Thousands of gardening enthusiasts streamed into 27 glorious East London gardens which were thrown open for public viewing at the weekend.
The seventh Pam Golding Properties Gardens of East London gave visitors the opportunity to explore behind the front gates of homes whose owners devote their time and creativity to their outdoor spaces.
Each garden sold tickets which entitled ticket holders to visit all 27 gardens over two days, the proceeds of which went to a variety of East London charities.
Wessel Strydom’s magnificent ravine garden in Bonnie Doon is an annual must-see of the garden show.
Strydom and his team of gardeners, some of whom were homeless and unemployed before he trained them, has created an ode to his travels around the globe.
There are surprises around every corner of his outdoor oasis which winds up and down from a tinkling stream far below and which is traversed by enchanting bridges and peppered with benches on which to rest and absorb the magic.
This year, his mostly indigenous garden was divided into Malay, Rio Carnival, Amazon tropical and Irish moss forest sections, enhanced with flamboyant displays of floristry and a Yoko Ono-inspired “wishing tree” on which visitors could hang their wishes .
“My garden is inspired by my travels,” said Strydom, a radiologist and artist who has studded his show-stopper garden with sculptures and art.
Louise Pretorius’s quirky Berea garden was also a sensory delight.
A firm believer in recycling, Pretorius has planted flowers in unexpected objects and decorated every available space with collections of rusted shovels, washboards, bird cages, vintage plates and old teapots.
The result is a deeply quirky explosion of charm and authenticity.
“I enjoy supporting the charity shops and to cherish old things that were loved before,” she said.
Close to 5000 succulents and cacti surround Hardie Smith’s neat Nahoon garden, where visitors can also buy a vast array of these beautiful water-wise plants.
“I love succulents and cacti,” said Smith, who buys a variety of species on his travels from Namibia to Lesotho to Cape Town. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
City’s magical gardens draw crowds
The seventh Pam Golding Properties Gardens of East London gave visitors the opportunity to explore behind the front gates of homes whose owners devote their time and creativity to their outdoor spaces.
Each garden sold tickets which entitled ticket holders to visit all 27 gardens over two days, the proceeds of which went to a variety of East London charities.
Wessel Strydom’s magnificent ravine garden in Bonnie Doon is an annual must-see of the garden show.
Strydom and his team of gardeners, some of whom were homeless and unemployed before he trained them, has created an ode to his travels around the globe.
There are surprises around every corner of his outdoor oasis which winds up and down from a tinkling stream far below and which is traversed by enchanting bridges and peppered with benches on which to rest and absorb the magic.
This year, his mostly indigenous garden was divided into Malay, Rio Carnival, Amazon tropical and Irish moss forest sections, enhanced with flamboyant displays of floristry and a Yoko Ono-inspired “wishing tree” on which visitors could hang their wishes .
“My garden is inspired by my travels,” said Strydom, a radiologist and artist who has studded his show-stopper garden with sculptures and art.
Louise Pretorius’s quirky Berea garden was also a sensory delight.
A firm believer in recycling, Pretorius has planted flowers in unexpected objects and decorated every available space with collections of rusted shovels, washboards, bird cages, vintage plates and old teapots.
The result is a deeply quirky explosion of charm and authenticity.
“I enjoy supporting the charity shops and to cherish old things that were loved before,” she said.
Close to 5000 succulents and cacti surround Hardie Smith’s neat Nahoon garden, where visitors can also buy a vast array of these beautiful water-wise plants.
“I love succulents and cacti,” said Smith, who buys a variety of species on his travels from Namibia to Lesotho to Cape Town. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos