Servest Landscaping

Meet the Designer

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

At Servest Landscaping we consider ourselves people’s persons. The part we love most about our field of work is that we get to interact with a variety of clients with different needs, and to fulfil those needs we have a rather interesting scope of staff. We’d like to introduce you to our Johannesburg Landscape Designer, Gina Switala.

Gina grew up in the lowveld area of Nelspruit, among the citrus farmlands and wilds of the surrounding game farms. This is where her love of the outdoors was nurtured, lending her a keen eye for things that are naturally aesthetically pleasing. With Matric under her belt, she enrolled at the University of Pretoria and completed a BSC in Landscape Architecture with two years of Post-graduate studies. Gina joined Servest Landscaping in January this year, and she has become an invaluable part of our team.

Responsible for soft and hard landscape design, what we fully appreciate about Gina’s way of designing is her ability to preserve existing unique and attractive features on site. Although the clients’ needs come first, she has a real soft spot for beautiful indigenous trees and usually only removes them as a last resort. Again, this links back to her upbringing in a less built-up area; giving her the insight needed to subtly reproduce naturally wondrous elements in more corporate environments.

As part of the Servest Landscaping crew, Gina is as enthusiastic about diversity as the rest of us! She loves the range of jobs, and the individual challenges that each one offers up to the plate. It’s working through those challenges, and creating a clear and attainable landscape vision for her clients that provides her the most satisfaction. A landscaper can envision roots growing and foundations settling; they fathom the speed at which each individual plant develops and precisely what the area will look like at any point in the year; but it is a truly skilled individual who ensures their client can see this too.

Gina has worked on a number of projects this year, but one of her most memorable was the Servest Greens Division display at the Grand Designs Show held at the Coca Cola Dome. The display acted as a living advert for Servest Office Plants, Landscaping and Turf; and Gina was responsible for the conceptualisation and build of ‘Picnic Hill’ in a very tight time frame. A large grassy picnic area was created complete with blankets and colourful planters, where show attendees could chill out, have a bite to eat and rest their feet. It proved exceptionally popular and was the perfect showcase for Servest’s dynamism and practical creativity; we aim to make an outdoor environment easy to interact with, which in turn makes people happy. Simple.

Choosing a professional landscaping service like Servest guarantees you the guidance of people like Gina Switala, whose lives revolve around their passions. In this case our passion is creating landscapes second to none, and we ensure that your ideas will become certain and attainable realities.

Water filtration and Irrigation Systems

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000

For the layman, ‘irrigation’ could be defined as a good quality hosepipe and perhaps an orange clip-on sprinkler for good measure. But for professional landscaping services working on a much larger scale, watering has to be planned meticulously. Most commonly, water filtration and complete irrigation systems are employed as the most efficient and cost effective watering methodology.

Landscape irrigation systems are generally split into four main categories:

1. Micro-irrigation lies above ground, and feeds water directly to plant root systems. The advantage of this is that one can control the amount of water needed for specific types of plants, but this is only really useful for ornamental trees, shrubs and groundcover. It is not applied over large turf areas.

2. Flood systems are used for specific plants that are susceptible to diseases caused by overwatering via other methods. It is fairly water-intensive and also requires flat land to prevent run-off and erosion, and is more commonly used in ornate gardens.

3. Rotary sprinklers have spray heads that rotate in a circle, and are sunk into lawns. These cover large areas and are ideal for turf, but do require regular maintenance as they tend to stick, causing over watering in some areas and under watering in others.

4. Spray irrigation systems use the more traditional sprinkler head, which only pop up when in use. This means they are less likely to get damaged, and they perform well with less water pressure than rotary sprinklers. However, they cover smaller areas and tend to be negatively affected by water with a high mineral content.

Most landscape services dealing with large areas will employ the use of rotary sprinklers or spray systems, particularly with turf. And because of the fine nature of the piping involved with sprinklers, water filtration systems become an equally important addition. Even small amounts of sand or organic matter can build up within irrigation pipes, causing blockages which are hard to locate. Moreover, sprinkler heads become clogged and spray water erratically, which usually damages grass with the appearance of large brown spots.

