Visitors to a pristine Beacon Bay garden could hardly believe that a few years before it was nothing more than a barren, overgrown grazing ground for cattle.
Fast forward a few years, and the thorn bushes have been replaced with exquisite blooms and shrubs.
Situated on an expansive farm in Beacon Bay, the tranquil garden of Mandy Godfrey and her husband is home to an assortment of flowers including primroses, daylilies, Louisiana irises, roses and gora.
The farm was also a hit with children for its donkeys, ostrich, poultry, horses and ducks – which come with a little pond for them to swim in.
This was one of 24 of East London’s most beautiful gardens featured in the Pam Golding Gardens of East London Show over the weekend.
For the show, garden owners open up their spaces for public viewing, all in the name of charity.
Proceeds from the show, collected via ticket sales, are donated to garden owners’ individual charities of choice.
For the Godfrey family, whose son died of a brain tumour, the Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (Choc) is close to their hearts.
Having grown up on a farm in Natal, where her grandmother tended the garden almost daily, Godfrey said she had come to love working with the soil.
“When we bought this farm in the 1980’s, it was so bushy and overgrown and the cattle were roaming everywhere.
“I just remember looking around out here and thinking I could do something better.
“I did whatever came naturally, my husband and I like a lot of variety. Some of the original trees I planted then are still here now,” she said.
On Saturday, 258 visitors enjoyed the fruits of their labour.
“Its been wonderful to have people come through here admiring the garden.
“People commented on just how tranquil it is here and that for me is the added bonus.”
In a garden in Nahoon, owned by Hardie Smith, East London’s biggest succulents collection was on display for all to admire.
Smith, who supported the Carel du Toit centre for the hearing impaired, has been involved in charity work for children for many years.
His collection began in 1987 as a hobby, and he later decided to sell the drought-resistant succulents to the public as well.
Most of his collection was on display for the show, with a flower wreath by garden artist Wimpie a huge drawcard for the public.
“My collection started off with just a few plants but then when I met my wife, who loved plants too, it really just took off,” he said. “The biggest drawcard to my garden was the piece done by Wimpie. We marketed it on social media and we had a huge response. I had hundreds of people come through here.”
Garden show visitors Shirley Heathcote and Heather Osner said the gardens on display this year were simply beautiful.
“One I saw in Abbotsford was beautifully landscaped and had the most eye-catching plants,” Heathcote said, while Osner said: “I have yet to see all of them but I saw one in Stirling yesterday which took my breath away.”..