Babanango Valley Lodge Gardens: An Indigenous, Water-Wise Garden in the Heart of Zululand
The gardens at Babanango Valley Lodge are an indigenous, water-wise landscape designed by renowned horticulturist Chris Dalzell of Chris Dalzell Landscapes. They sit within the almost 21,000-hectare Babanango Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Planting began in 2019 on ground left bare after the lodge construction concluded. The garden includes many plants that grow naturally on the reserve: towering Mountain Aloes, the rare Aloe gerstneri, a central Tree Wisteria, indigenous grasses, flowering bulbs and succulents. They were chosen to attract birds and butterflies, bring colour through every season, and frame the sweeping valley views rather than block them. In this article, we explore how Dalzell turned a post-construction dust bowl into a garden that truly belongs to its landscape. We cover the plants that define it, the water-wise principles behind its design, and how it has grown to connect the lodge’s pool, boma, spa and African medicinal garden. We also explain
