Montagu Herb Festival

We visited the quaint town of Monatgu in the Western Cape over the Heritage day weekend in September this year. Montagu is situated in the Breede River Valley at the foot of the majestic Langeberg mountains and surrounded by beautiful fynbos vegetation, lush vineyards and fruit orchards. It is known for its location on the famous Route 62 and for the numerous outdoor activities on offer including hiking, rock climbing and mountain biking. Interestingly Montagu boasts the most number of national monuments in one street than any other town in the country and the town has a rich cultural and architectural history.

 While the main aim of our visit was to have a relaxing getaway (i.e. fun-filled girls weekend) in a beautiful part of the country, we discovered much to our delight, that it serendipitously coincided with the annual Montagu Herb Festival or Kruiefees.

Exploring Montagu

Doing the Scavenger Hike by Bike!

The Herb Festival is in it’s 4th year of existence and is organised by the Montagu Museum which has a long standing history of documenting knowledge about medicinal plants. Since I love all things botanical this was an event I was so excited to experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The festival included: exhibitions, cooking demos, workshops, plant discovery walks and enlightening talks on medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and healing traditions.

The Fynbos Healing Plant Discovery Walk was on Sunday morning

I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the local flora on the Fynbos walk with Liana Muller from Fijn Botanicals. She shared on the medicinal and healing properties of the plants in the area that she uses to create Botanical perfumes, creams and other skin products.

Liana Jansen from Fijn Botanicals sharing her knowledge about the Fynbos plants she uses in her products

We also enjoyed the Herb Walk in the Montagu Nature Garden with curator Hugo de Wet and Patti van Dyk. The Nature Garden is an indigenous wildflower reserve with plants of the Klein Karoo and contains numerous walking trails which offer lovely views of the town below as you make your way up the hill.   

Hiking through the Montagu Nature Garden

Montagu Nature Garden

The exhibition at the Montagu Museum consisted of companies that make use of botanical products and included the following: Canna Gold, Chivas Oils, Dagga Farmacy, Earthwell Pet Products, Eporia, Fell Flora, Fijn Botanicals, Folio Books, Gentle Rain Traditional Healing, Greyton Candles, Grow Folk, Indikaap, Karoo Mantis, Khoe Cure, Montagu Museum Herbs, Shop@Yamu Botanicals and Therapeutic Naturals.

See image of Herb Festival Program for 2024:

 I had just walked through fynbos for a few hours - studying and learning about the medicinal plants of this region - so when I saw dried plants in jars on the table of Khoe Cure I wanted to try them out for myself. I bought their Herbal Tonic which contains the following plants: Sutherlandia frutescens, Artemesia afra, Dicoma capensis, Lobostemon fruticosus, Agathosma, Aucalyptus globulus, Bulbine natalensis, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Tulbaghia violacea, Chrysocoma ciliata, Cissampelos, Clychrrhiza glabra and Cannabis. The tonic has a strong garlic taste from the Tulbaghia violacea, which makes it a bit hard to swallow, but Megan suggested I mix it with tonic water and that has definitely helped.

While there are certainly many beautiful accommodation options in the area I highly recommend the self-catering cottage we stayed in called Exhale Cottage. The cottage is well equipped and in the most breathtakingly beautiful location. The hosts were incredibly gracious and generous and went out of their way to make our stay unforgettable. Here are some pics of our accommodation:

We had a really memorable weekend!

Montagu's Herb Festival is a must-visit for anyone who is interested in medicinal plants or who just wants to enjoy the beautiful scenery and relaxed atmosphere of this charming town.

Some reference links: 

https://montagumuseum.co.za/

https://www.sahistory.org.za/place/montagu-route-62

https://www.south-africa-info.co.za/country/town/227/montagu

Babylonstoren - Garden celebrating South African Heritage

Babylonstoren is a wine farm located at the foot of the Simonsberg mountains in the Franschhoek wine valley. It is well known for its quality wines and luxurious accommodation including a hotel, spa, restaurants as well as the incredible gardens.

Although I’ve written about this garden before (previous blog) there is so much to share about this place that I think I will probably create a new post eacht time I visit! In fact, I think this is a garden that one can visit weekly and still not fail to learn something new. There is so much to see and learn - this botanical wonderland is a place to inspire and delight.

Interactive water feature highlighting the reptiles endemic to the area - watch out for the Spitting Cobra!

