Garden tour

Hi everyone and welcome to my channel Gardening Home Today we're exploring the world of landscape design by Teresa Mushiri a landscape designer based in Nairobi Kenya She'll be showing us her latest project and we're so excited to show it to you Come on How are you Good to see you I've been waiting Even my gumboots have been ready I too Ready ready Ready ready Wow Yes yes Are you ready to show us Sure Okay Let' s go Yeah Teresa show me your beautiful garden Aha I'm going to start it from here and then I can take you around And give you some of the tips that have helped us reach this level Okay We have been involved with this space for the last three years We started from scratch and this has given us a lot of work and business outside So this being the entrance we needed to create a focal point for this cypress the blue cypress This is the blue they call it I hear they also call it kitabu Kitabu Because it's shaped like a book Okay Yes it's also very susceptible to termites So we had two here This one died So you wanted some symmetry Exactly Entering the garden So we'll have to replace that as well But it's a very beautiful plant and people are walking to the gardens Yes So again as you can see we have the arabica grass This one also we needed that velvet carpet look Okay A lot of people have questions about arabica How is it to maintain Arabica I just call it baby grass It's baby You have to baby it First it needs a lot of water It needs a close look because it's also susceptible to termites So if you don't give it a lot of water or if you don't water it properly it also becomes dry and dries up very quickly And also the termites happen to come because of the dryness Well this is just maintenance for maybe quarterly It doesn't have to be every three months But just because this is a place that I have loved I like looking at it and taking care of it frequently Okay I love this What do you call this plant Oh this is a cycad coming up And this is this one Yeah the cycad YeahOkay You can see it's about to open up again It's a giant one It might grow up to this level We call it the dwarf giant But they are also known as the dwarf cycad Yes But it might grow to this level Very beautiful but it grows very slowly It's one of the ornamental plants Okay So here we are We just want to create a space for the sirtulence Yes So we are experimenting with it And I can see there's a tuck of weeds that needs to be removed That will work on it Interesting I also like the fact that in your garden you've created these kind of edged areas It's not really that straight There are no straight borders Yeah It somehow softens the landscape by adding all these beautiful curves Exactly And here you can play around with your plants We can have ground covers like this Do you know this one This is alyssum It will form an excellent ground cover here once it fills up this space So you'll just be seeing a kind of island I mean an edge that's carved out with alyssum Yes And just like this corner you can see the geranium and its beauty and how it's coming up along this edge So you can play around with your garden and see what you can carve out with Just to remove that straightness you know Okay that's a good tip Exactly Ensure that you have borders that are carved It adds visual interest to your space Yes This lawn has two entrances The one I have shown you up there Okay And now this other entrance where we came with these Saiso architectural plants as you can see Just to give in a walk- in to this garden So we have these ones I hope you like them Are these Saiso They are like Saiso Okay Saiso architectural Saiso So they bring the entrance They are welcoming into the lawn from this edge I also like the succulents that you put underneath I think I have seen them here Yeah These are just hangings Just to make it interesting Yes So finally they need to fill it up here Yes And cover the whole pot Okay That's the idea So what hedging have you used This hedging is Duranta the green Duranta Oh it's the green Duranta Yeah Okay The reason I put this was because I initially put China grass But then the China grass yeah I'll show you how it looks Okay It's what I had put here But with time I realized the China grass grows and withers It has a net So we kept on uprooting and I was like I need to come up with something that I'll not think about uprooting anymore The reason is that the soil used to splash over Ah So I needed to control the soil while were watering That's why I came up with this green Duranta I like how you've carved It almost looks like the entrance to a staircase Exactly Very nice So with time we can put pavers here Okay You know there's a cemetery just to have a walk to the garden I'll show you when that comes up Okay So that is underway Alright These ones are the solar lights We have them around the garden Okay So we usually encourage clients to have solar lights around the garden so you can also use the garden at night Something else I was supposed to tell you about Okay We encouraged this client to come up with a driveway and here we have created a rhythm You can see on this end we have the japonica trees that are going all the way through Are these the japonica These are the japonica The reason we did this is