Using effective water filtration radically reduces the occurrence of blockages and sprinkler damage, and typically involves a screen filter system that is self cleaning. These are especially useful when irrigation water is being drawn from boreholes or rivers with a high sediment load.

In general though, irrigation systems are employed to reduce water wastage, to save valuable time, and to channel water specifically where it needs to be at the right period of the day. At Servest Landscaping, we see the use of properly maintained water filtration and irrigation systems as solid environmentally sound practice, which benefits our clients and the health of their landscapes.

The Geometry of Landscape Aesthetics

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000

"1. Mathematics is the language of nature. 2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers. 3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge. Therefore: There are patterns everywhere in nature." – From the film Pi, by Darren Aronofsky

It is a proven fact that in nature, we find patterns. Whether it’s in the crystalline shape of a flake of snow, or in the never ending spiral of a coiled fern, as human beings we relate to the aesthetics that patterns present. While we may nod appreciatively at an ordered whirl of petals on the head of a flower, in science there is actually a term for this innate mathematical beauty; that of Fractal Geometry.

To simplify a somewhat complex idea, Fractal Geometry suggests that shapes in nature repeat themselves on various scales. For example, imagine a simple tree that has a trunk which splits in two, usually into a Y-shape. Move further up the tree, and the two parts of the trunk split again into two smaller Y-shapes. This pattern repeats itself right down to the Y-shape sticks that are tipped by leaves at the end of branches. Obviously the shapes are not identical, but they are self-similar; and it is this geometric ordering which has been proven to appeal to the human eye.

Furthering this idea, geometry becomes a major part of landscape aesthetics. While shapes occur naturally, to create symmetry and usability a landscaper has to balance what nature provides with man-made elements. It’s a mixture of artistic thinking with mathematical guidelines, and good professional landscapers utilise geometric principles in every part of their work.

Take for example, a basic rectangular stretch of land. By applying the principal of Fractal Geometry, the landscaper can divide the rectangle into six smaller rectangles. Each of these are artfully landscaped in a certain style to reflect the clients needs, but the end result is balanced and measurable; making it nice to look at but also practical to maintain.

Conversely, picture a steep bank with rocky outcrops. A landscaper may choose to use the punctuation of the rocks as a point to install terraces and sitting areas, again giving symmetry and usability to an area that is displaying patterns already evident in nature. Landscaping is about enhancement of what exists, and this visual logic should be upheld by all expert landscapers.

At Servest Landscaping we take the philosophy and geometric principles that underpin landscaping aesthetics very seriously. It’s our job to make sure that classical theory and artistic temperament are well balanced to provide our clients with perfect symmetry in their outdoor spaces, and we love perfecting this. Naturally.

The History of Landscape Design

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Outlining the history of landscape design is quite a tricky endeavour. To pin down exactly what point in time green spaces were planned to aesthetically work with buildings is basically impossible. People have been doing this all over the world since the day dot, but it was never formalised or given a name until the 18th Century. Maybe that’s a sensible place to start then?

Pre-1800 landscaping was basically seen as the design and maintenance of gardens for manors, palaces, religious buildings and the like. The gardens were complex, ornate, enormous areas that took years to construct, a good example of which would be André Le Nôtre’s park of the Palace of Versailles, designed for King Louis XIV of France.

By the mid 19th century though, a great distinction was drawn between garden landscapers and landscape architects. The landscape architects were versed not only in horticultural knowledge, but were instrumental in the entire process of designing the spaces, themes and structures that would link the pieces of the whole together. In essence they were the art and science masterminds behind landscaping some of the most prolific public spaces in the world.

Central Park in New York City has to be among the most well-known examples of landscape architecture from the 19th Century. Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux designed the extension plan for Central Park in 1858, which was complete in 1873. Anyone who has visited the green oasis in the middle on the concrete jungle of NYC can appreciate its value, particularly if one has taken the time to walk the paths, sit by the fountains and investigate the diversity of buildings, bridges, pergolas and pools.

