Blooming marvellous Garden Day
Flowers at the ready! South Africans are urged to get their hands dirty and embrace nature on Garden Day
SCENTED flowers in an array of bright colours lay against a backdrop of crisp, green grass. The odd garden gnome stands perfectly positioned and there’s a cute little pond decked in water lilies that adds the finishing touch to the blooming flora. It’s the kind of scene that brings joy to Constance Stuurman and Gundula Deutschlander, the gardeners behind Garden Day.
The pair – gardeners at Babylonstoren, the historic Cape Dutch farm situated just outside Paarl in the Western Cape – realised one day how lucky they were to have a garden as their office.
“They thought it would be a great idea if everyone could devote one day a year to simply enjoying their gardens,” says Lisa Pellat, who works on the communications campaign of Garden Day.
It didn’t take long for word of the initiative to spread and soon big companies, such as retail giant Woolworths and the South African Nursery Association, came on board.
A team was put together to organise what would be the first Garden Day, and on 9 October last year the initiative was launched.
“It was such a roaring success that the team immediately started planning the next one,” Lisa tells us excitedly.
“We knew we wanted this to grow, but we didn’t expect such keen participation from the general public the first time round!”
FOLLOWING last year’s success, the organisers decided Garden Day would always take place on the third Sunday of October. This year, it takes place on 15 October. The aim is to encourage people – green fingers and rookies alike – “to appreciate and celebrate the rewards of one of life’s simplest, yet most profound pleasures,” Lisa says.
And it’s not just about getting your hands dirty – you can socialise in your garden and it’s a great way to boost your health. According to a survey conducted by BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, the UK’s best-selling horticulture title, 80% of gardeners feel satisfied with their lives compared with 67% of non-gardeners.
“By simply getting your hands into the ground, you’re exposing yourself to friendly bacteria, which improves your mood and boosts your immune system,” Lisa says.
One keen gardener who can vouch for this is Rowland Williams, a 72-year-old pensioner who lives in Pniel, Western Cape, with his wife, Sylvia.
Striking shades of pinks, yellows, reds and greens decorate the home he shares with his wife of 49 years. For Rowland, pottering about in the small garden of the couple’s home has been the best remedy after a severe stroke forced him to retire at 54. He’d worked as a carpenter but had to give it up due to the physical effects of the stroke.
“I decided I couldn’t sit around doing nothing,” he recalls. “I needed a hobby. A friend who grew dahlias suggested I give gardening a try. It turned out to be the best decision.”
The burly gardener now spends his days tending to his blossoming dahlias. “It’s changed my life. It keeps me active and alive.”
Asked what his secret to his blooming bunches is, Rowland coyly replies, “That’s my secret.”