Tokara has opened its gardens to the public for the inaugural Stellenbosch Garden Week, running from 1-9 October 2021. The private gardens of the famed wine and olive estate are a sight to behold this spring, the clivias and azaleas singing their vibrant colours in the green shade of the tree canopy.
Walking through the extensive space, keep an eye out for the delicate hellebores, hidden among the lush foliage on the walk down to the dam – but cross the stream and waterfalls carefully, the rocks slippery in the early morning.
Take a self-guided walk any day between 10am and 4pm, excluding Sunday. Owner Anne-Marie Ferreira and head gardener Wendy Atwell are offering guided walks on 9 October, while moss gardener Gert van Tonder gives an introduction to this fascinating Japanese art at 12.30pm on the same day.
Picture: Obie Oberholzer
The moss garden is still in production, but it is sublime to watch it coming together, all the rocks and moss sourced locally. The garden has been two years in the making, built around a pair of huge boulders probably brought here by glaciers hundreds of thousands of years ago.
There is the art of a sculptural nature hidden throughout the garden, so keep your eyes peeled. The great Dionysus sculpture gazes out from the lawn by the lake, created by artist Angus Taylor of rocks brought from Barberton in Mpumalanga.
And then tarry for a bit at the lily pond. It was once a stopping point for farmers on their way to sell their wares to the ships in Table Bay, the road in front of one of the original tracks to Stellenbosch.
Entry is R20 per person, payable at the farm gate. Guided tours are R30 per person and booking is essential
The Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust’s latest public art exhibition, Poetic, takes place in outdoor settings and features of the work of established and emerging land artists – Strijdom van der Merwe, Hannelie Coetzee, Gordon Froud, sibling duo Anni Snyman & PC Janse van Rensburg, and Andrew Hofmeyr, as well as new to the genre Cow Mash, Paballo Majela and Sandile Rabede.
Follow a map and explore some of the most beautiful parts of the town. From historical settings in the middedorp, to more rural locations beside landmark rivers, read the poems which inspired the works at each site, in three languages, and engage with nature and art in a truly unique way.
Picture: Anni Snyman & PC Janse van Rensburg
There are many gardens open to the public for the week. Visit the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden for a sublime two hours of art and nature. Entrance must be booked and is R180 per person. Set aside two hours to really do the garden justice, and make sure not to miss the hidden grotto, whose cool, dim interior hides three magnificent sculptures.
Picture: Anton Crone
A major drawcard of the week includes a first-ever Stellenbosch Winelands experience featuring South Africa’s first Michelin star chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen.
Inspired by the world-famous flower festival of Girona, Spain, the week encompasses everything from horticultural tours to landscape art; dining to hiking; and guest specialists to music in majestic settings.
There are talks, tours and workshops, partnered with Stellenbosch’s restaurants and wine farms to bring an amazing programme of activities. More than 50 venues and over 100 workshops, talks and tours are on the programme, along with hikes and e-bike tours, open gardens and private garden visits.
Other gardens open to the public include the historic Old Nectar estate in the Jonkershoek Valley; Spier Wine Farm, whose workshops include one for children; and, Delaire Graff Estate. The owners of some 20 private gardens are participating too, giving visitors a rare glimpse of exquisite and usually inaccessible spaces.
The full Garden Week Stellenbosch programme and pricing can be found at Visit Stellenbosch. Alternatively, contact Visit Stellenbosch on 021 886 4310 or e-mail [email protected] for information.
