Did you know that South Africa
is home to nearly one third of all the succulents in the world? It also has more than 1 400 different species of bulbs. A
visitor to Cape Town can see many of these at Kirstenbosch.
Kirstenbosch is on the eastern flank of Table
Mountain and is situated on land left to the nation by Cecil John Rhodes
in 1895. Most of this huge
garden is indigenous, but there are also beautiful formal gardens, a herb
garden a fragrance garden and a Braille trail for blind or visually
impaired visitors. There are
beautiful walking trails which can last from anything from 45 minutes to 6
hours. These trails lead into
the cool woods and up the mountain.
The latest addition to the gardens is the
Conservatory which allows them to grow plants thatcannot be grown outside
in the Garden. Special
collections include ferns, bulbs, fynbos, coastal fynbos, alpines and
stone plants.
Kirstenbosch has a very good educational
programme and many schools visit the gardens to learn more about our
indigenous plants.
This is not just a place to learn about plants,
but is also a wonderful place for young people to run off an explore and
for families to picnic on the rolling lawns. During the summer months, the
evening musical concerts held on the lawns are extremely popular with
locals and tourists. Bring a
picnic supper, relax under the stars, listen to the music of Africa and
gaze up at the beautiful mountains!