Gardeners Group

The second meeting of the Gardeners Group was on Monday 20 August 2018.

Perhaps because we are all so grateful for rain, the prospect of a drippy walkabout on this Monday morning did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of our newly-formed Gardeners Group. There was the promise of weather clearing up later in the morning so 23 of us showed up for an exploration of three gardens – this time located at the Pringle Bay end of Betty’s Bay.

The gardens again differed greatly as to their terrain, soil conditions and age, and once again each one was a delight and a source of instruction, encouragement and inspiration.

The Farlham garden is the happy result  of many decades of planning and planting. It is a large garden, located on the dunes, and consists of  a mix of well established dune fynbos, and indigenous plants, well protected from the possible damage of wind and salty spray.  We meandered along winding paths that opened up onto colourful flower beds and patches of lawn, while an undulating sandy track through head-high fynbos led us to the special  attraction, an ancient milkwood forest. The gnarls and girth of their trunks and branches proclaim the age of these wonderfully preserved milkwoods, whose shade provides a haven for the resident grysbokkie.

The light sprinkling of raindrops from the trees soon evaporated as the clouds began to give way to sunny skies and warm sunshine, and we moved on to the Stuart garden, which is a smaller property, on level terrain and Hangklip Sand Fynbos sandy soil. This garden was already well established when the property was bought, and gardening mostly consists of keeping it going while adding new plants to the colourful front beds where leucospermums, ericas and proteas flourish. The visit by the Gardeners Group provided the new owner with a welcome opportunity to discuss some of the features and challenges of the garden. A particular attraction is the overarching canopy created by an unexpected forest of indigenous trees at the back of the house.

The Buchan garden was the last to be visited, and is an amazing demonstration of what can be achieved with imagination, determination and hard work in just five years. When the house was built, the plot was scraped almost entirely bare, so the owner  started with a clean slate. In a location that does not have natural features such as rocky outcrops or sloping ground, interest has to be created. Here it is achieved by sculpting of beds, and careful positioning of trees and paths that lead to the massed floral splendour at the back.

The rain had held off until then, but its arrival was well timed to coincide with a welcome tea break, giving everyone the opportunity to mingle, chat and network, while viewing the glorious garden from the terrace.

We are very grateful to our three hostesses for graciously allowing us to view their gardens  and giving us another most pleasant morning. With Spring just ahead after a good deal of rain, the next few months are bound to be spectacular for plant lovers.

– Rea Borcherds