Firefly Landscape & Design

20/01/2026

Wild Flowers, Redwoods and Yellowwoods from our trip to Hogsback and the Eastern Cape, Drakensberg.

20/10/2025

Love these special flowers.

This humble wildflower from Mpumalanga changed the cut-flower industry forever. Here’s how the Gerbera took the world by storm. 🌼

The smaller flower in the photo is the Barberton daisy, Gerbera jamesonii, one of the parent species of the familiar Gerbera hybrid next to it.

Gerbera jamesonii grows naturally in the grasslands of Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo, and even features on Mpumalanga’s coat of arms.

In 1884, Robert Jameson, a Durban councillor, brought Gerbera jamesonii plants back from an expedition to the goldfields of Mpumalanga and donated them to the Durban Botanical Garden. By 1890, seeds had reached the Cambridge Botanic Garden, where curator Richard Lynch bred the first hybrid between G. jamesonii and G. viridifolia, starting a programme that produced more varied shapes and colours of flowers.

By the 1900s, commercial growers, especially in the Netherlands, began cultivating Gerberas on a large scale. It has since become one of the most popular cut flowers in the world and is the most successful cut flower of South African origin.

Our Gerbera jamesonii is currently flowering in Arid House 2. Be sure to check it out when you visit the garden!

09/10/2025

The History of Jacaranda Trees in Pretoria
The jacaranda tree (Jacaranda mimosifolia), native to South America, has become an iconic symbol of Pretoria, earning the city the nickname "Jacaranda City." These vibrant purple-flowering trees first arrived in Pretoria in 1888 when a traveling nurseryman named Tempelman sold two seedlings to Jacob Daniël (Japie) Celliers at his home, Myrtle Lodge, in Sunnyside. These "parent trees" still stand today at 146 Celliers Street and are credited as the progenitors of many jacarandas in the area. In 1939, the trees were protected with fencing, and a commemorative plaque was unveiled by Mayor Ben Swart on November 8, highlighting their historical significance.
The widespread planting of jacarandas began in earnest around 1898. Celliers obtained a government concession to plant trees in Groenkloof and sourced seeds, including jacarandas, through local businessman James D. Clark. Clark, a florist and nurseryman who arrived in Pretoria from Grahamstown in 1879, played a pivotal role in promoting the trees. Nicknamed "Jacaranda Jim," he donated 200 jacarandas for Pretoria's 51st anniversary on November 16, 1906. Schoolchildren planted many of these along Koch Street (now Bosman Street) and in Arcadia Park, with Mayor J.J. Kirkness and his wife planting two on the corner of Koch and Boom Streets. Despite initial losses, Clark replaced the dead trees, ensuring their establishment.
Clark's legacy extended beyond planting; he became a prominent figure in business and community affairs, serving on boards of financial and welfare organizations. He passed away on January 2, 1956, at age 92, and is buried under a jacaranda in Pretoria's Heroes' Acre, with "Jacaranda Jim" inscribed on his headstone.
Another key figure, Frank Walter Jameson—also dubbed "Jacaranda Jim"—amplified the trees' proliferation. Arriving in Pretoria in 1905 as a technical commissioner for the Transvaal government, he became town engineer in 1909, serving until 1920. Inspired by the Celliers' trees, Jameson established a municipal nursery to propagate jacarandas, chosen for their adaptability to Pretoria's cold winters, which naturally pruned them and reduced maintenance needs. In 1911 alone, he oversaw the planting of 40 miles of jacarandas. The City Council encouraged residents to plant them by offering two trees in exchange for removing root-damaging species that threatened sewage systems.
By Jameson's departure in 1920, over 6,000 jacarandas lined the streets. Planting continued under city policy, reaching 17,000 by 1939 and 25,000 by 1957. Today, estimates suggest Pretoria has about 37,000 street jacarandas, potentially up to 65,000 including outlying areas. Jameson also introduced the trees to Kimberley and Nairobi. He died on February 16, 1956, and is buried in Rebecca Street Cemetery under a stinkwood tree, though he had wished for a jacaranda.
The jacarandas' cultural impact is profound, transforming Pretoria's landscape into a sea of purple blooms each spring. Their introduction and spread reflect a blend of individual passion and municipal planning, turning an exotic import into a defining feature of the city's heritage. No major controversies are noted, but the trees' resilience and beauty continue to draw admiration. I took this photo after a meeting in Brooklyn yesterday.

02/10/2025

Primatologist, conservationist, animal advocate, educator, and National Geographic Explorer Jane Goodall has died at age 91.

Goodall’s decades of research into the lives of wild chimpanzees in Africa radically changed our understanding of these intelligent apes, humans’ closest relatives. Her groundbreaking work helped people understand that animals are sentient and intelligent.

Read more about her legacy and work with the National Geographic Society: https://on.natgeo.com/4gQHtSE

05/06/2025

🌿Professional Landscaping by Firefly!

Garden design & installation
Irrigation design and installation
Trellising and screening
Paths, patios and decking
Fire bomas, braais and pizza oven spaces
Artificial grass
Tree sourcing and planting
Water features

05/06/2025

The Before and After on a nice little project in Equestria.

26/05/2025

We were asked to landscape the area around the Midstream Ridge Primary mascot, a cute Warthog 🐗, we hope the school will enjoy the newly landscaped space! Midstream Ridge Primary/Laerskool

20/05/2025

Call us to do beautiful modern timber trellising for beautifying your walls, screening neighbours and water tanks etc, or dividing spaces.

25/04/2025

Mini revamp, old patchy lawn out and new neat path, pebbles and succulents in!

24/04/2025

Do you love flowers? 🌸

I took a some pics over the Easter weekend in our garden of a few that are still blooming!
Whats your favorite?

16/04/2025

Get out and plant an indigenous tree this Easter!
Some nice options for smaller spaces on the Highveld are:
Dais cotonifolia - Pompom tree (pink flowers)
Kiggelaria africana - Wild Peach (brings butterflies to your garden)
Heteropyxis natalensis - Lavender Tree (beautiful bark and shape)
Give us a call if you'd like us to assist!