Tag: botanical gardens

The 30 Day Challenge – Day 15

Post author By Christine
Post date November 17, 2011
4 Comments on The 30 Day Challenge – Day 15

Today I am grateful that gardening has taught me to appreciate other gardens. I used to sail through life without ever glancing at the beautiful gardens in my neighbourhood, without any appreciation for the time and effort put into our beautiful South African Botanical Gardens and without ever stopping to smell the roses or admire the look of a friends garden.

Now I am quite obsessed with looking at other gardens and plants. A simple drive to the shops will have me reminding myself to keep my eyes on the road rather that gawking into other people’s gardens. I love admiring the different types of gardens, the various ways people lay out their gardens and the many different gardening styles. For this new appreciation of gardens, I am grateful.

Photo – Sparaxis: Another South African native, I planted Sparaxis from bulb in my garden this year. Unfortunately they did not do very well. I don’t think they got nearly enough sun in my garden although I planted them in the sunniest spot I could fine. Win some, lose some, I won’t plant them again as I cannot give them the right environment for them to thrive.

Sparaxis (Harlequin Flower) is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa. All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer. Their conspicuous flowers have six tepals, which in most species are equal in size and shape.

About the 30 Day Challenge

Cat of The Whimsical Gardener, has invited Garden Bloggers the world over to join her in the 30 day challenge of posting a photograph and sentiment that you are thankful for – every day for 30 days. Find something you are thankful for every day, for 30 days, can’t be too difficult, can it? See all Barbie’s and my posts filed under “30 Day Challenge“.

Tags 30 day challenge, botanical gardens, sparaxis

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The Gardens at Vergelegen Estate

Post author By Christine
Post date May 7, 2011
10 Comments on The Gardens at Vergelegen Estate

This afternoon I spent a wonderful few hours exploring the gardens at Vergelegen Estate with a friend – we went specially to view the Camellia garden as we both love Camellias. The Estate, which is located approximately 40 minutes drive from the centre of Cape Town, has been a gardener’s paradise since the van der Stel era in the 1700’s and today, 17 beautifully themed gardens are on display for visitors to enjoy. But back to the Camellias …

The outstanding collection of over 1000 Camellia bushes at Vergelegen have been recognised as an International Camellia Garden of Excellence by the International Camellia Society. And when you wonder through this garden you can see why. The gardens include approximately 550 cultivars from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan, America and South Africa. But there is more to Vergelegen than the Camellia garden. Let me take you through a quick walk through the splendours of Vergelegen …

When you arrive the first stop is the Visitor Information Centre and Gift Shop which is housed in the former stable buildings. Next is the Wine Tasting Centre where you can sample Vergelegen’s award winning wines, some of which are rated among the best in the world. We were here to see the gardens so we didn’t stop for wine tasting, but for visitors new to Cape Town I would highly recommend the wine tasting and a visit to the Winery (booking essential). Next is the Interpretive Centre where exhibits on display in the former stable building give a detailed insight into the history and development of Vergelegen. But … we were here to see the gardens so we skipped this and proceeded along the Almond and Oak Avenue and went on to the Octagonal Garden which is a magnificent typical English garden with wonderful herbaceous borders. We did a brief walk through the Homestead which has been extensively refurbished with fine examples of early Cape furniture and textiles and provides a history of Vergelegen. We walked on to the Camphor Trees and great lawn. At the front entrance to the homestead are five magnificent Chinese camphor trees which were planted between 1700 and 1706 by Governor Van Der Stel – these are apparently the oldest, living, documented trees on the subcontinent and were dedicated as a national monument in 1942.

We made our way to the Rose Garden (not at its best right now, but beautiful nonetheless) and then on through the Yellowwood Walk and Water Mill to the Camellia Garden. You walk past the ruin of an old water mill, cross the river over a suspension bridge and then follow Camellia lined pathways through a yellow wood forest until you reach the Camellia garden. The Camellias are really quite magnificent and it was wonderful for me to see what I can expect my Camellia bushes to look like in a few years. Most impressive to me was a grouping of three Camellia shrubs – they were huge – taller than some of my trees! (see photo on the right).

Then a wooden boardwalk leads you through groves of tree ferns and arum lilies, gunnera and azaleas (also gorgeous!). This is known as the Wetland garden. Then there is the Camphor Tree picnic area – in season you can collect a basket from the info centre and a picnic in the Camphor Forest and I believe there is entertainment provided for kids in the form of a treasure hunt. Sounds like a lovely family day out to me.