 The garden was designed by French architect Patrice Taravella and based on the formal layout of the historic Company Gardens in Cape Town. Those gardens were originally built by Jan van Riebeek to provide food for the ships that stopped over on their way to India. Hence, there is a strong focus on fruit trees and edible planting and the gardens are continuously expanding to include cultivars that were thought to be lost. The farm not only produces wine but also fruit, olives and vegetables. The food that is grown on the farm is also used by the two restaurants on site who adapt their menus seasonally to accommodate what is available from the garden.

I listened to a webinar given by Ernst van Jaarsveld before my latest visit (see link to video below). Ernst van Jaarsveld is a renowned botanist who has authored several books, discovered several new species and contributed extensively to the botanical realm. He worked for SANBI (mostly at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens) for 41 years and has now worked for Babylonstoren for the past 6 years. He complimented the owners Koos and Karen Bekker and explains how they want to create a destination that not only celebrates the history of the Cape but also a place that celebrates the creation of the vernacular specific to this region. Language and words are important (the name Babylonstoren references the story of the Tower of Babel), and one can find several references to words, poetry and language throughout the gardens.

Ernst outlines several of the latest projects they have undertaken over the past few years including: the new cycad garden, the welwitschia garden, the spice room and the wine museum. They are continuously adding to their gardens and there are plans to expand by purchasing neighbouring land.

Succulent House with all Pots hand made by the late artist Ronnie van der Walt

 Ernst explained the detail that went into designing and implementing the creation of the Welwitschia Garden. These plants are endemic to Namibia where there is almost no water and very high temperatures. Heat pipes were laid below a bed of imported red Kalahari sand and the plants were protected from rain. Petrified wood was imported as well as unique and sculptural rocks.

Welwitschia Garden

A special biome garden has been introduced that showcases the beauty and diversity of South Africa’s botanical treasures. There is also a medicinal garden honouring the plant knowledge used by the San. There are many layers to this garden - it not only celebrates history and heritage but encourages education and conservation of the beauty, botany and significance of the vernacular we know as South Africa.

Wine Museum

I was particularly impressed by the new wine museum which feels more like an art gallery than a museum. It details the origin, cultivation and culture of the history of wine and how this has changed over time. One wall has hundreds of different wine openers on display. A visual feast and authentic experience.

 Look out for specialist tours such as garden tours or birding excursions held on a regular basis. A small entry fee is payable for day visitors or look into the annual pass if you plan to visit regularly.

www.babylonstoren.com

If there is one garden you can visit in South Africa then this should be it. ~ G.S

10 Essential Plants for a Rewarding Vegetable Garden

A Vegetable Garden should be filled with plants that can be harvested for use in the kitchen and home. A wide range of foliage size, colours and textures add interest and variety to planting combinations. I especially love herbs and the beautiful landscapes you can create using them. Here are the top ten plants I recommend every Vegetable Garden should have:

1. Perennial Basil ‘White’ (Ocimum basilicum)

Large, highly aromatic leaves with spikes of white flowers from early spring to late autumn. Leaves can be used in cooking wherever a basil taste is required. Its cold hardy nature will ensure the availability of basil right through winter. Shrub. Height: 80cm Width: 80cm.

Perennial Basil - Medium sized shrub with beautiful flowers

2. Cleveland Sage (Salvia clevelandii)

A hardy, small woody shrub with velvety, textured oval green-grey leaves. Sage tolerates most climates however it does not like to be over watered. Requires really good drainage and a slightly alkaline soil. The foliage is used in pot pourii and in natural insecticides. Shrub. H:1.5m W:1m.

Cleveland Sage - large shrub with beautiful foliage

3. Mint (Mentha spicata spp.)

Most well known of the mints with tasty, highly aromatic mint flavored leaves. The mint is extensively used for salads, sauces and teas. Used medicinally. Useful natural insecticide. Perennial. H:40cm W:spread.

Mint - several varieties to choose from including Chocolate Mint, Ginger Mint and Liquorice Mint

4. Dutch Lavender (Lavandula dentata)

An herbaceous shrub with deeply serrated, highly aromatic green leaves. Large blue flowers are borne on long stems from spring through to autumn. Has medicinal properties. Dried leaves and flowers can be used in pot pourii. Shrub. H:80cm W:60cm

Lavender - grey or green foliage varieties, beautiful aroma and foliage

5. Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Mauve flowers in summer with small mid green fragrant leaves. Used in stews, soups, salads and sauces. Medicinally has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Ground cover. H:30cm W:30cm.

