For Capetonians

Southern Africa
1

https://www.fynboscorridors.org/about/history/

History

The development of the Fynbos Corridor Collaboration (FCC) was initiated by three Cape Town-based urban greening organisations: Ingcungcu, The Greenpop Foundation and Communitree. However, since 2018, it has become a joint endeavour between many individuals and organisations in Cape Town, South Africa. By generously providing their time, invaluable knowledge and enthusiasm, these individuals and organisations have contributed toward a shared vision of a city where people and Fynbos can thrive together through a restored relationship between people, insects, birds and plants.

Step 3. Choose plants

In this section we will guide you through creating a plant species list for your site. Your ‘mother list’ of plants will be derived from the plants that would have historically occurred at your site. You will then select a few types of plants and shorten that mother list to a smaller list that fulfills the social and ecological needs you aim to fulfill with the garden. Use information from Step 2 to inform your choices.

No matter what you choose as the theme for your plant choice, you should establish the garden in a three step process starting with 1) a foundation of pioneer plants, and 2) aim to recreate the structure (or particular combination of groundcovers, grass-like plants, shrubs) of an existing reference site for the historical vegetation type of your area. Your site will then be ready to provide a healthy soil and sheltered wind environment for the more sensitive Fynbos species, which will then be more likely to survive.

2

That sounds like a very interesting idea and potentially something that could be replicated elsewhere in the world. Even in London there are for example suburban gardens to the south and north that have very chalky soils which could support rare chalk grassland plants.

3

Yes, I thought this might be a good idea to use elsewhere.
I see they started at some schools - killing two birds with one stone - education and conservation. There are definitely some spots here on the IOD, but also some schools are aware.
Thinking care homes might benefit from a recommended plant species list.
Dalton Gibbs (city of Cape Town) got factories and all sorts of unusual spots to plant and share their results. His website is still active but sadly, not user friendly.
ASIDE I have some Fish Hoek friends who planted an aloe in their garden, years ago; it attracts so many lovely sunbirds etc and, as they have grown older, they are able to watch the activity without leaving the house.