As South Africa prepares to celebrate Garden Day on Sunday, October 12, it’s the perfect time to step outside, sink your hands into the soil, and reconnect with nature.
At the heart of this celebration is a love for growth – not just in our gardens but in ourselves. Few people embody this spirit more than Lindsay Gray, breast cancer survivor, garden designer, educator and principal of the School of Garden Design – one of South Africa’s oldest and most respected garden design institutions.
With more than three decades of experience and a deep-rooted passion for teaching, Lindsay has cultivated not only gardens, but generations of green-fingered students across the country.
We caught up with her to talk about her gardening journey, some Spring-planting advice, how to design a garden that’s both beautiful and sustainable, plus she shares a simple DIY garden project for you to try at home.
Lindsay’s own roots in garden design run deep. Though she once dreamt of teaching biology, life led her down a greener path when she trained under the legendary Vernon Rippon and Peter Bretherton in Durban, followed by studies with Bruce Stead. Her journey eventually took her to England, where she trained with celebrated garden designer John Brookes – an experience she describes as both humbling and transformative.
“He was a no-nonsense tutor,” Lindsay laughs. “He would watch you wrestle with a layout and then, in a few strokes of a charcoal pencil, resolve the entire design. It was like magic.”
On local turf, Lindsay has built more than gardens – she’s built community. Her popular Practical Gardener Training courses continue to empower learners in KZN, Gauteng and beyond. And her design philosophy is rooted in a deep respect for both the science of the land and the needs of the people who live on it.
“Garden design isn’t just about planting beds. It’s about shaping outdoor space to suit your lifestyle and connecting it to your home in a meaningful way.”
As Durban’s Spring starts to unfold, Lindsay believes October is the perfect time to embrace the garden.
“There’s nothing better than longer days, warmer weather and the promise of rain,” she says. “You can feel the energy shift – the garden just calls to you.”
In Durban and KZN, that means nearly anything goes when it comes to planting. Lindsay’s favourites include indigenous beauties like Rothmannia globosa (September Bells) and Dombeya rotundifolia, as well as hardy exotics like Begonia
and Salvia.
Vegetable gardens are in full swing this month too, though she cautions that misty upper-highway areas can challenge nightshades and marrows due to fungal diseases. For those in sunnier, drier regions, October is ideal for planting lettuce, spinach, cabbage, beans, sweet potatoes and a host of herbs. “Microgreens are also a great option for small gardens – easy to grow and packed with nutrients.”
Feeding your garden, she says, is essential. “Mulch, compost, organic matter – use what you have or buy a bale of hay. Your plants will thank you for it.” She recommends using fertilisers suited to specific needs – nitrogen-rich feeds for lawns and roses, and potassium-rich ones for flowering or fruiting plants.
Design, she insists, should always come before planting. “So often, people rush out and buy whatever looks pretty without thinking about the space, the sun, the soil or the long-term needs of the plants. Planning upfront saves you so much trouble down the line.”
For Lindsay, sustainability and biodiversity are not buzzwords – they’re non-negotiable. “We can’t afford thirsty gardens anymore,” she says. “And the joy of watching birds, pollinators and even lizards thrive in your space – that’s real wealth.” She encourages gardeners to use at least 80 to 90 per cent water-wise, climate-appropriate plants, and to create small habitats, no matter the size of the garden.
Though Lindsay celebrates Garden Day every day in her own way, she does cherish this annual moment of pause. “It’s a chance for people to just be in their gardens – not to work, but to enjoy. There’s such healing in the act of being outdoors, even if it’s just with a cup of tea and bare feet on the grass.”
Details: For more garden inspiration or to explore Lindsay’s courses, call 082 449 9237, e-mail info@schoolofgardendesign.com
or visit schoolofgardendesign.com
Lindsay’s DIY tiered herb garden
If you’re looking for a hands-on project to mark Garden Day, Lindsay suggests a tiered herb garden – perfect for small spaces, balconies, or sunny corners of your backyard.
What you’ll need:
Bricks, river rocks or air bricks to build the tiers
Quality topsoil and compost mix
A full-sun position
A selection of herbs (think: parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, sage)
How to build it:
Create two or three short circular tiers with your bricks or stones.
Fill each tier with a mix of topsoil and organic matter.
Let the soil settle for a couple of weeks before planting.
Plant herbs with similar water and sun needs.
Mulch with hay to retain moisture and allow air circulation.
Top tip: Don’t over-fertilise herbs. They’re Mediterranean plants – they thrive in heat and relatively lean soils.
