Floods and heatwaves, but SA is gilt-edged

The Chelsea Flower Show this year had exhibits by Kirstenbosch and the City of Cape Town

exhibit was the result of the work of a team of 16 people, many of them volunteers.

“It is hard work, 18 hours a day for six days, is what was required to build this exhibit,” says Oliver.

“I believe our design grabs the soul of anyone interested in plants.”

In addition to designers David Davidson and Ray Hudson, the Kirstenbosch team included top Western Cape landscapers Riaan Maritz, Dean Sutton and Carmine Galassi. Durbanville plant woman Delene Smit from Nonke Plants joined the team, with botanists David Gwynne-Evans and Fran Siebrits, as well as Kirstenbosch’s Roger Oliver and Elton le Roux.

“We are so grateful to our sponsors, the Gold Coin Exchange, and to the green industries for supporting and sending us plants for the exhibit,” Oliver says.

Plant material for the stand came from Banhoek Nursery (Pieter Colyn), Nonke Plants, Proven Winners (Ludwig Keintzler) and Martin Richards.

In addition to a unique tribute to Madiba, the Kirstenbosch South Africa exhibit featured vegetation from four natural habitat types:

● Forest: An enchanted forest habitat at Kirstenbosch, home to the new Boomslang Centenary Tree Canopy Walkway, was reflected in a forest scene on the exhibit. A walkway was constructed on the exhibit surrounded by yellowwood and Cape beech trees, underplanted with indigenous ferns (asparagus, rumohra and leather leaf).

● Mountain ravine: The boomslang walkway flowed into the Skeleton Gorge mountain ravine featuring the sinuous skeletal frame of a snake. The habitat in this second scene featured streptocarpus, ferns, moss and other moisture-loving plants.

● Savanna: The Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site was interpreted in a grassland bushveld vegetation including xerophyta, aloes and thorn trees, as well as a “bird’s nest” hide.

● Fynbos: Against the backdrop of the Cavelli Estate gardens in Stellenbosch, created by Keith Kirsten and Ray Hudson, a contemporary fynbos garden was developed. Included was a mix of signature species including proteas, leucadendrons (cone bushes), restios, ericas and bulbous flowering plants.

● Next week: Montgomery takes a look at international garden design trends on show at the Chelsea Flower Show.

REMEMBERING MADIBA: The Kirstenbosch South Africa exhibit featured a gabion wall paying homage to the legacy of Nelson Mandela, which was created using everlasting organic material made up of dry protea flower head rosettes.

WINNING DESIGN: The City of Cape Town’s award-winning exhibit at Chelsea this year. Created by a top team from the parks department, this display, themed The Wonders of Cape Town, is set against the backdrop of Table Mountain and showcases fynbos...

FYNBOS ESTATE: The gardens of the Cavalli Estate (R44 Stellenbosch), designed by Ray Hudson and Keith Kirsten, provided a backdrop to a section of the Kirstenbosch exhibit filled with a mix of fynbos species including proteas, leucadendrons (cone...