Bedford Country Gardens 2026

Bedford Country Gardens invites visitors to experience a collection of distinctive country gardens set against the beautiful rural landscapes of the Eastern Cape. From sweeping lawns, mature trees and colourful flowerbeds to productive vegetable gardens, formal rose gardens and peaceful outdoor spaces, each property offers its own character and charm. Visitors can explore Belmont, Cavers, Donkerhoek Vegetable Garden and Eildon, with selected gardens also offering plant sales, picnic spots, refreshments and wheelchair access.

BELMONT

HENRY AND RIA MOOLMAN

A sloping garden with a beautiful lawn and flowerbeds all around. Nature’s elements combine with plants in and along flowerbeds; the paths in the garden are laid with river pebbles, and plants along the way soften the stonework. Huge 52-year-old trees and an impressive Canadian blue spruce tree are a beautiful focal point. Lots of butterflies and bird life to experience.  

Directions: Travel on the Tarkastad Road via the Baviaansrivier gravel road. Pass the imposing white church and 1820 Settlers stone church on your right. Just 2 km after the church, there is a sign reading BELMONT FARM. 

• Times: 08:00-18:00 
• Tickets:R20 
• Plant sales
• Picnic spots
• Enquiries: 079 898 1615
• Email: glenross@r63.co.za  

CAVERS

KENNETH AND ROZANNE ROSS

A peaceful oasis with huge trees, sweeping lawns, and bountiful herbaceous borders frames a blue-chip guest house and a gracious 5thgeneration family home. Windows in the various garden rooms invite the eye outwards towards the magnificent mountain sky. There is space to unwind and dream. 

Directions: Travel out of Bedford on the R63 towards Adelaide. After 8 km, turn left at the Cowie/Mill Cricket Ground sign. Travel 3.4 km and at the T-junction turn left and continue for 4 km. Cavers Country House will be on your right. 

• Enquiries: Rozanne Ross 082 579 1807 
• Email: info@cavers.co.za 
• Website: www.cavers.co.za 
• Wheelchair access
• Plant sales
• Food and drink

DONKERHOEK VEGETABLE GARDEN 

MIKE AND BARBARA CHURCH

This old ancestral stone house has wonderful vistas out front framed by lawns, old trees, aloes, plumbago and Tecoma capensis. At the back, off the wide verandah, is a stonewalled kitchen garden with raised beds. There are plenty of other veggie beds and a few fruit trees above. Tea, coffee and scones available on the back verandah. 

Directions: Travel out of Bedford on the R63 toward Adelaide for 8 km, then turn left at the Cowie sign onto the dirt road. After 3,4 km, turn left at the T-junction. Go through the security gate further on. After 0.5 km, go right at the Donkerhoek/Kelvinside sign, over the causeway and around the hill. See the sign on the left. 

• Enquiries: Barbara Church 083 354 8841
• Email: churchs@icon.co.za  
• Tickets: Donations for staff upliftment of skills and lifestyle 
• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Food and drink

EILDON

DAVID AND TARYN PRINGLE

At Eildon, the garden reflects both heritage and creativity. The grounds are carefully structured into distinct garden rooms, each with its own character and planting style. Explore features such as the formal rose garden, the orangerie, sweeping lawns, mature trees, stone walls, mass plantings, and tranquil outdoor spaces that stand in contrast to the surrounding rural landscape. The garden combines formal structure with softer, informal planting. 

Directions: From Bedford, turn right onto the R63. Travel for 9 km, then turn right at the boom gate. Travel on this gravel road for 37 km. Eildon driveway will be on your left, after the small Stone Church. 

• Times: 09:00-17:00 
• Enquiries:  Taryn Pringle 
• Email: tpringle1981@gmail.com 
• Food and drink
• Picnic Spots

FAIR HOLT FARM

PRINGLE FAMILY

Newly established formal garden with salt bush, roses, and vegetables. The garden is placed around the original homestead of Fair Holt Farm. It has been designed to be low maintenance and waterwise, featuring indigenous plants as well as a formal planted area framed by salt bush, which has a long history of traditional use in the area. The formal garden occupies the grounds of the farm’s original tennis court, with a plant nursery for the property, and a herb and vegetable garden nearby.

Directions: From Bedford, turn right onto the R63 towards Cradock. After 10 km, turn right towards Tarkastad and go through a security red/white boom (no cell signal after this point). After 18.5 km, turn left at the white sign WD Pringle, among other names, and drive through a drift. Continue for 5 km, the road will then fork (left/house or right/shed). Take the left fork, drive ±500 m and
park on the road.

• Enquiries: Lucy Pringle 082 879 5006
• Email: LucyScottPringle@gmail.com
• Wheelchair access
• Plant sales
• Food and drink
• Picnic spots

GLEN AVON FARM

ALISON AND BILL BROWN

This historic 200-year-old homestead and garden is a journey into timeless charm and tranquillity. Surrounded by a beautiful English-style garden, shaded by magnificent oak trees, with expansive green lawns. Masses of climbing roses soften fences, providing banks of colour, while a rich collection of interesting perennials and shrubs bring texture and colour throughout the season.

Directions: Take the R63 from Cookhouse towards Somerset East/KwaNjoli. After 20 km, turn right at the large sign Glen Avon B&B. Travel 6 km on a gravel road. Sign on the right-hand side for GLEN AVON W H Brown.

