When the traffic circle opposite Kronendal Retirement Village was in need of a make-over, Earthworx Garden World owner, Gwen Gower and her fiancé Tony Mitchell, did not hesitate to get their hands dirty to beautify the circle which is now dubbed the Earthworx circle.
“The circle looked dreadful. It was covered in weeds and as it’s an entry portal to Hout Bay, something had to be done. We were in a position to do something so we did it,” Ms Gower said.
Ms Gower and her team re-landscaped the entire circle, replenished the soil and replaced the plants with succulents making it more water-wise.
“A neat, clean garden uplifts the entire area. Hout Bay is a tourist destination and it is very important that our public spaces are clean, cared for and well maintained,” she said.
But this is not the first time Ms Gower has put her green fingers to work to give back to her community.
Before moving to Hout Bay six years ago, she had a garden maintenance and landscaping business in Sea Point.
She explains it all started when vagrants moved into a garden at the fire station.
“They were sleeping there and caused problems for shop owners and residents so we re-landscaped the entire garden and maintained it at our own cost,” she said.
And her hard work did not go unnoticed. Soon the City of Cape Town asked her to assist them in maintaining various gardens in the area as well as to assist with the clean-up of the garden at the civic centre in Sea Point.
Cleaning and maintaining public spaces around Hout Bay will be an ongoing project for Earthworx Garden World with the next area on the cards for a clean-up the pavement outside the premises.
“We will do it as we can afford it,” Ms Gower said.
