in the world but we are getting into a time where there is no real craftsmanship left, everything is now being mass-produced and disposable. So anybody in the future as we go along that wants really good quality will have to buy antique things because that will be the only good things that are left.

 

“Learning an interest in old things that were beautifully made and not mass manufactured is rewarding and fulfilling especially in a world that is so automated and devoid of most emotion. Antiques carry with them history and life something a newly made item will never do. Things are not likely to be made with such style and skill again,” he says.

 

He also adds that as people are going for smaller and smaller places and going for disposable decor, they literally leave everything behind when they shift and start over again. This is environmentally unfriendly.

 

“Imagine how the world will be in the next 20 or 30 years to come with piles and piles of unwanted furniture.”

 

In his many years in dealing in antiques, Williams has hosted a number of famous people at his shop but the most revered include the late Golden Globes Award winner Dana Wynter, who bought a few pieces from his shop as well as actress Reese Witherspoon who used to find comfort in viewing antiques at his shop during her visit to Zimbabwe.

 

He has also used his interior design skills to makeover Rhodes Hotel in Nyanga in a bid to try and retain its original style.

 

If you are a serious antique enthusiast, then you can not look beyond Birch Williams shops.

Doon Estate is located at Number 1, Harrow Road, Msasa, Harare. For more on Antique Shops Call Patricia  on 0772682814