Shaped by faith, tested by loss, and inspired by love—Carol Sacke Landscaping’s story is one of strength and growth.
In places where mist rolls over hills and the soil breathes with life, there is a team of gardeners who don’t just landscape—they craft living works of art, rooted in purpose, faith and perseverance. At the helm is Carol Sacke, a woman whose journey is a testament to resilience and the beauty that grows from hardship. “We exude peace, love and harmony—and this is the heart of our work,” Carol shared. “Actually, it’s God’s gardens we’re perfecting into an art form.”
Carol’s journey with nature began in Johannesburg, where she entered the Johannesburg Horticultural Garden Competition at 22-years-old. “That year we came third. I won first prize the following year—I felt like I had won the Lotto! I was so happy.” That win launched her first business, Sunsational Garden, in Johannesburg, which she ran for two decades.
In 2007, Carol, her husband Kevin, and their daughters moved to Rosetta to run a five-star guest house—a new adventure. But in 2010, life dealt a devastating blow; their daughter Kelli tragically passed away from an inoperable brain tumour. “Our whole world collapsed around us emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially,” she recalled.
With heavy hearts, the family sold the guest house and moved once again—this time to Howick in 2014. It was there that a seed of hope was planted by an unexpected source: their neighbour, Carien. “I was broken, discouraged, with no confidence and nobody to lift me out of the mire,” Carol says. “Carien said, ‘Come and do my garden tomorrow.’ I ignored her. But the very next day I saw her again and she said with a stern voice, ‘I SAID COME AND DO MY GARDEN.’”
That single moment of encouragement was the beginning of something extraordinary. Carol had been working on a memorial garden for Kelli with no budget and limited resources. She began Carien’s garden with Edwin Khumalo, an older gardener from Mooi River, and Sipho, Carien’s gardener.
As the garden took shape, Carol’s creativity and community spirit bloomed. “I left a message on our Broadacres chat group: ‘Please send your gardener for free Coke and cake. I need to move some rocks.’ Strong, Zulu men appeared from nowhere! We actually needed a Tractor Loader Backhoe (TLB), but there’s nothing like ZULU POWER!”
As word spread, a neighbouring complex hired her, and soon she was employing young men looking for a chance. “Enter, Teddy Bear,” she says fondly. “He toiled away, even though it was hard on his own.” As the work picked up, her husband Kevin bought her a bakkie, and her small team began to grow—Mr September (Syathemba), Mr Lindt (Lindewe), and Gift (a true gift indeed).
Then came a pivotal moment. While trying on workwear at Johnson’s, Carol asked a tall, soft-spoken man which shoe suited her best. “Nine months later, he offered me the biggest landscaping job in Pietermaritzburg. He heard my story and took a chance on me.” That grand project—filled with boulders the size of bakkies and intricate natural sculptures—neared completion in April, five years later. “We’ve massaged and sculpted the Earth into an outstanding work of art. I think Van Gogh would be proud. We sure are.”
Carol’s advice to others is as down-to-earth as her gardens: “Find what you love to do—that’s your gift. Use your gifts from God, because they will feed your family. If you make mistakes, turn the page, start again, and do better the next day. And laugh; laughter is the best medicine.” Through heartbreak and hard work, Carol Sacke Landscaping has become a living legacy of growth and gratitude—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
- Tel: 083 657 3558
- Email: carol.sacke@iafrica.com
- Website: www.carolsacke.com