because the client wanted to create a shade on the other end Okay Because once the client is up they don't want to be seen Just to create an atmosphere of privacy It's very interesting It's like a tree that almost looks like a shrub as well Yes Actually you can make it as long as you want Okay It can go as high as you like You can trim it at the spot you want So this one were looking into forming a driveway a walking path and a rhythm On this other end we needed to put the royal You know these palms The royal palms The royal palms So you can imagine what this place will look like when they grow up and the welcoming appearance it will have So I feel the client is happy so far So good I told you I have been involved with this garden for the last three years So it's a garden that is taking shape and bringing me joy I think one thing I've noticed in your landscape design is symmetry Yes You have a lot of symmetry in how you plant things There's a lot of thought involved in how you place this particular plant here I think as an interior designer when I see symmetry your eyes tend to rest and I'm almost excited When I see that you planted this here and then this is also here then that is also there There's a lot of thought process that goes into your landscape design True Because when I told you I became a landscaper in my mind when I was a very young girl So all this has been built into me And by now I was thinking I needed to go in and I wondered what I should leave a client with So I thought I needed to transform this space and enrich life So that became even my mission that in every content that I create I need to Any space I interact with or create I need to transform and then enrich life So again don't forget this as we are here on the walkway remember this This is arabica grass This is arabica grass that we've also placed on the pavers with this design Okay So we plant the grass into the holes already in the pavers It's interesting It cuts on the hardscape Exactly So there's not too much hardscape going on Yes It's a balance between the soft and the hard surfaces Exactly Okay Nice Where do I take you next This garden is quite huge Do you love peace lies What is this Oh this This is an ornamental plant It's called variegated cassava But it's just ornamental Cassava yeah But it's just a flower It doesn't produce any cassava Oh okay So you can see the leaves They add some interesting color Exactly So when I was picking this Never knew you could plant cassava as an ornamental tree And it's so easy to maintain You just need to do the cuttings Yes We've actually made so many cuttings from here Okay So yeah it's very easy to maintain Yeah And also another thing I needed to show you is that See how this mosses cradle has formed a circle here around this cedar tree So this is another tip that you can use in your garden Just instead of leaving the tree so bare Why don't you give it some color And I think it could also add moisture Exactly Because it helps with moisture as well Yes Especially since it's a saturant You can imagine the water content around it So that's a good garden tip Yes Make sure to plant succulents or flowers around the base of your tree To add color visual interest and moisture Moisture Okay Also remember when you' re putting any plant or rather when I' m putting any plant I'm very aware of the climatic conditions and the water Does it want direct sunlight Or does it need to thrive very well under the shade And that's why you may ask why I've brought these peace lies here It's because they are this shade and it's going to thrive very well All these peace lies you can imagine they are under this This palm tree which gives it some shade Some shade So I am not worried about this peace lily getting burnt Always look at the type of plant you're putting on the ground Yes What kind of temperatures and climatic conditions does it require Okay Before you put it We are also very futuristic You need to ask yourself how this plant will behave in the future Yes Is it like these palms You can realize the palms are placed away from the building Because you don't want to put a palm Yes they need space They need space and also the roots There are some roots that are very aversive So you don't want to put it near a wall And then here you are wondering is it Do I bring down my house Yes Or do I bring down my palm It's a lot of thinking Exactly So those things This I like marrying the plants to bring a unity A unified whole So this is Musa Enda It's called Musa Enda Okay Musa Enda Musa Aende Yes Aende Wafi So now Musa Enda Or Musa Enda plant You can It gives very rich red It's very rich in red color So that's why I brought it here just to bring the combination of these And gives another ambience In this area In the gardens I always encourage the clients Don't just put palms Don't just put trees Yes Also put fruits Put fruits You can imagine yourself basking under a soursop tree Exactly So we have placed several apples around here And this is soursop So instead of going to buy these leaves that are sold as gold Or they sell the leaves They sell the leaves For medicinal purposes Okay YesOkay It has many medicinal uses So what do you do You make tea You dry them Once they are dry You put them in water Hot