inspirational gardens – The Gardening Blog

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/

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!