“Tierra” — meaning all the natural elements that make up the Earth — is more than just a name. It’s a commitment to restoring the integrity of the land we live on.

Founded by award-winning landscaper Billy Blackbeard, Tierra was born from a deep desire to restore Durban’s landscape to the native ecosystems of the Indian Ocean coastal belt. Billy’s passion lies in working with nature, not against it — using endemic coastal plant species that thrive in the region’s unique climate: salty air, sandy soils, seasonal rainfall, and coastal winds.

After years in high-end landscaping — including internationally acclaimed work such as building a golf course in Mauritius using volcanic lava sand instead of topsoil — Billy turned his focus toward something deeper: regeneration.

Tierra specialises in rehabilitating disturbed land and reintroducing biodiversity into urban spaces, using plants that:

• Resist salt and coastal stressors

• Attract and feed birds, butterflies, and pollinators

• Revitalise the soil with microbes to create living earth

Each project responds to the ecological needs of the site — like his work in Sibaya Signature Estate, where he reintegrated a barren stormwater servitude into a Coastal Forest Reserve: a living landscape that now supports nesting birds and thriving insect life.

Tierra gardens are wild, intentional, and deeply local. They are designed not just for people, but for the plants, animals, and ecological relationships that once flourished here. Through thoughtful planting and a respect for place, Billy and his team aim to revive the beauty, resilience, and biodiversity that belong on this land.