water You let them steep for a while And then you drink that water It 's like green tea It's green tea Okay So have some medicinal Yes Plants in your home Don't just plant shrubs and trees And trees And palm trees Exactly Yes Alright Aha So I love this This is the giant cycad It's almost like your focal It becomes now a focal plant At the center Something else I encourage clients to have is something A focal point for their views Just to steal the viewer's eyes Yes So there are many plants Ornamental plants that you can use as a focal point You can use cycads You can use red lantana palm I'll show you somewhere over there on the other end Okay You can also use fountains You know wall fountains Or some on the ground You can use ponds and put your fish there So there's always that beauty that comes with a focal point And never compete with them Let it be the only fish Let it be the star The star Okay So don't put two focal points at the same time Yes Otherwise they are going to lose meaning And they will not feel beautiful The whole point is for you to be eye catching And draw your eye to this plant Exactly Okay That's the whole point Overdoing it is also a problem Yes Don't overdo it Okay It needs to be the only fish in the sea Exactly This is the only fish here in the sea So bismarck palms also they do very well There's one that we'll be coming up with there And also red lantana I'll show you on the other end So make sure all the points you have in your garden have focal points Yes You can also use a sculptor For those people who do hardscape you can imagine a nice sculpture somewhere that is captivating to the eyes There's a balance between softscape and hardscape that makes a garden beautiful Exactly Okay Alright Another thing is to always create a transition With the elements that you have in your compound or in the lawns or in the spaces that you are working with Like now this is a paving We have used the slabs and just the normal ordinary slabs that we have used But you can see that they are creating a beautiful walkway But they need to transition to something else This should not just add drastically to a lawn Yes They need to lead to something else So when you're making walkways when you're making pathways You can use slabs There are some people who also use outside tiles There are so many things that you can use when you're making walkways You can use the pebbles the white pebbles Oh pea gravel Exactly All those It's a landscaping ace I hear Pea gravel One actually makes a walkway Those end gardens very cozy and interesting and well kept as well Exactly Yes So make sure that the elements that you're using in the landscaping They are connecting They are connecting with one another They are just not increasing significantly Yes They need to lead somewhere Somewhere Yes Now this will lead to the water tap at the end At the end yes So that's the beauty about the landscape It comes hand in hand when we are working with them So remember to mix your pots Oh this This is another focal point The reason why this client needed this is because he needed this place covered Covered not partially covered Yes So this traveler palm you can imagine by the time it grows here it's going to form a very nice ambience with this space So that's another thing you need to consider in the thought process when you're putting all the plants We just don't place plants haphazardly No They need to interact The plants also need to interact You see like the way you're smartly dressed your trousers are matching with your top I'm trying to coordinate the blue Exactly Even the plants need to coordinate themselves Yes there needs to be a coordination with the plants If there's one thing I think I've noticed in your garde Your use of color is also impressive Exactly Your use of color is quite you have pops of red you have pops of white just to cut down on all the greenery Exactly That makes your garden more interesting to look at as well as showing different plants that have different shapes too Yeah thank you I really like this I don't know what do you call this I've forgotten the name Isn't it cordyline Yeah Cordyline It is It is yes Good You're also doing very well I know some Some plants Yes yes Interesting It' s also something else I encourage is to throw pots Throw pots in your gardens Don't exaggerate Everything puts it in a balance You balance them out Okay So that' s why we have put these pots there There are not many but you can see they're also bringing the beauty Yes They are captivating And they all have a grey theme as well They have a grey theme because the client's theme for the exterior was grey Yes So they felt that we needed to go with grey With a grey pot Exactly So that's why you're seeing all the pots are Most of them are grey Okay Yes So just to make theme for the outside also coordinate So put some plants there Okay And Yeah Aha As you can see this is what I was talking about the paving This one is leading to the water point To the water point Exactly So you just don't keep going Adding hardscape Exactly To a place that doesn't lead anywhere else Another place Everything has to have a purpose Everything has a purpose Yes Everything has a purpose and also brings beauty I think the beauty also comes out