Anthony, the gardener who earns tidy sum from unique designs

Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023 in a garden in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

What do you do after you have bought a home in one of the posh city estates and you are struck by the gardening cupid? Your best option is to have Anthony Musau design your dream garden for you. 

I met Mr Musau in the first garden that he designed 10 years ago, in Lang’ata, Nairobi. Outside the compound, there are fully developed travellers’ palm trees providing much-needed privacy.

Inside is a garden filled with well-kept Arabica grass that is lush and well-mowed. At the entrance is a small fish pond encircled by water ferns.

Part of a garden designed by Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023, in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

Surrounding the garden are roses, geraniums and shrubs like the sago palm, and the snake plants. The backyard hosts a small kitchen garden and pawpaw fruit trees. 

The forester cum landscaper worked in Karura Forest for three years before quitting and founding his landscaping business, Golden Field.

“It is there (at Karura Forest) that my love for landscaping was sparked. We would be sent to different areas to do forestry and landscaping and I got to learn so much. I began doing landscaping as my side hustle until 2013 when I left. I founded Golden Field Landscapers derived from the golden flower. Every time a client gives me a contract I take it as my golden opportunity to make up the garden in a golden way that will leave them happily enjoying the garden. I do forestry and landscaping. Forestry is mostly about planting trees while landscaping is now the beautification of homes, hotels and schools.”

Having grown up watching his dad grow trees at their home in Machakos, it was eminent that Mr Musau’s passion for trees, nature and gardening will develop.

Now he makes gardens for the rich and middle class. Along with his six employees, Mr Musau boasts of more than 200 beautifully done gardens. 

Not only does he design gardens but he also walks the journey with you to completion. Mr Musau compares it to the joy, happiness and excitement that a parent goes through while watching their baby develop. 

Part of a garden designed by Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023, in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

“Landscaping is a process. You plant that grass then you watch it develop. It must be done with an order. I am happy when I see the garden develop. My happiness comes when I see my boss out here enjoying his garden that I helped in creating.”

The garden designer is now pursuing courses to enhance his knowledge of landscaping and forestry. 

While he comes up with some ideas for his clients, Mr Musau says he can only work with his client’s tastes.

“I share ideas with my clients. I will advise you depending on where your garden is located telling you the plants and grass that will do well in such a region.” 

What happens after a client contacts him?

“A client shares with me the kind of landscape that they want. We do soil sampling of the area to be landscaped to ensure that we only grow the plants that would flourish there,” he says.

His signature plant is the sago palm. He always tries to sneak at least one into the gardens he designs and they have never let him down. 

“I like it because it does not need a lot of maintenance and it cannot disappoint you. They do not require so much attention. I also find them to be unique,” says the landscaper who is in his 30s.

A sago palm growing in a part of a garden designed by Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023, in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

The cost of a landscaper depends on the area to be designed. 

“What I consider when charging my clients is ‘How big is your compound? What do you want to be done in your garden? What is your desired result? Do you want more flowers? How much time do you have?’

Costs

It costs between Sh150,000 and Sh500,000 to design a garden for a quarter of an acre while an acre goes for between Sh600,00 and Sh2 million.

Mr Musau’s life has been one driven by passion. Every garden is like a baby that Anthony must nurture. In his charges, he also includes the cost of free maintenance of the garden until it fully develops.

Then the maintenance job can be a monthly thing or a weekly thing. For maintenance, it can cost between Sh1,500 and Sh20,000 a month depending on the size of the garden. 

Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023, in a garden in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

His most expensive and memorable garden was the Katani Resort where Mr Musau made about Sh700,000, eight years ago. 

Despite the peace of mind that could come with having a landscaper design your garden, many homeowners tend to overlook them.

“Landscaping is costly so people want to avoid the extra costs by going for cheap plants and cheap labour.”

While this works, Mr Musau cautions that people end up with a not-so-happy garden and have to get another person to do it over again, spending more money than if they had contracted a landscaper earlier. 

“I will do the levelling of the ground to make the garden very neat. I will not use manure as I am planting as I know the effects of manure. When the grass is growing I will apply fertiliser and then give the grass time to grow. Then I will top-dress the grass with manure. There is always a notable difference between a garden done by a designer and that done by yourself,” he says.

The majority of his clients are women. 

Part of a garden designed by Anthony Musau as pictured on July 25, 2023 in Langáta, Nairobi. PHOTO | BILLY OGADA | NMG

“Many times even if a man contacts me for a job he refers me to work with his wife. Most of my clients are middle-aged persons who are beginning their plant journey,” says Mr Musau.

The parting shot for budding landscapers is, “When you are working, do it out of passion, do not do it for the money. Money will come because a client who finds a perfectly well-done job will then release the money willingly as well as get you referrals”.

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