The Zimbabwean Gardener Issue 3 Summer 2012 | Page 13

Garden design
It is always a delight finding a garden,
which is filled with so many stories
and where behind every corner there
is something new to see. This is what
Sharon and Ed Hook’s wonderful lush
and tropical garden in Harare offers. Ed
is the keen gardener and Sharon is the
designer in their garden, but together
they have designed this garden from
scratch and have created an exotic jewel
with tropical plants of all shapes and
sizes, which have come from friends,
family and few from afar too. Sharon,
whose design has been influenced by
her five sons and husband, says that it is
more of a man’s garden, but this garden
would win over the hearts of many
women too.
One thing that stands out in this garden
is their palms; they have planted dozens
of palms, all shapes and sizes, including
down their driveway. They started
building their home 20 years ago; they
chose a virgin site, which has helped
their palms to shoot up and now they
tower over their garden creating a grand
canopy.
Most tropical gardens have plants with
a variety of heights such as palm trees,
shrubs and groundcovers to create
layers and the Hooks have done just
that. By using tall King and Queen
Palms and Australian tree ferns, this has
provided an amazing covering to grow
many shade-loving ground covers such
as bromeliads, mondo grass, liriope,
violas and peace in the home. They have
planted wonderful ferns, dieffenbachia,
cycads, cordylines, delicious monsters
and other medium sized shrubs for the
middle layers. Every inch of the garden
has been filled with interesting tropical
species that love our climate.
The bromeliads, which are used
extensively, really capture your
attention. They have used them in
imaginative ways by planting them en
masse, planting different bright-leafed
bromeliads together, which add a pop of
colour here and there. You will even find
them in the roots of a fig tree, where
they look quite content.
This carefully designed garden is
interwoven with pathways leading you
to different ‘rooms’ containing exciting
plants. One is lined with lush mondo grass
and stunning blue convolvulus, leading

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