Green is the easiest colour to bring into a Johannesburg home. Start with plants on a sunny sill, then add a painted wall or a single cushion. Natural materials such as cane, timber and linen keep the room calm. You do not need to spend much to see a real change.
Choose one leafy corner and build from there. A reading chair, a small lamp and a pot of herbs will make the space feel lived in and kind to the eye.
Art night in Maboneng
Join us for a relaxed night of local art, music and snacks.
Entry is free and the food stalls open at noon, so come hungry and bring a friend.
Plants on a Highveld stoep need to handle frost in winter and hard sun in summer. Aloes, wild garlic and pelargoniums cope well, and they bring bees and sunbirds to your doorstep. Water early in the morning and mulch the pots with bark. Start with three pots and see what thrives.
Plants for small stoeps
Pick one or two plants and give them a proper spot. A tall plant beside a door draws the eye and softens a hard corner. Group smaller pots in odd numbers, with different heights, so they look relaxed and not lined up. Check the light before you buy anything, because a plant in the wrong place will sulk.
The best gardens we have seen in the city are small. A few well-loved pots, watered by hand every morning, can do more than a big yard that nobody visits. Start small and keep going.
