George Open Gardens 2022: We Love Trees
George Open Gardens are in aid of BADISA (www.badisa.org.za). Each year we have ten gardens on show – five new and five that have been included previously from categories such as large town garden, a secret garden, food garden and more. This year our focus will be on trees. A selection of the gardens for this year are featured here.
Times: 09:00 – 16:00
Tickets: R50
Enquiries: 082 226 9466 (Philda) or 060 676 0078 (Tracey) www.georgeopengardens.co.za, georgeopengardens@gmail.com Facebook: @georgeopengardens
Garden 1: A Smallholding Garden, Glenwood
Saturday 12 November
Rodeen and Philip Botha
Buy your tickets at this large country-style garden with English-style roses, combined with foxgloves and delphiniums, rose arbours, a large koi dam, a vegetable garden and many exotic and indigenous, well-established trees. Do keep an eye out for the enormous stag-horn fern in the leopard tree.
- Directions: From the Garden Route Mall, turn right at the traffic light at Pine Lodge and then right at the next traffic light. You will pass Glenwood High School on your right; the garden is on your left after you have passed the Riding Club.
Plant sales
Garden 1: A Farm Garden, Geelhoutboom
Saturday 12 November
Jill and Allan
This protea farm’s garden offers sweeping vistas over the Outeniqua Mountains. This garden is quirky, tree-filled and interesting. Terraced garden paths meander alongside water features, a koi pond, and rockery. Allow some time to take a short forest walk to a natural spring.
- Directions: From Redberry Farm, Blanco, pass the Redberry Farm turn off, and before the road turns to gravel at Tramonto/Patria turn right onto the Geelhoutboom Road. Keep going on the tar road and turn right (towards the mountain) at the Eden Berry/ Uitsig Onthale signs. Follow the road to the top, keeping left at the split in the road.
Garden 3: A Plant Collector’s Garden, Bergsig
Saturday 12 November
Desmond and Philda Benkenstein
Buy tickets at this garden. Desmond is at the helm of this large, ever-changing garden of the beautiful historic Georgian house which dates back to 1861. He is a plant collector at heart, so it is all about variety, and he is particularly fond of salvias and hydrangeas. There will also be second-hand books for sale, and an exhibit by our sponsors.
- Directions: From Nando’s in Courtenay Street, turn toward the mountain and pass the Fairview face-brick office and housing complex. Turn right at the T-junction. Fairview Homestead is on your left two blocks further.
Plant sales | Dogs allowed | Limited access | Food and drink | Picnic spots
Garden 4: A Bonsai Garden, Bergsig
Saturday 12 November
Wessels de Jager
Wessels created a garden to show off his bonsai collection – the primary focus being the bonsai trees. The play area has made way for more interesting planting. Wessels has a wonderful way of incorporating his bonsai trees into his garden. The private nursery is fenced off but will be open to the public on the Open Day.
- Directions: From Pick ’n Pay in George turn off Knysna Road, up Fourth Street, between Hope Church and Pick ’n Pay. When you get to the T-junction you will see the signs for the garden diagonally across.
Garden 5: A World-Class Bonsai Collection, Heatherlands
Saturday 12 November
Dr Tobie Kleynhans
Tobie started his bonsai journey in 1998 and his collection has grown to a substantial variety of indigenous as well as exotic species. All possible styles and forms are represented. Tobie has a special interest in group and forest plantings as well as creating trees in the African style.
- Directions: From the York Street circle drive toward Oudtshoorn along Davidson Street, which will merge into CJ Langenhoven Street at the traffic circle after the George Provincial Hospital on your left. The garden is on the right opposite Outeniqua Park Rugby Stadium.
Plant sales | Limited access | Food and drink | Picnic spots
Garden 6: A Small Town Garden, Bo-Dorp
Saturday 12 November
Linda and Hannes Pretorius
The garden wraps right around the house, with hidden pathways created to add interest for their dogs in the relatively small yard. The beautiful roses, picket fence, arbour and plant variety add to this picture-perfect cottage garden, complete with a small kitchen garden. The plant variety alone in a relatively small garden is why this garden is worth the visit, but do look out for the trees.
- Directions: From the Dutch Reformed Church (Moederkerk) in Courtenay Street, turn up Church Street and left into Stockenstrom Street. Take the next left into Casper Crescent.
Garden 7: A Potager Garden, Glen Barrie
Saturday 12 November
Tracey Whitelaw
Tracey’s potager garden is home to a mix of fruit and indigenous trees and local and exotic flowering plants. A large organic vegetable garden and a young espalier orchard take up space that once extended to lawn.
- Directions: From the York Street circle, drive towards Oudtshoorn along Davidson Street. Pass the Van Riebeeck public gardens on your right and turn right into Arbour Road at the three-way stop. Go past Red Rock Centre on your left and Ground Zero bike park on your right. Turn left into Plane Street and then the first right into Vlier. The garden is at the second house from the end of the block on your left.
Plant sales