Interestingly enough, the phrase ‘landscape architecture’ was actually coined by Gilbert Laing Meason, a Scottish gentleman who used the term in a book he wrote looking at paintings by Italian artists. Meason was interested in how the Italian’s had used buildings within the landscapes they chose to paint, to create beautiful compositions.

The art of the time actually played a massive role in shaping landscape architecture. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, England’s most well known landscape architect who died in 1783, was famed for his backlash against the historical ornate, formal gardens of England. Choosing rather to ‘perfect nature’, Brown and his contemporaries were able to transform landscapes to mimic those that were being seen in the Italian art of the day.

It was the Browns and the Olmsteads who forged the way forward for buildings and their surrounds to be designed with function and beauty in mind, creating the foundations for today’s super modern landscape architecture. Knowing the history behind every facet of landscaping architecture influences how we take care of your landscape needs, which is part of what makes Servest Landscaping top of their game.

Styles of Landscaping – Modern

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:09:00 +0000

The Philosophy of Modern Landscaping

Traditionally, a garden was made up of a lawn edged with flowerbeds, the occasional bird bath and a few trees for shade. But in modern times where the outdoor areas of many homes and offices comprise courtyards versus acres of garden, and there is little time for large-scale maintenance, a contemporary style of landscaping has evolved.

Modern landscaping naturally followed in the footsteps of modern architecture with the credo of ‘form follows function’. This can conjure up a myriad of ideas in people’s heads, from pure minimalism to space age gardens. But in essence it means that modern landscaping is more about designing your garden around what you primarily use it for.

Additionally though, especially in the last fifteen years, contemporary times have called for gardens to be designed with the principle of environmental sustainability in mind. No longer are massive water-thirsty lawns and foreign flowers in vogue, as going the indigenous route works hand in hand with local climates and generally requires less maintenance.

As mentioned earlier, with form following function, a modern garden should represent those who use it most and conceptualising how a garden represents you or your business can be a very creative and rewarding exercise. Drawing inspiration from environments like the beach, the desert, mountains or wetlands allows the individual to pick and choose what elements best reflect them. To use the Cederburg Mountains as an example, a large chunk of colourful rock in a courtyard makes an excellent feature around which to plant indigenous flora such as Proteas and hardy shrubs that require very little maintenance.

Classically, modernism embraces clean lines and simplicity, but moreover it upholds the extension of the indoors to the outdoors. Quite often a garden is nice to sit and have a cup of tea in, but we cannot stay in the garden to perform tasks we need to do during the day. It takes a little shift in thinking, but imagine an office garden with sheltered laptop stations for staff to escape to? The beauty of modern landscape design is that it really has no limits and embraces multi-versatility; why shouldn’t people be able to stay in the garden all day?

The modern style of landscaping is essentially driven by the user’s perspective. It is conscious design, technically thinking about the outdoor area as another room in an office or a house. This style of landscaping is perfect for businesses who have limited space for an outdoor area and want to plan it down to the last paving stone and manicured bonsai tree, or for the individual home owner who wants their garden to reflect who they are and their passions.

At Servest Landscaping we understand how the historical development of landscape design has influenced global ideas, and keeping abreast of these traditions and ideas allows us to better serve our clients’ needs. You can look forward to more articles exploring styles of landscaping in the near future; we hope this one has sparked off a few ideas to take home … or to the office!

The Stretford Park Project

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 09:24:00 +0000

If one had visited Stretford Park in Orange Farm, Johannesburg, earlier this year you would have found a community park that was looking for some much-needed care and attention. Johannesburg City Parks earmark local parks such as Stretford and work towards upgrading these important community facilities. In June 2011, with the design expertise of Karien Hanekom of KH Landscape Architects, Servest Landscaping was offered the task of upgrading Stretford Park and the results were wonderful.

