WILDLY COMPOSED

With water lily-clad dams, trickling streams and waterfalls, a verdant garden in Johannesburg strikes a perfect balance between wild and tamed

- text DI BARRELL photographs ELSA YOUNG

The most romantic gardens always have one thing in common. They integrate design principles — symmetry, scale, proportion — so effortlessly that it's almost impossible to pinpoint where nature stops and order begins. It is this calming sense of poise that sets this sprawling garden in Blair Athol apart.

'If you draw a line from the entrance to the property through our home, a single rock path flows over the canal and river, drawing your eye to the vistas in the distance,' explain the owners. This design feat creates a seamless flow between the home's interiors and the garden, something the owners value. 'It feels as if we're immersed by nature,' they say.

Part woodland, part water garden, the space was designed to take you on a journey. The owners love nothing more than to spend time in their garden. 'We love entertaining with friends and family. Our family enjoys picnics on the lawn, the boys love fishing in the fly-fishing dams, while the grannies spend hours painting on the river's banks.'