tawandamusarurwa
Andrew Mangwarara
THIS week, we feature one of the most orderly landscapes in town.
If their garden, which is in Alexandra Park, signifies how they do business, I am keen to do business with them.
Visiting Stanbic Bank’s Minerva Branch was a refreshing experience, as it shows the financial institution’s inclination to green up Harare.
The architectural design of the bank demands nothing less than the garden.
As you enter the place, you are greeted by red painter’s palette (anthurium andreanum) flowers, together with the green foliage of the parlour palm (chamaedorea elegans), with the cast iron plant (aspidistra elatior) providing a solid background under the shade of the natal mahogany (trichelia emetica), which requires regular pruning since it grows vigorously.
However, the mahogany is a beautiful evergreen tree that glows all year round.
The front entrance is laced with different beds of plants that offer unique architectural forms.
It shows a good selection of plants by the landscaper.
The tree fern (cyathea dregei) is a plant for serious designers, especially together with the Gorongo cycad (encephalartos manikensis) from the Eastern Highlands.
It is also amazing how they incorporated mondo grass (ophiopogon japonicus) as a front groundcover, with the garden croton (codiaeum variegatum) breaking the green background with its tropical foliage in maroons and reds.
We will not dwell much on the well-maintained green kikuyu lawn, which gives the garden its oomph.
As you enter the doors of the bank, you will be surprised to find that even inside, plant life greets you with a punch. All the indoor plants are neatly polished, giving an inviting green atmosphere.
This is definitely the place to be.
Precast concrete walls can be drab structures. However, in this case, the wall is masked by the golden dewdrop (duranta repens) that shines with its well-trimmed yellow foliage.
Tropical palms such as the king palm (roystonea regia) and the queen palm (arecastrum romanzoffianum) complete the picture, placing the visitor somewhere akin to a resort island.
The tranquillity of the garden is complemented by the presence of white flowers of the arum lily (zantedeschia aethiopica) growing pleasantly, even though there is no pond nearby.
There is a temptation to think the ladder fern (nephrolepsis exaltata) has been overused in most gardens.
Here it really shines, proving that sometimes, it is not about popularity but functionality.
There is so much to write on about this garden, but we will end by recognising the presence of other plants such as the African lily (agapanthus orientalis), bush lily (clivia miniata), bird of paradise flower (strelitzia reginae) and the New Zealand flux (phormium tenax). These are plants of notable pulchritudinous.
Keep greening up our cities and country for the betterment of our surroundings and quality of life.
To be featured in the green-up campaign, contact us on the numbers above or email: [email protected]
Online Reporter