The project called for a full upgrade and provision of new facilities. We installed sporting facilities, including a sand soccer field and a sand volleyball court, as well as a new ablution block. When it came to the landscaping of the park we planted new trees and carried out some earth shaping to form berms that create different levels and interest areas in the park. The main focal point in the park has to be the wonderful abstract sculpture that Karien designed, it really lifts the whole look and feel!

Part of the brief was to repair and repaint the existing play equipment, as well as to install some brand new play elements, for example a climbing wall, which the children love! We also ensured there was new paving in the play areas and that the important rubber landing areas under the equipment were repaired. The addition of a giant chessboard, new benches and braais in the park really contribute to giving this park that all-important community feel. The park is bordered on one side by an open field where horses often roam freely and enjoy grazing on the grass. Therefore, new palisade fencing, gates and a turnstile were installed around the park to keep the horses out!

Stretford Park is in a low-income area of Johannesburg and is situated right next door to a school, so the school children were very excited by these exciting developments. This project also called for Servest Landscaping to appoint a Community Liaison Officer (community appointed representative) who appointed all labour for this project from the area. This ensured people from the surrounding community had the opportunity to develop their skills and get paid well for their work. The upgrading of Stretford Park is testament to Johannesburg City Parks’ commitment to creating employment for unemployed individuals in their local community.

It is always exciting for Servest Landscaping, and Servest as a whole, to be involved in community regeneration. It is an important aspect of Servest that key members are particularly passionate about. Mikki Roxmouth, Director of Servest Landscaping, said that she particularly enjoyed working on Stretford Park ‘given that my passions outside of my work are children, so working for the kids is a bonus for me.’ Karien, the designer of the park, was very pleased with the outcome of everyone’s hard work and when the park was finished said, ‘what a joy to see people using and enjoying something we created together!’

Servest Landscaping look forward to being involved in more projects like Stretford Park for many more years to come. Thanks to everyone involved for all their hard work!

Environmental Art - Art in the Landscape

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 14:11:00 +0000

Landscaping is without a doubt an artistic pursuit. It takes creativity, an eye for aesthetics and a genuine passion to be a master of this art. There is however, a whole other level of creative interpretation of the outdoors which has inspired contemporary landscaping, and it is very much worth knowing about.

Enter the ‘Environmental Artist’. It is quite hard to pigeonhole environmental art, and for all intensive purposes there actually isn’t a handy description for it. But that is in keeping with the theme of the genre of environmental art, which is typically transient, fleeting and unattainable.

Now this may seem a little airy-fairy, but historically environmental art was created in the outdoors and made out of materials that nature offered up by the season. The art works were not designed to last forever, and the artists embraced the idea that just as the seasons change, grass dies, snow falls and leaves drop, their impact on the environment would also be transient. Moreover, their artworks were not for sale and would often only ever be seen by the public eye in the form of photographs.

One such artist who became well known in the United Kingdom is Andy Goldsworthy. Born in 1956, Goldsworthy was one of the early pioneers of environmental art and is well-known for his uniquely delicate sculptures which stood as long as nature allowed in the wild. Using ancient building techniques, Goldsworthy built arches out of slate and rock by means of pure gravitational force and balance, which one might stumble across in the middle of a forest when walking the dogs. Sometimes he would even use sheets of ice for this purpose in the winter, and later moved to hewn stone.

Even the humble artist that loves to make sculptures (that no-one can buy) has to put food on the table, and Goldsworthy lectures for his bread and butter on top of doing commissioned work. His paid art is obviously more permanent, but it still explores the idea of decomposition and transience. Take for example Goldsworthy’s ‘Garden of Stones’ at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, which incorporates large boulders with trees growing out of them. Eventually, after many years, the tree roots will work their way through the rock, crack them to pieces and grow big, dwarfing what may remain of the rocks. Probably not in our lifetime, but the idea of change is still there.

As Goldsworthy says “At its most successful, my ‘touch’ looks into the heart of nature; most days I don’t even get close.” Environmental art, in Goldsworthy’s case, is creating sculptures that explain the fundamental brutal changes that occur in nature. You can create something beautiful, but it won’t last forever and to accept that is to understand the environment and humanity a little better.

