View restored garden of nature in Herold’s Bay this Sunday
If you are interested in water-wise gardening, indigenous trees and fynbos conservation, Herold's Bay is the place to be this Sunday, when the Herold's Bay Friends of the Garden will showcase the indigenous garden they established along the Dutton's Cove road.
For many years the "old" road to Herold's Bay that twists and turns its way down past Dutton's Cove to the beach was an untended area, littered with dumped rubble, many invasive black wattle and rooipitjie trees, dead vegetation and no pedestrian walkways. This road, called Rooidraai Road, used to be the old wagon trail to the beach. Four years ago a few residents decided to re-establish the fynbos and indigenous trees on the sides of the road, creating a garden at the Herold's Bay Heights traffic circle with a path leading down to the Dutton's Cove restaurant. A small arboretum with its own paths greets visitors in this special place, which is known as Rus-n-Bietjie.
Many local residents continue to donate towards the development and maintenance of the garden and every year they grow - in spite of drought and plant thieves - fed by the energy and enthusiasm of a small group of garden lovers and the hard physical work of faithful gardener Andries Smit and other occasional paid helpers. The group thanks the George Municipality and Plumbago Garden Service who cut the grass.
View the garden
Herold's Bay Friends of the Garden invites everyone to visit the garden on Sunday 11 November. Come and take a walk along the path and imagine the days before motor cars - when Georgians jumped off their wagons and walked the last two kilometres to the beach among the fragrant fynbos. At the beach there is another garden you should visit - the Bride's Garden opposite the tidal pool and next to the historic Stella Maris Chapel.
On most Sundays there are many visitors to the beach and it is difficult to park, so it would be best to visit the Bride's Garden on a week day, when you can sit on the benches supplied by the Garden Friends while you watch dolphin and maybe a whale swim past.
For further information, phone coordinator Mel Walton on 079 267 7588.