Windbreaks are the first system that we implement (after the Outdoor Classroom). In the Cape we experience 2 pervailing winds: The hot, dry, uncomfortable South Easter and the cold, stormy North Wester. We plant layers of hardy indigenous plants (Rhus Crenata, Bietou, Brown Sage etc) to defer these winds from the garden. The windbreaks are therefore multi-functional in that they promote biodiversity, provide habitat, are medicinal, fodder and fuel plants. We plant windbreaks at thebeginning of the wet season to ensure that they are established enough to handle the hot summer. We notice that animal and bird life definitely become richer once the windbreaks are up.
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