Lemon Thyme - Thymus x citriodorus

Thyme - ‘Silver Posie’ variety on left and common green thyme on right

6. Fennel Bronze (Foeniculum vulgare ‘Rubrum’ purpureum)

Very striking, bronze, fine feathery leaves. Umbells of small yellow flowers in summer followed by aromatic edible seeds. Used in pork and fish dishes and a great addition to salads. Medicinal uses. Perennial. H:1m W:0.6m.

Bronze Fennel - adding beautiful and unusual foliage colour and texture

 7. Blue Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘McConnel’s Blue”)

Small aromatic shrub with small spiky dark green leaves and blue flowers. Hardy, prefers chalky well drained soil. The leaves are used in Mediterranean cuisine. Companion plant with Sage. Medicinal. Shrub. H:80cm W:80cm.

Rosemary - not always easy to grow, but a brilliant shrub and culinary herb

8. Golden Upright Oregano (Oreganum spp.)

Striking golden foliage that add interest and colour to the herb garden. Ideal for container gardening or as a contrast plant. Strong Oregano flavor. Ground cover. H:30cm W:30cm

Golden Oregano - contrasting colour to add interest

9. Spearmint (Mentha spicata aquatica)

Hardy, deep green, highly aromatic, serrated oval spearmint flavored leaves. Greatly prized for jellies and sauces. Used in confectionary, cosmetics, natural insecticides and medicines. Ground cover. HL25cm W:spread

Spearmint - small bushy shrub with a brilliant green colour

10. Lemon Scented Geranium (Pelargonium citronella)

The deeply indented green leaves are pungently aromatic when crushed, releasing lemon scented plant oils that deter even the most determined mosquito. Shrub. H:60cm W:50cm.

Pelargonium citronella - good for repelling insects, especially mosquitoes!

Plant Descriptions taken from Doonholm Specialist Wholesale Nursery Website (https://doonholm.com/)

5 South African Medicinal Trees that should be used more in Garden Landscaping

1. Clausena anisata (Horsewood)

Clausena anisata (Size 3 to 10m) is a very hardy, evergreen, shrub or small tree that is spindly when young but matures to a lovely rounded shape.  It bears sprays of attractive creamy-white flowers from May to August. These are followed by black berries that attract birds to the garden. The attractive compound, glossy leaves droop gracefully. When crushed they emit a strong smell and can be used as a substitute for curry leaves. It is the host plant of several Swallowtail butterflies.  Plant in sun or semi shade. It makes an ideal specimen tree for a small garden.  It has many medicinal and magical.  (Information from Random Harvest) Some of these uses include

Clausena anisata (Image from KumbalaNursery.co.za)

2. Moringa oleifera (Moringa)

The small fast-growing and hardy Moringa oleifera tree is also known as the drumstick tree, horseradish, been oil tree or ‘peperwortelboom’ in Afrikaans. Growing between 5 and 12 m tall, it has a straight trunk and and umbrella-shaped crown of feathery green leaves. Flowers are up to 25 cm long and produce thin and long reddish brown seed pods. Although native to India, Pakistan and Nepal, Moringa oleifera grows in the Limpopo, Free State, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces of South Africa.

According to traditional African and Indian (Ayurvedic) medicine moringa has almost 540 compounds that can treat or prevent about 300 health issues. Used for centuries in Eastern countries for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, anemia, arthritis, liver disease, as well as respiratory, skin and digestive disorders, it is now considered a ‘super-food’. The powdered leaves, roots, bark and immature pods are used for its nutritional, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tissue-protective benefits.

Moringa is a source of vitamins, minerals, as well as all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It contains significant amounts of vitamin C, E, potassium (K), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). In addition moringa leaves are an excellent calcium (Ca) source and contain 10 times more vitamin A (beta carotene) than carrots. moringa powder can be used as a substitute for iron tablets, hence as a treatment for anemia. Beef has only 2 mg of iron while moringa leaf powder has 28 mg of iron.

In India, moringa leaves are used stimulate breast milk production in new mothers and usually added to lentil soups during the cold and flu season to increase disease resistance. The leaves, gums, roots, flowers as well as kernels have been utilized for managing tissue tenderness, cardiovascular and liver maladies, normalize blood glucose and cholesterol. It has also profound antimicrobial and anti-TB activities.