Unfortunately it started to get late and chilly so we missed some of the other highlights which include the Margaret Roberts Herb and Vegetable garden. We went inside to the restaurant where we enjoyed coffee and scones (I had the most sublime cheese cake ever!) before we were warned that the gates would be closing at 6pm, so unless we wanted to be locked into the grounds overnight … we opted to leave and come back another day to explore some more.

Photographs (click to enlarge)

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If you are interested in Vergelegen Estate their website provides a lot of detailed info about the history of the estate and the gardens. Website: http://www.vergelegen.co.za/

Tags botanical gardens, inspirational gardens, somerset west, vergelegen, western cape, wine estates

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Come Walk with me …

When we started this blog it was my intention to feature gardens that inspire me. From National Botanical Gardens managed by a huge staff of professional gardeners to a little “handkerchief” garden loved by a hobby gardener, there are many gardens I know and appreciate, and each in their own way, their owners have all motivated and inspired me to take care of mine and to learn about “the art of gardening”.

But if I have to single out the one garden that inspires me the most, it is the garden of a young couple who have worked their tails off to be able to live on this magnificent property and call it their home. Not only is the garden beautiful to look at, they have also created this as a magical space for their kids to run free and enjoy plenty of space in a secure and beautiful environment. Five years ago my friend bought the property and proceeded to pull out every bit of the neglected overgrown jungle that came with the house. Fast forward five years and you see magnificent water features, forest walks, plenty of beautiful indigenous plants that attract all manner of wildlife to well planned flower beds that provide a theatre of botanical beauty in spring through summer. Nothing seems planned … and yet I think a lot of it is, but every area seems to blend into the next quite naturally. There are many different ‘garden areas’ and styles in this little paradise and it all blends well with the magnificent views.

And all credit to my friend – no landscaping companies were used, no garden designers or experts were called in to assist – this is a garden grown with care and love and an obvious natural talent for creating a magnificent oasis – and he shares all his experiences and the knowledge he’s gained with such enthusiasm and generosity that many a plant has been ripped out of the soil and been sent home with me because of an “oooh” or an “aaah” in admiration from me!

I am privileged to be able to “show off” this garden in all its Autumnal finery. I took over 100 photographs and here are my favourites. I’ve purposely not named the photographs, lets just walk and enjoy!

Photo Gallery (you can click to enlarge the photos)

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To my friend that owns this piece of paradise – Thanks for allowing me to spend private time in your garden and to photograph it. Thanks also for all the chats, advice, help, your generosity, the plants and the inspiration!

Tags botanical gardens, friends, inspiration, inspirational gardens

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Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

Post author By Christine
Post date February 18, 2011
5 Comments on Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

Water Lily at Stellenbosch Botanical Garden

A dear friend of mine, Wanda of the award-winning South African Eco-directory and blog, Urban Sprout, sent me these photographs she took on a recent visit to the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden. She has very kindly said I may use the photos here on the blog to show our non-South Africa friends this very small but gorgeous garden tucked away in the second oldest town in the Cape. As I was born in Stellenbosch, this picturesque town has a special place in my heart, added to which it is utterly charming, lies surrounded by mountains and is arguably one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa. (In case anyone is interested there is lots more info here: Stellenbosch Attractions).

But the point of this post is not to wax lyrical about the town of my birth, but to share these lovely photographs and some information about the Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens. The Stellenbosch Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanic garden in South Africa. The Garden is beautifully maintained and includes three glass houses (tropical-, succulent- and karoo houses), Lotus lily / Koi fish pond, Japanese Garden, Herb Garden and arboretum. The garden is widely regarded as an open-air laboratory and serves as a centre for training, science, conservation and recreation. For this purpose, rare plants have been imported from all over the world. The garden is small and compact, but time and again visitors are surprised by the atmosphere and the variety of plants and plant products found here.

The Photographs (you can click to enlarge them):

[one_half]Entrance to Stellenbosch Botanical Garden[/one_half]

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[one_half]The Water fountain[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Little boys watching the tadpoles[/one_half_last]

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Wanda says … “One is immediately transported into a fairyland world of roses, ferns, herbs, medicinal plants, reeds, bamboo, bulbs, trees, shrubs, bromelias, asters, fountains, sculptures, aquatic plants, olives and koi fish. The small garden (only 1.8 hectares) is the oldest university garden in the country and prides itself on being an educational garden, with both indigenous and exotic plants in amongst the specimens at which you can marvel. And it’s a sight for sore eyes.”

So if any of our new friends from Blotanical ever travel to South Africa, you will undoubtedly find yourselves in the Western Cape. A visit to the Cape Winelands is almost mandatory and it would be my privilege to show you the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden. Just let me know!

Tags botanical gardens, garden, south africa, stellenbosch