Nature lovers are all too familiar with the big names in botany like Kirstenbosch National Botanic Gardens and the Mother City’s oldest garden, the Company’s Garden. But there are many more Edens to escape to and explore. Here are our top 5 spots:
Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden
An amalgamation of art and Mother Nature, the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden borders the manicured suburbs of Stellenbosch and the rugged wilderness of the Hottentots-Holland Mountains. The 7-hectare sculpture garden was created in 2009 when artist Dylan Lewis hired an excavator to create a level play area for his children behind their house on the farm.
What to see:
Dylan has grouped the sculptures within the garden, not as a response to a conscious plan but rather, as he describes it, through a process that unfolded intuitively over many years, in which certain sculptures seemed to ‘gather’ into distinct areas. As visitors meander through the garden, they can see sculptures of birds, African animals, big cats, leopard fragments, early female figures, human torsos, female shamanic figures, male shamanic figures and monumental fragments.
Visits to the Dylan Lewis Studio and Sculpture Garden are by appointment only at this time.
Details:
- Entry fee:
- R200 per person
- R120 for students and South African pensioners
- Children under the age of 18 have complimentary access
- Location: Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, Paradyskloof Rd, Paradyskloof, Stellenbosch, 7600
- Bookings: Call 021 880 0054 or email [email protected]
- Website: dylanlewis.com/garden/
Babylonstoren
The big garden that is situated at the heart of the Babylonstoren farm in Franschhoek is said to have been inspired by the historic Company’s Garden in Cape Town, but also by the mythical hanging gardens of Babylon.
What to see:
A walk through the garden will introduce visitors to 15 clusters spanning vegetable areas, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens, a prickly pear maze, and more. Rills that feed the garden water from a stream flow through ponds planted with edible lotus, nymphaea lilies and waterblommetjies.
Along the edge of the garden, a natural stream flows from the Simonsberg Mountain to the Berg River, creating a space for indigenous wild olives to flourish and a collection of about 7 000 clivia lilies to explode in a spectacular display every spring.
What to do:
Babylonstoren offers two garden tours every day. On the Daily Garden Tour, which starts every day at 10am, visitors will be guided by an experienced gardener and will be encouraged to pick, taste, smell and touch as the group moves through the garden. On the Special Collections Tour, which starts every day at 11.30am, guests get to discover the garden’s special collections. Depending on the season, guests will be taken to see the succulent collection, the cycads next to the stream or for a walk through the Healing Garden
The farm also runs workshops throughout the year, such as the ‘Grow your own veggies’ workshop for kids, and the ‘Break bread with our master baker’ workshop that deals with all you need to know about baking bread.
There is of course also a whole farm with restaurants, a hotel and spa, a cellar tour, and an olive oil and balsamic tour to explore.
Details:
- Location: Klapmuts – Simondium Rd, Simondium, Paarl, 7670
- Website: babylonstoren.com
Green Point Park and Biodiversity Garden
Green Point Park and the carefully curated Biodiversity Garden are secure, natural places to get some fresh air and be social. Visiting the park and garden is a safe and fun day out with family or friends. The facilities are ideal for school tours, family picnics, children’s birthday parties, outdoor exercise, intimate gatherings or romantic walks, and team-building activities.
What to see:
There is a rich variety of flora indigenous to the Cape, including 25 000 indigenous trees, shrubs, bulbs and groundcovers and 300 different plant species to explore.
What to do:
Go on a journey of self-exploration in the Outdoor Labyrinth or take a paid tour and discover the world of fynbos. Or take your own leisurely stroll down the paths and walkways.
The grassed areas are ideal for picnics or outdoor activities or sports. Bring picnic blankets and camping chairs, but fires, braais and gas apparatuses are not allowed.
There are several play areas for the youngsters. The Adventure Play Park and Tot-Lot Play Park will keep the kids entertained and active.
Furry companions are allowed in the park but not in the Biodiversity Gardens, and must be on a leash at all times.
Details:
- Location: 1 Fritz Sonnenberg Rd, Green Point, Cape Town, 8051
Harold Porter National Botanical Garden
This lovely garden is situated in the centre of the coastal fynbos where the flora is at its richest. It encompasses mountain slopes with wind-clipped heathlands, deep gorges with relict forests, flats and marshes with restios, sedges and bulbs, as well as dunes adjacent to the beach with specialised salt-adapted plants. The Garden is renowned for its waterfalls and amber pools.
What to see:
Numerous animals, large and small alike, have a role to play in the functioning of the fynbos. There is still much to be learned about how the various creatures and elements connect and relate to one another. Harold Porter National Botanical Garden invites you to share with them all that you hear and see in the park.
What to do:
There are numerous trails and hikes to explore in the park. The Fynbos Trail and the Zigzag Trail from the Round Bridge traverse the southern slopes of Bobbejaanskop and The Plateau, providing magnificent views over Betty’s Bay to the sea. The estate belonging to the Garden encompasses a whole river system, from its source down to the sea and this can be viewed by walking the Zigzag Trail.
A permit obtained at the garden entrance is required to access the Leopards Kloof Trail, which winds up through the forest, crossing the stream several times and ending at a lovely waterfall. After you’ve set off on the trail, the path rises for a short distance before dropping down to the first river crossing. Once across, and a little way ahead, the very observant may see the old scratch marks of a leopard (Panthera pardus) on one of the tree stems. This may explain how the kloof got its name! These animals are still seen at night in the area from time to time.
The Disa Kloof Trail is a favourite walk on a hot, windy day when the south easter blows. This trail is set amongst shady trees next to the Disa River. This is a very easy short trail – 950 m from the entrance to its destination at the waterfall, about 30 minutes each way. It leads along the western side of the Garden, over the Olive May Porter Bridge, and into a wooded area which is a haven for many bird species. This whole route is accessible for wheelchair users and parents with little ones in pushchairs.
The Red Disa Restaurant offers delicious refreshments and meals and is open during Garden hours. With ample seating both inside and outside and a lovely view over the water feature towards the mountains, enjoy teatime treats or a meal in a lovely setting.
Details:
- Location: c/o Clarence Drive and, Broadwith Rd, Betty’s Bay, 7141
- Website: sanbi.org/gardens/harold-porter
Old Nectar Gardens
Home to the van der Spuy family since 1941, the iconic Old Nectar Gardens combine Cape Dutch 18th and 19th-century atmosphere with 21st-century comfort, providing you with access to a beautiful, peaceful space where you can come and relax in the tranquillity of a serene garden environment.
What to see:
Noteworthy to all visitors is the variety of trees in the Old Nectar gardens; other than the oak trees, every tree in these gardens was planted by Una van der Spuy over a period of more than 70 years. They include Redwood, Elm, Copper Beech, Chorisia, Lombardy poplar, Liquidambar, Magnolia, Cape chestnut, Maple, Flowering peach, Flowering plum, Camellia and Prunus trees.
The 120-metre driveway to Old Nectar lies below a hillside of oak trees and overlooks an ornamental dam with views of trees and the sandstone cliffs of the 1500-metre Jonkershoek Mountains.
Details:
- Location: Jonkershoek Rd, Stellenbosch, 7600
- Website: oldnectar.com
Also read:
Free entry for kids at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden’s Winter Wonders
Picture: SANBI