Feast your eyes at garden show
From gorgeous gorge edges to meandering grassland pathways, there is something for everyone as artists and crafters showcase their talents.
Various conservation organisations will share insights on birds, butterflies, snakes, monkeys and frogs. Plants and food will be on sale and there will be a treasure hunt for children.
Tanya Visser, Highway's celebrity garden guru, will open up her garden (garden 6), allowing visitors a glimpse at interesting and unusual plant collections, or a chance to relax with a picnic.
Also read: Traci finds joy in the little things
Garden 2 presents a rare opportunity to visit the grounds of the stone mansion at TWIMs and see the extensive gardens that are embracing our local plant heritage.
The Flora and Fauna Publications Trust and renowned indigenous plant expert Dr Elsa Pooley will be at Garden 4 to sign copies of her new book South African Indigenous Garden Plants.
Tickets are R35 per person for entry at each garden. Entry is free for kids under 12 years. Payment is either cash or Zapper, and proceeds go to local conservation projects. Details are available on the website: https://www.kloofconservancy.org.za/
Garden No 1 – The home of Helen and Allan Westwood, 5 Everton Road, Kloof. This garden has never been on show before and has undergone renovation in the recent past. As such it offers a blend of established and new plantings and numerous interesting features. This garden is mostly flat and relatively easy to walk about. Parking is available on the verges.
Garden No 2 – The Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS), 74 Everton Road, Kloof. This garden has previously been on show with the Rotary Anns but has since been significantly changed with large new gardens and a wetland. It offers a blend of intimate gardening (the original garden) and an extensive corporate garden. This is a large site with lots of 'extras', so allow enough time for the visit. The property can be divided into four distinct garden areas. This garden is flat and has excellent paved paths. Direction arrows will indicate commended route through the property. There is parking on the premises.
Garden No 3 – The home of Betsy and Ant Kee, 5 Pearson Road, Everton. This is a well-established garden with a 'park like' feel and numerous interesting trees. This garden is relatively easy to walk about. Funds raised at this garden will be donated to the Mend-the-Molweni Project. Verge parking is available.
Garden No 4 – The home of Shireen and Gary Borchardt, 7 Falls View Road, Everton. This stunning first time on show garden is packed with a range of indigenous species on the edge of Krantzkloof Nature Reserve. It is at its best during the winter season so people can expect a colourful display. This garden has a level area which is easy to walk through, but a large part of the garden is on a slope with good paths but challenging for those with walking difficulties. This is at the end of a cul-de-sac on a narrow road and verge parking is available.
Garden No 5 – The home of Heather and Laurence Balcomb, 8 Kenelm Road, Everton. Under the previous owner this garden was proudly 'wild' but has been mildly tamed as some structure was introduced to sections of the garden without detracting from its wild nature. There is a small but 'productive' grassland and an extensive forest section to explore. This garden is relatively easy to walk about although there is a forest path which is uneven and on an incline.
Garden No 6 – Izolda and Tanya Visser, The Potting Shed, 6 Controversy Drive, Assagay. This garden is now a regular feature of the garden show, and the Kloof Conservancy continues to feature it because of Izolda and Tanya's passion for encouraging gardening and all that it entails. Visser regularly rejuvenates the garden and there is always something new to see. This garden is relatively easy to walk about but it does have some stairs in places.
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