I attended a seminar at a venue called The Herb Farm at Doonholm nursery a few weeks ago and was delighted to discover this piece of gardening paradise! The gardens consist of a South African indigenous medicinal herb garden, a reflection pond, a spiral labyrinth herb garden, a scented rose garden and an educational garden. All the plants in this garden (trees, shrubs, groundcovers, climbers, annuals, succulents) are herb plants and this garden has been created to showcase the incredible range of herbal plants at our disposal.

The gardens began in 2006 and evolved over the years (the owner described it as a “lappieskombers” or “patchwork quilt”) so that each year a new section was added. It is estimated that it now contains over 450 types of herb plants.

There are numerous signboards throughout the garden indicating plant names and their uses. In the Educational Garden you will find: Herbs for Pets, Scented Herbs, Healing Herbs, Insect Repellent Herbs (On a side note I have heard that certain herbs deter pigeons, I really need to find out which ones!) Companion Herbs for Veggie Gardening, Flavour Herbs for Cooking and Herbs for Teas. Herbal plants have numerous beneficial properties and it is widely accepted that our knowledge of the potential that plants hold is under utilised. Look at https://healthyliving-herbs.co.za/medicinal-herbs/ to see specific herbs and their health benefits.

The Scented Rose Garden: Planted entirely with scented roses ranging from strong to subtle scents and light to dark coloured blooms. Rose petals are edible, used to flavour rose water for food and cosmetics, and used to make confetti and potpourri.

Refreshments are available at The Herb Cafe. Conference Facilities for smaller groups available. Please contact them before visiting as access is by appointment only. 264 Summit Road (R562), Midrand (Olifantsfontein Offramp) Tel: 0861 244 837 or info@herbfarm.co.za