Developers often draw up a list of the landscaping principles which they are committed to.

Here are some noteworthy landscaping principles according to Paul Henry, Managing Director of Rawson Developers:

• Replacing all trees removed by the building process with new plantings and wherever possible trebling the previous number of trees on the site. Trees reduce noise levels and attract birds.
• Attending to the landscaping of all surrounding areas. This often requires the consent of the local council. A developer can upgrade a whole precinct by attending to road verges and undertaking to improve a local park and/or green belts.
• Sticking to indigenous vegetation throughout. Cape Ash, Waterberry and Keurboom are just some of the trees which are found to be particularly useful in developments.
• Committing to the use of water-wise plants. In general, indigenous plants are far less ‘thirsty’ than imported European vegetation. In this connection, the high cost of municipal water makes it unwise to have extensive lawns today. In their place, attractive groundcover or stone chips will, very often, be just as appropriate. Where lawns are laid down, it is advisable to use water-wise species such as Buffalo grass and Cynodon (Kweek grass).
• Establishing at least one (or more) well points on the site and using these for the irrigation of the gardens. This can have a huge saving on municipal water bills. As a corollary to this, it is important to install an efficient garden irrigation system, one which does not waste water. Where the development has full time gardening staff, it is more effective to operate the irrigation manually rather than to automate it.
• Selecting trees for their ability to give shade in summer and allow natural light to penetrate the site in winter. This may seem very obvious, but again it is surprising how many developers choose trees ‘because they like the look of them’, but which actually makes the buildings colder in winter. Due to the fact that trees take a long time to grow, the developer cannot rely totally on young trees and shrubs. The budget has to include several big trees of the kind that can weigh anything from 500 kg to 4,000 kg each and which need a crane to lift. These trees can be expensive, but experience has shown that they make a difference to a new development.
• Employing an experienced landscaping consultant to colour match the landscaping with the surroundings and buildings. This is definitely work which has to be undertaken by a professional because the impact of colourful plants strategically set out at the right points on the site is far greater than the average amateur gardener realizes.