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About Mia Marsay

Award winning landscaper & garden designer, Founder & owner of Over The Garden Wall

When Mia Marsay started enjoying working in her garden significantly more than her day job, she knew she had to make a change in her career. After completing a few landscape design courses, and increasing her gardening knowledge by poring over numerous books, Mia joined the South African Landscaping Institute as a member-in-training. After fulfilling all the necessary requirements she soon became a principal member fit for the public domain.

Her business started small, and as more of a hobby, in 1994, with Mia planting up topiary frames in various shapes and selling them at a local craft market. Over the Garden Wall has since grown into an award-winning landscaping business, over the years achieving silver and gold awards for garden design and in-house construction from the South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) at their prestigious annual Awards of Excellence.

Many of Mia’s gardens have featured in some of South Africa’s top garden, landscaping and décor magazines, including Garden and Home, Visi,  Landscape SA and Footprint Limited.

Our Team

Award winning garden & landscaping team

Mia’s success as a landscaper lies in her dedication to her clients and ability to uncover what they really want – she gets to know the clients’ likes and dislikes and finds out what they have in mind for the garden. 

She also visits the site and analyses the property with regard to sun, site position, type of soil, land levels, drainage restraints, municipal by-laws and estate rule and regulations. 

After this, the concept of the garden is designed, plans are drawn up and the garden is implemented. Mia’s specialty is creating a ‘complete’ garden, one that works harmoniously with nature rather than against it. 

She is acutely conscious of our fragile environment and the need to value precious resources like water, and ensures that insects, birds and butterflies are part of the mix of every garden she creates. 

She also puts a lot of emphasis on applying organic matter to improve the soil.


AWARDS

These are a few awards that Mia has achieved since pursuing this profession through many hours of self-study, attending short courses and gaining experience through the years.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE ACHIEVED

MERIT AWARDS

Waterwise :
  • Isiphiwo conference Centre

SILVER AWARDS 

In house design and construction
  • Isiphiwo Conference Centre 2009
  • House Buhrs 2015
  • House Gouws 2018
Waterwise:
  • House Hollander 2014

GOLD AWARDS

Inhouse design and construction:
  • House Bossenger Irene 2004
  • House Tonelli 2009
  • House Fourie Centurion Estate 2007
  • House Hollander Eye of Africa Estate 2014 showcased in the Visi Magazine
Waterwise:
  • House Bossenger 2004

DOUBLE GOLD AWARDS

In-house design and construction and waterwise
  • House Constas 2018
  • Showcased in the Garden & Home magazine 2019 and on The Home Chanel on DSTV
  • Rand Water presented this garden to their staff for training purposes
  • House Jansen 2020
Showcased in the SA Landscape magazine 2020 Trophy awards:
  • Best waterwise garden in South-Africa 2004/2018
  • Best innovative use of plant material 2020

We are proud members of sali

Membership Certificate

Most of Mia’s experience has been using all the information she acquired through membership of the South African Landscape Institute to deliver excellence in her work and create sustainable landscapes. See below:

    • 2011-2020 : A member of the SA Landscape Institute Gauteng Regional Council
    • 2010-2020: A member of the Agriseta / Green Industries Council team responsible for the development of the National qualifications for the Landscape industries: Landscaping Supervisor and currently Landscape designer and Garden designer
    • 2018 & 2019: Presented a training course for SALI members on pruning.
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