Artist’s like Goldsworthy explore the environment on a deeper level, and we as landscapers get to be inspired by their art and incorporate their ideas, philosophies and work into what we create.

The Allure of Water Features and Waterfalls

noreply@blogger.com (Tarnia Roots SA) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:46:00 +0000

In any environment, whether it’s the middle of the mountains or the heart of a thriving metropolis, water is simply a wondrous element. Humans centre their lives around rivers, lakes, dams, oceans; and with this in mind it seems only natural that people would want to apply the idea of free flowing water to places in which they spend a lot of time … like the work place.

Essentially, water features include anything from a fountain to a pond or a waterfall as all of these involve the dynamism of H20. Water has energy; it attracts our attention and provides an excellent point to reflect on in a busy office situation. Quite literally, when the office is noisy, phones are ringing and distraction is at its maximum; taking five minutes out to clear one’s head next to a fountain provides the clarity of mind that can determine a good business decision over a potentially bad one.

We know that hearing water is also very grounding. Whether it’s the sound of the ocean crashing or a river gushing, the consistency is what tends to sooth us. A clever way in which water features work aurally is that they can be used to disguise other less appealing noises. If your office is in an industrial area or right on a busy highway, standing outside in the garden can be off-putting, but a creative water feature can mask the roar of the motorway or machinery.

Visually, water features have particular relevance in small spaces where there is limited potential to improve aesthetics. In a tiny courtyard for example, a simple water feature can add modernist Zen garden appeal without much effort or expense. It can also be used to take attention away from other less appealing sights, say the bins at the back of an office. We can almost guarantee your staff would rather chat around a fountain than a garbage can.

With water comes life, and we don’t mean this esoterically. Plants, birds, insects and small mammals are attracted to water; and having nature integrate with your office environment can be inspiring for people who are surrounded by inanimate objects all day. A small pond with indigenous water plants is a conservationist’s delight, improving the diversity of the local ecosystems, which is good for the sustainability of your office in the long run.

At Servest we encourage our clients to think beyond their office walls, looking at any outdoor space as a possible place of sanctuary and respite for employees and clients. Not only this, but using water features in corporate gardens is green minded, affordable and easy to maintain.

Success in the SALI Awards of Excellence at the SAGIC Convention

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Awards ceremonies can be stressful affairs, the nervous anticipation to see ‘who has won what’ after the scrutiny of a top panel of judges is always palpable. But at the SALI Awards of Excellence at the SAGIC convention this year, Servest Landscaping and Turf could sit back and smile with pleasure as their table filled up with one award after the next.

To provide a bit of context, the SAGIC convention (South African Green Industries Council) (http://www.ansup.co.za/sagic.html) takes place once a year and is a two day event where topics of major importance in the Green Industry are work-shopped. Guest speakers at this year’s convention held from 8th to 9th June included corporate trend analyst Dion Chang (http://www.fluxtrends.co.za), as well as environmental advocate Mariette Liefferink (http://www.pea.org.za/profile.htm) and environmental specialist Bjorn Heyerdahl (http://www.bjornheyerdahl.com/).

Aside from the knowledge creation and networking aspect of the SAGIC convention, the SALI Awards of Excellence (http://www.sali.co.za/source/content/awards_gold.asp) are a major highlight of the event. Recognition is paid to companies who have excelled in landscaping and turf management across a variety of categories, with emphasis falling on quality of service and products, adherence to green principles and customer satisfaction.

Servest Landscaping and Turf walked away with a handsome display of awards; totalling 23 in all which is more than any other landscaping company this year! This includes the prestigious Best Landscape and Turf Maintenance Trophy for House Oliver Tambo (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za/pebble.asp?relid=247) and the Best Specialised Turf Construction Trophy for the Eye of Africa Golf course (http://www.eyeofafrica.co.za/). With 30 Servest representatives supporting at the SAGIC convention, the awards were welcomed home with great delight!

