East Griqualand Open Gardens 2025

Explore East Griqualand’s Open Gardens from 14 to 16 November 2025. Set in the historic Bounapartes area, this year’s gardens offer a mix of heritage homes, roses, peonies, scenic views and country charm – a true celebration of spring. 

Friday 14 – Sunday 16 November 

East Griqualand is an area of robust contrasts in the changing of the seasons. After a bleak and cold winter when the deciduous trees are stripped of their glory and their branches laid bare, spring bursts upon the landscape with a flurry of buds and new life. This year the EG Open Gardens showcases gardens in the Bounapartes area. This area has a long history of farming dating back to the late 1800s. The old historic homes and sheds are a feature while the breathtaking views sweep across the undulating valleys. At the heart of this community is St. Andrews Church which was built by Charles Robert Rennie as a thanks offering for being spared the scourge of the rinderpest, a contagious livestock disease which killed 46% of the cattle population in KwaZulu-Natal between 1896 and 1899. The church was opened and dedicated on the 23 April 1899. The church continues to serve the families of the area and beyond. 

Time: Friday and Saturday 09:00-17:00, Sunday 9:00-12:00 

Tickets: R50 for the weekend. 

Enquiries: Louise Simpson 073 464 2440 or Mary Stanford 082 775 1907 

Email: louise@cooperdale.co.za 

@opengardenseg 

BONNY RIDGE 

Bridget Johnson 

The garden is a combination of formal and informal areas. A formal rose garden of only cerise coloured hybrid tea roses was reworked and re-established this last year. The informal areas are filled with icebergs and different companion flowers and with the shrubs, hedges and paths, a flow throughout the garden has been created. A dedicated area under netting was established for the growing of white and pink peonies, and recently dahlias have been added into this patch. 

Directions: From Kokstad, travel 12 km on the Matatiele/Cedarville Road (R56) and turn left onto Bounepartes Road (D611). Travel 7 km along the Bounepartes Road, turn left onto the farm road, and after a kilometer you will find the Johnson houses on the left. 

• Wheel chair access  

KROMDRAAI 

Anne Louwrens 

Anne has been reworking the garden and recycling the plant material by separating, grouping and contrasting texture and colour. She has done this reworking cleverly and her garden is an inspiration for anyone wanting ideas of how to create flow around existing trees and plants, even combining aloes and roses, without giving it a jumbled feeling. Anne has also re-established the garden to frame and focus the view over the vlei and the bird and wildlife occurring there. 

Directions: From Kokstad, travel 12 km on the Matatiele/Cedarville road (R56) and turn left onto Bounepartes Road (D611). Travel 12 km along the Bounepartes road, turn left at the crossroads at the Mill/Charlton School. Follow the D613 for 4.5 km, passing Janine’s house on the left. Kromdraai is the next house on the left. Follow the entrance road between the house and the big shed to the parking. 

• Wheelchair access  

• Food and drink  

• Picnic spots  

MPATOANE FARM 

Judy and Ross Johnson 

Mpatoane is an established farm and homestead featuring old stone buildings and magnificent old oak trees. The oldest part of the house was built in 1886. The garden has an English country garden feeling with numerous roses, shrubs, oaks and rolling lawns which blend into the paddocks. The garden was inspired by Judy’s mum, Jean, who propagated many of the older roses. This open garden is dedicated in her memory. 

Directions: Take the R56 Cedarville/Matatiele Road from Kokstad, after 8 km turn left onto the D606 district road, follow this road for 7.5 km and you will see St Andrews church on your left. Pass this to Mpatoane, turnoff is on your left. 

• Wheelchair access 

NAIRN FARM 

Gavin and Lesley Robinson 

Drawing on her love for roses and her intuitive sense of what ‘feels right’, Lesley has cultivated this garden that her family fondly nicknamed ‘the fairy garden’. As you wander around this garden, you will catch views of the EG mountains and surrounding farmlands, framing this whimsical pretty garden. 

Directions: From Kokstad, take the R56 towards Cedarville. Drive past Greenlands Meats, and before you get to Stoneybrook, turn right onto the D617. Follow this dirt road, over the bridge, past Whinestone Dairy, past the school on your right and follow the road all the way up to Nairn. 

• Wheelchair access 

• Food and drink  

PALMIET 

Jeanette and Mike Rennie 

Set around a third-generation homestead built in 1929, this expansive country garden reflects both heritage and fresh inspiration. The garden has recently undergone a carefully considered redesign. The front garden now features bold, formal mass plantings that open up to sweeping views across the farm. In contrast, the back garden retains a softer charm, with curved beds that flow with the contours of the old rondawels and the stone wall on the eastern border. 

Directions: From Kokstad, take the R56 towards Matatiele. After 8 km turn left, at the top of a rise, onto the D606 district road. Travel 12 km and after the St. Andrews Church and the Mpatoane turnoffs on the left, the Palmiet Farm turnoff is at the bottom of the hill on your right. The homestead is at the end of the driveway. 

• Wheelchair access  

• Food and drink