Grassland Biome
Due to a greater sensitivity to our environment as well as the realization that water use for landscaping purposes will probably become more restricted in the near future.
Many landscapers have started to change their landscapes to be more representative of local plant diversity that is also adopted to local water availability.
Read the rest of entry »
In line with the need to enhance urban biodiversity, this is a green wall or vertical garden with a marked difference; a meaningful experimental project which is being championed by the developers of The Art Mile, Tomorrowco.
More and more people are becoming interested in converting their gardens to have a more natural look. Water consumption is obviously also an issue (and believe me, is going to get worse). The following is a step-by-step recipe for doing the plant layout of a grassland garden. This is a real life example with real names, but you can substitute with whatever you find more interesting.
Grassland biome plants are dominated by grass species. Trees are sparse, except in a few localized habitats. Bulbs and other plants with an underground root stock are often abundant. Frosts, fire and grazing maintain the grass dominance and prevent the establishment of trees.
Some birds, such as the swallows and swifts are preparing for long journeys across the oceans – just to return to the same spot next year. And that has been happening eons before the concept of a GPS was even contemplated. The behaviour of the paradise flycatchers can at the moment only be described as frantic. The red widows will soon be drab again and will be grouped with the LBJs.
It was reported in the Press that September 2015 was the hottest September worldwide since record keeping started some 138 years ago. In our neck of the woods, it certainly was the driest September we have experienced since we started the nursery some ten years ago.
Landscape architect and lecturer, Dr. Ida Breed approached Wildflower Nursery to supply plants for the sidewalks on Nana Sita Street between Paul Kruger street and Nelson Mandela drive in Pretoria. The concept was new: Only use indigenous plants that will reflect the biodiversity of our region and to demonstrate that this concept can be applied to an urban environment. Aesthetics was also a driver, but not the main one.
The so-called pre-rain flowers are most conspicuous in areas that have been burnt early in winter. Most of them sprout from a woody rootstock. This “underground storage” is a protection against the ravages of fire but is also a food reservoir. That is why they can sprout and flower even before the first rains. Even grasses store their food in their roots during winter.
In an environmentally friendly garden, it is important to create different “layers” of plant growth to simulate the habitat that occurs in nature. The shrub “layer” forms the middle layer that creates a habitat for birds that feed on the ground. One bird worthy of having in your garden is Burchell’s coucal that loves this kind of habitat.
What is not known to many people is that the perennials and bulbs that occur in the Grassland Biome are only surpassed by the plants from the Fynbos Biome. There really is a tremendous variety to choose from.
Get the latest updates in your email box automatically.
Your nickname:
Email address:
Subscribe