Mikki Roxmouth, Servest Landscape Installations Director, was clearly pleased with the results, “Seeing Servest walk away with so many awards, one’s heart swells with pride! The sites up for consideration are all assessed by a panel of regional judges, only those receiving 80% and above go through to the national judging round. To win so many awards is a tribute to the Servest culture of offering clients the best service and the best green landscaping experience available’.

Special mention needs to be made of Vic van Eck, Johan Louw and their team for the excellent work on the Eye of Africa Golf Course; as well as Andre Olivier, Leon Jonker and their team for taking care of House Oliver Tambo so professionally. On top of the two trophies, Servest received 11 gold awards, three silver awards, six bronze awards and one merit award of excellence.

As much as it would be tempting to rest on one’s laurels after these results, the field of landscaping and turf management is competitive and cutting edge in South Africa and Servest intends to use this strong overall success at the SALI Awards of Excellence to set the bar for new heights of achievement in 2012.

The Au Natural Gallery - Using Art to Decorate the Outdoors

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:25:00 +0000

An outdoor space, whether it’s a public park, a courtyard or the little slice of nature in your back yard, is just like any other space man inhabits: we want to enhance it. As the barriers between interior and exterior become more blurred, the notion that we can accentuate and “design” outdoors just like we would a room become more comfortable.

But just like a badly decorated room, a garden can be over saturated and cluttered. It can lack context or clarity which causes discomfort or confusion. If you’re planning to accessorise your landscape it’s important to plan it thoroughly before you start. Like a room, the objective is the ideal marriage of beauty and utility. The space becomes pointless if it’s uninhabitable. Likewise, you don’t want to be surrounded by eyesores.

Always take the conditions into account. Weatherproofing is vital if you want to enjoy the fruits of your labour over a long period. Prints on aluminium or UV resistant paint on vinyl canvas will withstand the wettest rainy season and the harshest sunlight, so make sure whatever materials you use are durable and made for long term exposure to the elements.

Immersion is an intrinsic concept in outdoor decoration. If you think in terms of an indoor space, a garden is frame, artwork and gallery all rolled into one. A sculpture or painting may become a focal point, but it’s not the be all and end all.

Art in an outdoor environment often has an interactive element to it. A beautiful handmade bench should not only be attractive to look at, but should be positioned so as to maximise the pleasure of sitting on it and enjoying the view. Form and function, remember?

A final thought is that your art, be it painting, sculpture or something else, doesn’t have to be obvious. While the impact of a single focal point can be intense and dramatic, very often the most joy and delight will be found in subtle attention to detail. Adornments intended to enhance the beauty of Mother Nature will often provide the greatest long-term enjoyment for both the artist and the admirer. Enjoy!

Alice Lane Towers

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Servest Landscaping is proud to announce that one of its clients recently scooped two major awards at the prestigious South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Innovative Excellence in Property Development Awards 2011, and we would like to extend our congratulations to Zenprop and Tiber Projects, as well as Paragon Architects, and all who work at and were involved with the design, developments, construction and ongoing management of 15 Alice Lane Towers.

Since its completion in September 2010, the 17 storey, black and white checked structure has become one of the most iconic buildings in Sandton. The tower employs a unique mix of architectural innovation, aesthetics and materials, and offers 24,000 square metres of office space. Architect Anthony Orelowitz of Paragon Architects says that the building design describes a 'pair of glass and aluminium towers that hug a dramatic canyon-like space that is only six metres wide at its narrowest point.'

To say the design and grandeur of the building is distinctive would be an understatement, and this was reinforced when the building scooped the Best Building in the Office Development Category, as well as taking home the award for Overall Winner in all categories. Considering the SAPOA Awards acknowledge quality, innovation & excellence in all aspects of design, and give recognition to the ability of South Africa’s property developers to find innovative solutions to client’s requirements, while staying at the forefront of global trends, it is a great honor to receive these awards.

As the company that installed 15 Alice Lane Towers' landscaping, an integral part of its aesthetic, Servest Landscaping is both thrilled and honored that the building has been lauded with such awards.

