The War of the Roses

The ‘Iceberg’ roses in this marvellous garden have a story to tell.

- Izolda van der Merwe

Gardeners are interesting people and their priorities usually lie with everything leafy. If it has roots and leaves, it is probably at the top of their shopping list.

This is definitely evident in the life of Johan of Roche House, and the story of the ‘Iceberg’ roses is a perfect example of this. But more on that later. First the story of how the garden of Roche House achieved its state of grandeur.

Queenstown is known for its long and colorful history, and Roche House has been part of it since 1854, just a year after the town was established. Johan and Michelle, his long-time friend and business partner, proudly display a copy of the original 1854 title deed in the entrance to the building.

‘Passionate creator of beautiful spaces’ could be a title bestowed on Johan, as he has taken a run-down garden and created a haven enjoyed by all who stay there. When he and Michelle purchased the property in 2001 it was in a very poor state. The garden was virtually non-existent, except for a couple of privets, a huge palm and a neglected pride of India (Lagerstroemia speciosa).

Having attended a landscaping course by David Stevens, Johan had no problem working with this blank canvas, and with the inspiration and knowledge acquired he used the old trees and existing layout to develop the vision he had for Roche House. Over the years he has constructed tranquil garden rooms and used mass planting in small places to create a sense of grandeur.

Keeping in tune with the architecture of the home, where the original stained-glass front door and windows, tiled floor and pressed-steel ceilings are still on the show, Johan took this olde-worlde charm into the garden while Michelle built on the old character of the interior with antique pieces and original artworks.