In developing countries, the moringa leaf powder is commonly used as a medicinal herb, rather than food as in Asian populations. It is often taken as a supplement by HIV-infected people to enhance immunity and manage opportunistic infections. The fact that moringa is easily cultivable makes it a sustainable remedy for malnutrition - countries like Senegal and Benin treat children with moringa. Moringa products range from leaf extract, powder and tablets to protein shakes, seed oils, teas and probiotic drinks. Leaves can be harvested by cutting the top of the plant off when the plant has grown to 1 m, leaving about 30 cm. It is easily propagated by seeds, but needs nitrogen for good yields. It prefers daily temperatures of 25 to 30 °C and neutral, well-drained soils, but can grow well in clay soils. (http://southafrica.co.za/moringa-miracle-medicine.html)

Moringa Tree (Image from https://www.seedsforafrica.co.za/products/moringa-oleifera-tree-medicinal-seeds)

3. Tarchonanthus camphoratus (Camphor Bush)

Tarchonanthus camphoratus is a hardy, large, decorative, evergreen shrub or small tree with attractive silver foliage that smells of camphor when crushed. Sprays of white, thistle like flowers covered in white woolly hairs are borne from March to November. All parts of the plant are aromatic and smell strongly of camphor. This useful plant makes an excellent screen and windbreak. It has a fibrous root system and can be used for binding the soil. It also makes a lovely shade tree for a small garden. This drought resistant shrub is heavily browsed on by game. Used extensively as a medicinal plant.The wood is beautiful and among other things has been used to make musical instruments. Grows Up to 5m (Information from Random Harvest)

The camphor bush is used for medicinal purposes. Problems such as blocked sinuses and headache can be healed by inhaling the smoke from the burning green leaves. Drinking boiled mixture of leaves and water can help to treat coughing, toothache, abdominal pain and bronchitis. Leaves can also be used for massaging body stiffness and also as a perfume. The cotton wool-like seedheads were used to stuff cushions. (http://pza.sanbi.org/tarchonanthus-camphoratus)

Camphor Bush (Image from http://pza.sanbi.org/tarchonanthus-camphoratus)

4. Warburgia salutaris (PepperBark Tree)

The endangered pepper-bark tree of southeastern Africa, Warburgia salutarus, grows in South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The name ‘salutaris’ means health giving, alluding to the pepper-bark’s medicinal uses. A related species, known as ‘Karambaki’, has been used medicinally by Arab traders, East African residents since ancient times. Pepper-bark is extremely rare to find in the wild and is listed as a Red Data Book threatened species. Heavy harvested by traditional healers for its much sought-after bark used in traditional medicine, considerable effort is made to encourage propagation of this tree.

It grows easily from cuttings or root suckers in well-drained soil rich in organic matter and makes an attractive landscaping plant. A tropical tree, the slender evergreen pepper-bark grows 5-10m tall and fixes nitrogen in the soil while its leaves makes an nitrogen-rich mulch. Small yellow-green flowers form 30 mm round berries that ripen to a purple colour. Leaves, fruit and inner bark have a strong peppery taste and harvesting is severely impeded by the fruit’s popularity with fruit flies and monkeys. The trees are slow to mature and can only be harvested at around 10 years old, but takes 20 years to reach full maturity.

The bark and leaves of the pepper-bark contain various compounds with antibacterial, anti-fungicidal (particularly against Candida yeast infections), anti-ulcer and diuretic properties. The plant material is dried, then crushed into a powder and used as infusions and decoctions to treat vaginal thrush, chest infections, venereal diseases, body aches, stomach problems (diarrhoea, aches) and malaria. Used as a snuff, it clears nasal passages and when the bark is chewed or the smoke inhaled, it remedies chest complaints, relieves constipation, fevers and body pains. An infusion of the leaves helps against rheumatism and skin diseases, while boiled roots are added to soup to cure diarrhoea. Both stems and root bark are remedies for malaria and when ground up and mixed with water, it can cure mouth sores. In Kenya, the leaves are added to flavour curries. (http://southafrica.co.za/pepperbark-tree-endangered-medicine-plant.html)

Image from http://pza.sanbi.org/warburgia-salutaris

5. Lannea discolor (Live Long)

Lannea discolor is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree with a neat round crown occurring in bushveld. It is often found on rocky granite ridges. The tree grape is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows up to 15 m in height with a neat rounded crown. Lannea discolor is generally used as traditional medicine to treat fevers and constipation in children. Its fruits are edible and are utilized by animals, birds and humans. The wood is soft and used to make fences. Fencing poles made out of the wood will easily take root and flourish again, which has earned it its common name Live long. (http://pza.sanbi.org/lannea-discolor)

Lannea discolor (http://pza.sanbi.org/lannea-discolor)