"It is great for Servest Landscaping to be part of a contract which has won such a prestigious award at SAPOA," says director Mikki Roxmouth. "The design was done by Insite Landscape Architects, and is soft and informal with a mixture of colour and texture. The landscaping is also completely indigenous and makes use of a drip irrigation system in line with our conservation and sustainability efforts."

"It fills everyone at Servest Landscaping with a great sense of pride and accomplishment to be involved in a building which is so prominent, both in terms of the design and the award," Roxmouth says. "Good partnerships with the main contractor and other contractors on this site also assisted in perfecting the landscape as everyone was on the same team and shared a common vision."

Grand Designs Live - SA's best Garden and Home Show is Coming to Johannesburg

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Sun, 15 May 2011 15:20:00 +0000

Grand Designs Live Garden and Home show is back at the Coca-Cola Dome from May 20-22 and if you missed last year’s event, make sure you don’t miss this one. The exhibitors cover a large variety of interests and areas of expertise including interior, exterior and gardens. So if you’re planning a renovation, re-decorating, about to attempt some DIY or simply interested in what the latest trends in beautifying your living space are, your attention is bound to be captured and held tight.

The expo is roughly divided into six sections: Interiors, Build, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Garden and Technology. Guess where we’ll be?

All that walking around oohing and ahhing can work up an appetite and there will be restaurants catering to the hungry, including our very own Picnic Hill. There’s no sense rushing through a show as amazing as this so break it up with a picnic right inside the dome. Grab a basket, find a spot and settle in for a serene siesta. We’ve got plants, benches, lawn and everything else you’d associate with a picnic in the countryside, except there are no bugs to ruin your good time!

Aside from the amazing ideas, services and products on display, there are also a number of notable personalities running around. Experts and celebrities alike will be on hand to share their knowledge and insights into how you can get the most out of your home.

You might get a chance to swap ideas with anyone from SA’s First Lady of Song Tamara Dey or Top Billing Presenter Aidan Bennetts to experts like flower bulb specialist Charles Barnhoorn and landscaping guru Lynton Johnson.

Tickets are R80 and can be bought online here. Take a camera and take some notes because you’ll be bristling with ideas by the time you leave!

Green Feels Good - Getting Involved and Giving Back

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Wealth and good fortune are unevenly spread through society, which is why it’s so important that those who have make an effort to uplift and support those who don’t. Community upliftment is a central tenet of Servest and our Corporate Social Investment strategy strives to empower and support people who need a helping hand. Two projects we’re very passionate about are the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge and the Joint Aid Management organisation. They have very different backgrounds but both do so much good.

The JP Morgan Corporate Challenge is an initiative spanning 12 cities across the world and is 28 years old. Companies submit teams to run a 5.6km race, with an unlimited number of entries. Race fees are donated towards a non-profit organisation. This year the beneficiary was LEAP Science and Maths School, whose aim is to “transform educationally disadvantaged communities in South Africa through mathematics and science focused education initiatives”. Any initiative that aims to develop the leaders of tomorrow has our full support.

Over 12 000 runners from 348 companies took part, with Servest Landscaping teams holding their own and showing that not only have we got plenty of team spirit but we’re a fit bunch too! Our best result was 13th in the Mens Division with Servest Office Plants a scant 63 seconds behind in 14th. You’ll have to train harder for next year if you want to beat us!

Not only is it a healthy and fun day but it’s great to know that schools in Langa, Gugulethu, Alexandra and Diepsloot will all benefit and pass those benefits on to others.

Another organisation close to our hearts is JAM, a non-profit international founded in South Africa with 26 years of experience in helping the less fortunate. Last year we took part in their Make Over project, refurbishing and upgrading child day care facilities. Four venues were given a makeover with the goal of upgrading another 7 this year. Lawn is what we know best so a big part of our involvement is providing kids with a place to play and run around. If you want to get involved in a makeover find out more here. The project focuses not only on providing the kids with a safe and stimulating place to learn but encourages continual support by donating R30 a month to feed a child.

