Sprout Conference 2019

Hello Cape Town!

In the first week of June Carien Momsen from Pureline Interior Design joined me for the #SproutConference2019 to Cape Town. It was a lightning trip packed to the brim with experiences that included art, culture, beautiful landscapes, delicious food and even time with good friends.

Our Itinerary

Our first site visit was the breathtaking Dylan Lewis Sculpture garden in Stellenbosch. A truly memorable experience that really showcases how the landscape can be a sculptural element in itself. Dylan Lewis laid the paths out over many years with great attention to detail and the recommended visitors walk allows one to appreciate the sculptures in a dynamic way from many perfectly planned angles. The planting is focused on indigenous plants, particularly fynbos, of which a large selection of unusual varieties have been sourced from Kirstenbosch. The landscape and amazing planting combinations really were a highlight of this trip!

Sculptures, water, mountains - a language of beauty and nature

Loved the lime green and striking red colours of these Chasmanthe

Our celebratory lunch was held at Tokara’s restaurant where wine and fine dining was a feast for the senses. We also enjoyed the Art on display including the enormous and intricately woven tapestry (two sections, each 2.2 high x 3.5m wide) by Sayed Mahmoud from Egypt. A different type of tapestry was the woven pathways of the gardens at Babylonstoren which we explored even though it started to rain!

Fine Dining

Tapestry at Tokara

Our second day of exploration and inspiration started with a visit to Truth Roastery and 117Kloof for coffee and croissants as well as the Company Gardens - always a treat to visit. I love watching how people interact with this space and the different activities that take place here. The entrance to the Gardens is dominated by a massive timber Arch installed as part of the Design Indaba 2018 to honour Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.

Our next stop was the impressive urban precinct known at the Silos at the V&A Waterfront, particularly the Zeitz MOCAA (Museum of Modern Contemporary Art) Art Gallery. The building feels like an artwork and has been crafted out of forty-two concrete columns, each 33 metres tall with a diameter of 5.5 metres. It was designed by London’s Heatherwick Studios and the central atrium space, polished concrete surfaces and layout of the building generates an awe-inspiring reaction.

Following our experience of the museum we had a quick delicious lunch at the restaurant on the top floor with a beautiful view over the harbour and then spent some time exploring the V&A Waterfront.

Exploring the Waterfront

Our final site visit was the Norval Foundation in Tokai where we again saw beautiful artwork inside and outside the building. The sculpture park has beautiful indigenous planting combinations and although it was raining at this stage we still enjoyed our time here. We had a quick coffee break at Skotnes Restaurant before heading to the airport for our flight back to Johannesburg.

A huge thank you again to my amazing, incredible Executive PA for arranging this conference! It was a wonderful experience that filled us with inspiration for the year, hopefully until #SproutConference2020 :)

View of the Wetland running adjacent the Norval Foundation

Indigenous Planting

Inspired by South African Indigenous Flora

I have been fortunate to listen to two presentations by Elsa Pooley: one hosted at Random Harvest Indigneous Nursery in 2015 and the other at the ILASA Conference held in September 2015 (See Previous Blog written on ILASA Conference). I also recently attended a course at The Cavern in the Drakensberg where I was able to view some examples of beautiful indigenous plants  and see examples of these plants growing in the wild.

Turrea floribunda flowering at Random Harvest Nursery

To see more about the tree in the above image visit: http://www.randomharvest.co.za/South-African-Indigenous-Plants/Show-Plant/PlantId/112?Plant=Turraea%20floribunda  

Elsa Pooley is an advocate for using indigenous plants in public and civic spaces and strongly believes that any form of rehabilitation should exclusively make use of locally indigenous species. She has spent many years studying the indigenous flora of South Africa, particularly in Kwa-Zulu Natal and knows the great potential that South African plants have, but are unfortunately not commercially grown and therefore not well known by landscapers and home owners. Fortunately for us Random Harvest is one of only a handful of nurseries in the country growing indigenous plants, many of which have until now been unavailable.

