Less is More

Landscaper Danie Steenkamp talks about breathing new life into the historic Groot Drakenstein Handelshuis in Simondium, creating a twenty-first-century garden and a landscape language that is as beautiful as it is sustainable

- HEIDI BERTISH

What drew you to the early-1900s Huguenot property in Simondium – and what was your initial vision?

Simondium has always been a special place for me. I grew up in the area, and during my childhood, my grandparents farmed down the road. The Handelshuis, which means ‘trade house’ in Dutch, has a history of trading as a general dealer in the early nineteenth century and servicing the community in the area with everything from freshly baked breads, soap and household items, to electrical supplies. It was this history, the untouched buildings and ancient pepper trees around the central werf, or courtyard, that I fell in love with. What we have hopefully rekindled here almost a century later, is a design, furniture and botanical destination with a sense of place and community that existed almost a decade ago.

How has the space evolved?