with a purpose The fact that they've also put them in a diagonal Exactly Yes Other than just having them Ordinarily Ordinarily just squares This is the red lantern I was telling you about As it grows It's a palm tree And it will become You can see the stalks are red So as they grow you can imagine this will be the focal point for this side For this area So each space must have a focal point A focal point Yes Okay So this will grow and will produce red color So you can imagine the palm up to this level And you're only seeing red So what is red The stalks The stalks The stalks yes As they grow they become deeper They get deeper Does it have red beads It almost reminds me of Pinanga Yes Pinanga Pinanga has beads This one has no beads It doesn't have beads No no So the stalks are the ones which are red Exactly Interesting Very beautiful I also like these I find them very beautiful This one I was given by my friend and I decided to bring for this client and see how it's going to thrive Okay Lovely Yeah Let me show you about the coloration of What about this What do you call this This is boxwood Boxwood Boxwood takes a long time Yes For it you can imagine I' ve been involved with this garden for the last three years So this is the furthest it has grown for the last three years So the idea is we'll discuss it with the client We've already agreed that we'll cut it to this level Okay So now it can spread across And form the balls Okay So adding different shapes as well to the garden I get it Topiary Exactly yes We do have topiary here And since they stay here most of the afternoons because the sun The sun is down now Exactly So this place will have this and then surrounded by topiary of boxwood So we'll have to cut it a little bit down so that now it can start branching to the side and then we shape it into a ball That's the whole idea about this space Okay Good things take time Yes So let me show you something else that I was talking to you about You can see this zebra plant This zebra interacting with this purple See how beautiful Oh the color Yes yes The color Exactly They are forming a nice blend Wow Yes the zebra plus the purple They form a nice blend Beautiful So even when you're placing the plants you also think about where you're placing them and the coloration So does this like direct sunlight No no This one you cannot put in direct sunlight That's why we put it on this end Because this side only gets sun in the evenings Okay Yes so Exactly Remember me telling you about the fruits in the garden Oh yeah Yeah Here we have the pitanga plant Pitanga fruit And you can see it's fruiting This is from Brazil Is this ready Yes Yeah you can taste this one It's ready when it No no that one is a bit curly This one Yeah The darker it is the better You can tell us how It's like a Yes Like a berry as well Exactly This one is very curly when it's like this when it's not fully ripe So you wait for it to get darker Get darker What do you call it again Pitanga Yeah pitanga So Play around also with your with the trays in your compound Yeah just don't have shrubs That are giving you nothing Let them give you shade and give you fruits Okay I want to show you another fruit here Look at the lemon Maya Maya lemons Wow Look at the size of these lemons Imagine Maya lemons Why go all the way to South Africa when you can have them here This is guava Cherry guava The small ones Let me check if we have any left It looks like they were all eaten But this is still another tree We have eaten them I don't see any but it comes like this They grow They get red They become red They' ll be reddish once they grow Yes But I think it has passed Oh here There's one Yeah two Not even one Here So now You just eat Oh just like that Yeah Cherry guava Yes Yeah So that's what I'm saying Always incorporate fruits in your garden so that you just don't only have trees and shrubs but also you have fruit trees I've been looking at these lemons Look at the size of these lemons Yes Wow I know They have given us This is after three years The first fruit This is actually the second season The second The second season Yes This marks the end of our garden tour I hope you have enjoyed I hope you have learned one two three tips We have And I hope I wish the lemons were ready We have carried a few Nice But we'll pass by pretty soon We're waiting on the apples as well Exactly We're waiting on more of the guavas Guavas Yes So guys thank you so much for joining us on this channel of Garden and Home And we just want to say thank you so much for showing us this beautiful project That you have cultivated with your hands for the last three years You 're an amazing landscape designer And Teresa you had mentioned about a kitchen garden Yes Are we able to do that today Or do you have to wait for the next episode for that We can wait for the next episode because I need to show you the various materials that you can use for the kitchen garden We can also learn how to make compost Liquid fertilizers and how to make your organic fertilizer And then you have healthy vegetables for your body Okay guys so you better stay tuned and watch our next episode Where Teresa is going to show us all the kitchen garden tips and tricks that we need to grow healthy beautiful vegetables