An indigenous garden can have colour all year round and although this may not always be bright flowers it can come from foliage and the variety of colour and texture from different plants. Elsa mentions how South African plants are used throughout the world but we do not necessarily appreciate their true value as we prefer to make use of exotic plants in our designs. The temptation for landscapers is to use the same old plants they always use because they are easy and work well but there are so many other plants that we could be using.

Some plants I saw in the Drakensberg that I hope to use in the future in my landscape designs:

Pelargonium reniforme  (photographed at Engen Garage in Harrismith, all other images taken at The Cavern in the Drakensberg)

Helichrysum sutherlandii - look at this wonderful grey foliage

Kniphofia northiae - large Poker highly rated by Elsa, impressive flowers

Hesperantha coccinea - Pink Variety, normally Red Flowers

Monopsis decipiens

Inulanthera calva

Helichrysum hypoleucum - likes a bit of shade

Merxmuellera macowanii - beautiful ornamental grass (Gomphostigma on Right)

Syncolostemon macratnhus - tall purple pink flowering shrub

Helichrysum acutatum

Metalasia densa

Gladiolus crassifolius

Wahlenbergia

Lotononis pulchella

Thalictrum rhynchocarpum - soft and delicate foliage for shady areas

Seriphium plumosum (Bankrotbos) also known as Stoebe plumosa

Polygala virgata (Purple Broom)

Clematis bracteata (Travellers Joy) - beautifully scented dainty white flowers make this an ideal creeper 

I hope that you will also be inspired by these beautiful plants and experiment with indigenous plants in your garden!

Random Harvest Details: 

For directions please go to our website www.randomharvest.co.za : or call 082-553-0598

Hours of business 8:00 to 17:00 Monday to Sundays

I highly recommend subscribing to Random Harvest Newsletter on their website

Harold Porter Botanical Garden

Harold Porter Botanical Gardens is located within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and its flora constitutes the Cape Floral Kingdom – one of only six floristic regions in the world – comprising approximately 8800 species, of which 70% are endemic. Fynbos, a part of his floral kingdom, is characterized by shrubby plants such as proteas, ericas, buchus, legumes, bruias, daisies, bulbous plants and reedlike restios in place of grasses. (SANBI pamphlet purchased at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens) I was so excited to spend a morning exploring and photographing fynbos!

The gardens sit at the foot of the 900m high sandstone peaks of the Kogelberg Mountains

I drove over the scenic Franschoek Pass to Betty’s Bay to visit this small botanical gardens I had heard so much about. Since joining the Botanical Society I have been curious to see what this little garden looks like.

A beautiful dark pond with blue water lilies, reflecting the mountains behind it, welcomed me as I entered the garden. I quickly realised that I couldn’t take enough photos of the stunning fynbos plants on display here. Every colour and texture you can imagine! There were lots of Erica varieties in flower which the sunbirds were loving too.

So much texture. What a beautiful display of indigenous plants!

We spotted a tortoise enjoying a stroll in the garden!

Unfortunately the walk to Disa Waterfall was closed for renovations. There are also various other more strenuous hikes you can take into the mountains and I can imagine the views from up there must be wonderful.

I looked at their indigenous plant nursery but had to hold myself back from buying any plants.. trekking them all the way back to JHB isn't always a great idea. After a quick visit to Stony Point to view the breeding Penguin colony and a stop in at John the Potter, a beautiful ceramic studio, we headed back over the pass to Franschoek.

Lots of Penguins!

Harold Porter Botanical Garden:

Garden Hours (According to Pamphlet purchased at Gardens)

Opening Time: 365 days a year from 08h00

Closing Times: No entry after 16h30 on weekdays and 17h00 on weekends and public holidays. Visitors already in the garden may stay until 18h00 in winter (April to October) and 19h00 in summer (November to March)

Special Late Closing Times: Entry until 19h00 during the simmer festive season (as advertised). The garden will close at 21h00.

Concerts: Opening and Closing times will be as advertised including on our website.

Contact Details: Clarence Drive (R44) Betty’s Bay. Tel 028 272 9311. Email Harold.Porter.NBG@sanbi.org.za. Website: www.sanbi.org.z