Many people think all farms do is produce food. Au contraire. Farms nourish more than just the body. The very nature of a farm means its inhabitants and visitors are surrounded by, well, nature. A farm stay recharges the soul and replenishes the spirit. Being a farm girl myself, I know this first hand.
I know the open fields of the Free State, and the joy derived from playing in a sunflower field or watching a herd of cattle graze. Of course, South Africa is home to various different kinds of farms, and so I recently found myself on a working fruit and flower farm in the Western Cape’s Breede River Valley. Platvlei Farm near Wolseley boasts 70 hectares of fruit trees which include pears, plums and various citrus fruits.
The guesthouse, aptly named Orchard Stay, is exactly what it says. The house is completely private, tucked away between pear orchards and pine trees. A little dam right outside the house completes the picture-perfect setting. It’s one of those places that just lets you reset your rhythms, tune in to nature and take in the fresh air. I took long walks among the orchards, dipped in the cold pool and then soaked in the wood-fired outdoor hot tub, before extending my now-expert soaking methods to the bathtub, complete with bubbles and wine. Indulgent? Much-needed, I’d say.
The house is everything you want when taking a break from real life. Light, airy and spacious. No television. Instead, the large kitchen speaks of laughter and chatter, of families preparing moreish side dishes for the ongoing braai happening outside on the stoep. The plush couch looks like it has offered many blissful afternoon naps and the dining table has probably seen many a board game go well into the night.
The large fold-back doors open onto a lawn straight out of a children’s book, perfect for sunbathing, picnics or summersaults and handstands, depending on your body’s most natural tendency (if you’re over 12 years of age like me, you might opt for sunbathing).
To add to this already paradise-like experience, the farm also includes Adene’s Farm Flowers. Imagine five hectares worth of flowers. Drop some mountains in the background, and add a brilliant dash of sunshine. Even people who don’t care much for flowers have lifted their eyebrows at the sights of these wonders. She only uses organic fertiliser, so an added benefit is there are no chemicals used in any of the flowers.
Famous for their dahlias, Adene and her team supply nearly 100 different plant species to retailers, weddings and for a few months per year, straight to the public. Come end December, visitors will descend in hordes to revel in the otherworldly flowery scenes on weekends.
Picture: Anita Froneman
Picture: Anita Froneman
Take a stroll through the rows and rows of sunflowers, roses, peonies, foxgloves, poppies and nearly everything in between on Saturdays and Sundays from 18 December 2021 until the end of April 2022. Entry is R70 for adults and R40 for kids – you receive a complimentary packet of seed upon entrance worth R65.
Contact
Orchard Stay
Visit the website here or call 071 105 3121.
Rates: R950 per person sharing per night.
Sleeps four.
Adene’s Farm Flowers
Visit the website here or call 082 0766 017.
Pictures: Supplied by Orchard Stay and Adene’s Farm Flowers
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