We can guarantee from personal experience that it does your company a world of good, encourages health, fitness and provides a beneficial team building experience. More importantly when you’re done and see the results of your effort, you feel a sense of achievement money just can’t buy.

Join our Crew and Help Fight Alien Invaders!

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 15:13:00 +0000

When most people hear terms like “invasive aliens” and “biosecurity” they usually think of threats from another planet or terrorists using nightmarish biological weapons. The reality is a little less Hollywood but no less serious. “Invasive alien species” can also refer to foreign plants and animals that have been introduced to a domestic ecosystem and are causing destruction, species depletion and sometimes even extinction of native elements.

As advances in the speed and convenience of travel make it easier for people to reach every corner of the globe and bring home souvenirs, foreign species are spreading further and faster than ever. This problem not only threatens our ecological diversity but has significant economic consequences. There are hundreds of hectares of agricultural land throttled by invasive plant species, with farmers fighting a seemingly never-ending battle.

An initiative called the Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) was started in Australia and has been adopted by the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Affairs to prevent local invasion from alien threats! The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) enlisted our help in KZN to control the POMPOM WEED, FORMOSA LILY and PARTHENIUM WEED and Servest Landscaping waded into the fray late last year. We recruited teams on behalf of SANBI that removed approximately 720 000 of these offending plants. The six clearing teams were highly effective thanks to the help they received from volunteers and the public making use of a hotline that was set up to identify and locate hotspots of alien invasion.

Part of the process of clearing these areas, particularly the grasslands, was gathering as much data about the size of the problem areas, the length of time the offending growth had taken to secure a foothold and the amount of herbicide used to stop the invasion.

The SANBI website states that “Of the 20 456 plant species in South Africa, 2 577 (13%) are threatened with extinction and a further 2 232 (11%) are considered near threatened, data deficient or rare endemics. This means that 1 in 4 of South Africa’s plants is rare or threatened.”

We need all the help we can get in identifying, locating and removing any threats to our biodiversity, and if you want to help or volunteer we recommend you join the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW) Program.

By learning to identify the biggest threats in your region and alerting clearing teams you can help protect our ecological system from these merciless invaders!

The Value in Going Indigenous

noreply@blogger.com (Candice Roots SA) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:07:00 +0000

In 20 years Servest Landscaping has accumulated a reservoir of experience in the art and science of creating beautiful, functional surroundings for everything from educational institutions to giants of industry and government facilities. This experience has given us the ability to start and see a project through from concept to conclusion and beyond, including maintenance and upgrading.

Part of the Servest Values manifesto is striving for sustainability, and when it comes to our landscaping division this means constantly looking for innovations to minimise environmental impact without losing sight of the need for aesthetics.

Using indigenous plants in landscaping is a growing trend globally and its benefits are numerous and far reaching. Indigenous landscaping, also known as Greenscaping, Beneficial Landscaping or Naturescaping, is a way to improve integration between man and environment by striking a balance that allows nature and development to co-exist and flourish.

The benefits of using indigenous elements range from a reduction in maintenance to a decrease in water requirements. Not only does an indigenous garden often look better, but it requires less effort to do so and is more cost effective!

All gardens and landscapes require maintenance and by using indigenous plants we’re able to reduce not only the impact on the bottom line, but the impact on the environment too. Designs use rain runoff to minimise the need for irrigation and organic compost to enrich the soil instead of chemicals. These innovations reduce the carbon footprint and the cost, while limiting the chemical excess being carried into our waterways. Another objective is to minimise the strain on electricity and water resources and attract local wildlife like birds and butterflies to the area to create an environment people can be comfortable in.

Landscaping is a tricky business with a great deal of thought and consideration put into it. Using indigenous plant life to create a beautiful, sustainable and low impact environment is a big step towards meeting the ongoing needs not only of our clients, but of South Africa’s population (people and wildlife alike).

The next time you consider renovating your own habitat, regardless of whether it’s where you work or the space you live in, consider how you can do so much more with so much less by using indigenous plants and flowers and just how much more beneficial this approach is in the long term.