house and garden, editor in chief, house and garden sa Editor-in-Chief, Piet Smedy
Change is in the air. Yes, literally, as we move into full spring, which accounts for the explosion of plant life not only around us as well as on the pages of this month’s issue (our annual garden-focus issue) but also metaphorically. The environment – our new state of disaster – is not just a conversation; it is the conversation. It is nothing new, of course, the warnings have been ringing out long before AOC (as far back as the 1800s, actually), but, as with everything, we usually only start listening when it is (almost) too late.
But it is not too late to act, like many of the incredible champions for nature we profile this month already are. From two olfactory alchemists distilling small-batch fragrances from local fauna at the foothills of Cape Point’s mountains to the urban farmers reclaiming the Joburg landscape. The lesson here is that passion and community are key to re-establishing our harmony with nature.
On a less globally catastrophic but nonetheless remarkable note – the plant-forward homes in this issue. Each one of them beautifully showcases how fantastic it is when we bring the outdoors inside – and vice versa (the punchy pink ‘flying saucer’ cocktail bar on our cover, by Durban-based studio Fyfe Boyce Design, is all the proof you will ever need of that). When it comes to plants, is there really such a thing as too much? Jungalow founder Justina Blakeney sure does not think so – and neither should you.
The Earth may be spinning faster, and rainwater may be poisonous to humans, and sinking cities are a thing now (all of these are true, by the way), but we still have a fighting chance to save our home if we heed the call and make the changes – tis the season, after all. Either way, I’ll take my chances here before relocating to Elon’s Martian colony, thank you very much.
Grab your digital copy of House & Garden here or pick up a physical copy now available in-stores nationwide.
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