FOR THE LOVE OF WILD GARDENS.
The Wild Botanist is a specialist Wildlife Garden Design consultancy founded by Jan Kemp Nel on a simple belief:
A garden isn't created only for us. It's created for its wild inhabitants too.
Based on the KZN North Coast, The Wild Botanist creates considered indigenous gardens designed to bring people closer to the natural world... and invite wildlife back in.
More than landscaping.
The Wild Botanist began with Jan recognising a need for something more specialised within conventional garden design and landscaping.
Creating a genuinely indigenous, wildlife-friendly garden requires more than choosing plants that look good together. It means understanding what belongs, what will thrive and what role those plants can play within the wider garden ecosystem.
The Wild Botanist was established to provide independent, specialist advice centred on exactly that.
It is not a garden service.
Instead, Jan works as a consultant and designer - assessing each property individually and developing a considered approach to its planting, layout, natural features and wildlife potential.
The objective isn't simply to create a garden that looks different.
It's to create a garden that becomes different.
Meet The Wild Botanist
WiIldlife Garden Design Consultant
Jan Kemp Nel
For Jan, a garden is much more than an arrangement of plants.
It is a living environment.
His approach combines garden design principles with a deep interest in South Africa's indigenous plant life and the wildlife it supports.
Every project starts with observing the lay of the land - understanding the existing space, its conditions and its natural character before deciding what should be introduced or changed.
From the placement of indigenous trees to the relationship between plants, rock, timber and water, Jan looks for opportunities to create natural focal points while allowing the garden to function as habitat.
The result is a design approach that balances ecology with artistic intuition.
What guides our work
01
Respect for wildlife and ecology
Every garden has the potential to become part of a larger living system. Design decisions consider not only how a space looks, but what it can provide for local wildlife.
02
Indigenous first
South Africa has extraordinary indigenous plant life. Wherever appropriate, we prioritise plants that belong to the region and can contribute to the ecology around them.
03
Design with intuition
Rewilding doesn't mean removing design.
Plants, rock, timber, water, movement, scale and natural focal points are considered together to create gardens that feel intentional without feeling overly manicured.
04
Work with the land
No two properties are identical.
So rather than imposing a predetermined style onto a garden, we begin with its conditions, existing features and surrounding landscape.
Rooted in the KZN North Coast
Designed for here
We design for the North Coast.
Its subtropical climate, coastal conditions and extraordinary biodiversity create both opportunities and challenges for garden design.
The Wild Botanist works across Ballito, Salt Rock, Sheffield Beach, Zimbali, Simbithi, Durban and the broader KZN North Coast, creating gardens that respond to the particular conditions of this part of South Africa.
Rather than trying to recreate a garden from somewhere else, we create landscapes with their own sense of place.
Certifications
The Wild Botanist began with Jan recognising a need for something more specialised within conventional garden design and landscaping.
Jan completed the Premier Garden Design & Maintenance Programme through The School of Garden Design.
His training encompasses garden design principles, spatial planning, plant research, garden plans, soil health, maintenance and natural approaches to pest management.
This garden design foundation informs The Wild Botanist's practical approach, alongside Jan's particular focus on indigenous planting and wildlife-friendly landscapes.
Let's see what your garden could become...
Whether you have an established garden that needs rethinking or a new property waiting to take shape, The Wild Botanist can help uncover its potential.