• Enquiries: Alison Brown 072 653 1545
• Email: brown@glenavonfarm.co.za
• Website: www.glenavonfarm.co.za
• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Food and drink
• Picnic spots

GLEN GREGOR

SHIRLEY AINSLEY

Nestled in the Cowie Valley, this lush garden, shaded by large trees and nourished by the Cowie stream, boasts beautiful mountain and forest views. It’s a haven for shade-loving plants and a paradise for bird lovers.

Directions: Turn left off the R63 towards the Mill Cricket Ground and Cavers. At the T junction, turn left, go through two access gates, all the way to the end of the road.

• Tickets: Voluntary Donation to Animal Welfare
• Enquiries: Shirley Ainslie 082 881 4818
• Email: shirleyainslie27@gmail.com
• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Picnic Spots

LYNEDOCH FARM

DENHAM AND RUTH PRINGLE

Denham and Ruth Pringle
The gardens at Lynedoch have been shaped with the scale, symmetry and formality of the historic Cape Dutch homestead. Strong geometric lines and neatly clipped hedges mirror the structure of the house itself, while generous groupings of plants and broad planting schemes bring balance to the property. Stone pathways weave throughout the garden. Although only a handful of the original trees remain, the garden has been largely established over the past six years. It is still young, with sweeping lines of iceberg roses, pomegranate hedges, a newly developed fruit orchard, the greenhouse, and the vegetable garden. Palaeontology talks by Dr Viktor Rademacher, specialising in Dinosaur biology and evolution from Karoo Origins in Graaff-Reinet. Talk
times: Sat 11:00 and 14:00; Sun 11:00. Live music on Saturday after the talk.

Directions: Drive through Bedford town, past Spar on your left. Turn right onto R63. Drive on R63 out of Bedford for about 9 km. Turn right into Baviaans River Conservancy onto the dirt road. The sign says Tarkastad. As you approach, the boom gate will open automatically. You will lose signal as you climb the mountain. Drive down the mountain. Pass Avondale Dairy on your right-hand
side, over three bridges, and pass the Glen Lynden church on your right. Over another 2 bridges. Pass turn off to the left to Fairholt. Lynedoch farm is on your left-hand side, 20 kms on dirt in total.

• Enquiries: Ruth Pringle 082 946 7241
• Email: ruthshearingshed@gmail,com
• Website: www.theshearingshed.store
• Plant sales
• Food and drink
• Picnic spots

MAASSTRÖM FARM GARDEN

GRANT AND ROBIN HOGG

The historical Maasström Farm Garden sits nestled against a beautiful backdrop of the Kaga Mountains. Close to town, this garden is a mustsee! An interesting combination of formal rose plantings, a Yellow Wood tree forest, Heritage Rose showground and a Cycad Rockery. There is something for everyone.

Directions: From Bedford (PE side), travel through town and at the circle turn left, follow the paved road all the way up to the two white pillars, follow the gravel road, and you will arrive at the garden.

• Enquiries: Robyn Hogg 083 366 1796
• Email: robsjhogg@gmail.com.
• Tickets: R20
• Wheelchair access
• Plant sales

MANDALAY

JANINE AND BRUCE PITT

Mandalay garden is worth seeing for its exquisite blend of country charm and French accents, featuring majestic arches, beautifully espaliered fruit trees and lush planting. Wisteriacovered arches and a mix of cottage-style flowers and herbs
lead you through the garden. Delicate roses and delphiniums dance in the breeze. The harmonious union of styles creates a
serene, breathtakingly beautiful space beneath the mountain. Perfect for relaxation and nature lovers alike.

Address: 23 Stockholm Street, Bedford

• Times: 8:00- 17:00 Friday and Saturday, 8:00-12:00 Sunday
• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Picnic spots

NELLIE’S GARDEN

NELLIE VAN AARDT

Nellie’s garden is a must-see in town. Baviaanskrans was on the Bedford Country Gardens route as a succulent, drought-resistant
farm garden. Nellie has drawn on her years of gardening experience to create a semi-formal, exceptional masterpiece in the heart of Bedford Town.

• Times: 8:30 – 17:00
• Tickets: Donation

THE SA ROSARIUM

The Rosarium houses a unique national collection of old roses from across South Africa. The tranquil garden is nestled at the foothills of the Kaga Mountain on the outskirts of the village. This position offers an ideal environment for these wild rose species to prosper and be preserved. At varying times of the year, the roses are in full flush, and it is a sight to be seen.

Address: Corner of Upper Stockholm and Hart Street

• Tickets: Donation
• Enquiries: Kim van Niekerk 082 775 5178
• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Picnic spots

THE ORCHARDS

GRAEME AND LIESL BROWN

An expansive informal country garden bursts into bloom each spring, carrying its vibrant colour right through the summer months.
Towering old oak trees frame the homestead, where breathtaking, sweeping views stretch for days. Rich garden beds spill into lush kikuyu pastures, drawing the eye across the magnificent surrounding landscape. Bursting with a vast array of annuals and a beautiful, abundant collection of roses, Liesl’s passion for colour and natural beauty can be felt in every corner of the garden.

Directions: From Bedford, take the R63 towards Cradock, turn left onto the N10 to Cookhouse. Turn right onto R63 and after 21 km turn right at the sign Glen Avon B&B. Travel 6.5 km on a good gravel road.

• Wheelchair access
• Dogs allowed
• Plant sales
• Food and drink