Gardening With Gabions: A Solution For Terraced Gardens

African Gabions (Pty) Ltd reserves the right to amend product specifications
without notice and specifiers are requested to check as to the validity of the
specifications they are using.
A solution for terraced gardens
GARDENING WITH GABIONS

Do away with unsightly concrete blocks for ever.
Now, African Gabions has put 100 years of
experience into designing a highly effective,
environmentally friendly and attractive “Garden
Gabion” for all your retaining wall and slope
protection requirements.
What is a gabion?
A gabion is a basket made from galvanised and PVC coated
steel wire mesh, which is woven into a hexagonal pattern, with
double twisted joints. This ensures that the basket will not
unravel should any of the wire links be cut or damaged.
A gabion is strong and flexible, and with time, soil and debris
fills the gaps between the rocks, allowing further pathways for
vegetation establishment. Neither the rocks, nor the wire Figure 2
mesh create an obstacle to growing vegetation.
Gabion baskets are filled with rocks and used as building
blocks to create terraced and reinforced soil structures.
Suitable plant species for a gabion.

Many plants are adapted to grow on steep and even vertical
cliff faces. Some are attractive, while others are simply
planted for functional reasons, such as their soil binding
properties. To quickly encourage stabilisation of the soil,
species with a tendency to scramble or an ability to cling to
vertical cliff faces, such as Ficus burtt-davyi, should be planted
at the base of or directly above the gabions, where there is a
sufficient amount of existing soil.
We recommend you contact your local nursery or a nearby
horticulturist for specific recommendations on the most
suitable vegetation for your site as plant selection is
dependent on soil and site conditions.
Contact your nearest African Gabions office for

recommendations. Figure 3
Photograph: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Figure 1 Figure 4
Site preparation and plant establishment.
Analyse your site: for example, if you have a cool, shady,
south-facing aspect, you would need plants adapted to a
shady situation; or, if you have a warm, north-facing aspect,
your plant choice should reflect species with adaptations to
warmer conditions. The best time of establishment is with the
onset of the rainy season.
The main objective of successful plant establishment on a
gabion is to supply sufficient nourishment and moisture. The
faster the process of establishment, the sooner your plants will
become self-sustaining.
Young plants should be gently planted in the narrow spaces
between the rocks, or at the base of the structure, and
compost and soil added.
Due to high permeability through the structure, watering should
be at least daily, - with the exception, of course, of such Figure 6
succulent species as Sarcostemma viminale and Aloe ciliaris -
until the plants are established. An additional layer of compost Gabions provide a natural exchange of water,
or mulch will further combat moisture loss. nutrients and sediments, which enhances
vegetation establishment and growth.
Once established, the plants will gradually become less
dependent on watering. With regular pruning and training your
embankments should be totally covered within a few years.
Pruning and maintenance.

In smaller private gardens where plants can be given individual
attention and regular care and feeding, pruning and training,
the walls could be totally obliterated in a few years –
depending on the growth rate of the species used.
On a much larger scale and with no labour available the plants
only need care in the first year or so.
Go natural, Go green, Go Gabions
Photograph: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Figure 7
No wall is too small or too big. The Gabion building

blocks are flexible, permeable and durable making
them suitable for any wall, anywhere.
Call now for a no obligation Free Quotation and professional

advice.
This brochure has been compiled in conjunction with Ernst van Jaars-
veld, Kirstenbosch Gardens.
Figure 5
6 - Mat anchor detail
Quality System Guarantees

production, certified internal management and
technical assistance in compliance with ISO 9001:2000
HEAD OFFICE - DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
P O Box 15777, Westmead, 3608 Tel: +27-31-700 8456 Fax: +27-31-700 8469 E-mail: [email protected]
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
P O Box 133, Kya Sands, 2163 Tel: +27-11-704 0160 Fax: +27-11-704 0159 E-mail: [email protected]
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
P O Box 22150, Fish Hoek, 7974 Tel: +27-21-702 1416 Fax: +27-21-702 2977 E-mail: [email protected]
MALAWI
P O Box 40494, Kanengo, Lilongwe 4, Malawi Tel/Fax: +265-1-756 109 E-mail: [email protected]
MADAGASCAR
BP 168 Antananarivo 101, Madagascar Tel: +261-20-22-231 02 Fax: +261-20-22-553 90 E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.africangabions.co.za
African Gabions (Pty) Ltd, Durban, South Africa.

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African Gabions (Pty) Ltd reserves the right to amend product specifications

A solution for terraced gardens

GARDENING WITH GABIONS

Suitable plant species for a gabion.

Contact your nearest African Gabions office for

Photograph: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Pruning and maintenance.

Go natural, Go green, Go Gabions

Photograph: Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

No wall is too small or too big. The Gabion building

Call now for a no obligation Free Quotation and professional

Quality System Guarantees

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