A JEWEL IN THE BUSHVELD

An unexpected flight of fancy - one man's artistic dream becomes an exuberant reality

- MELANIE WALKER

Sitting on 16 hectares in the rural area of Skeerpoort in the eastern part of the North West province, Mulligatawny Farm started out life as a tobacco, then flower, farm. Now, after over a decade of thoughtful work, these spectacular gardens are a flight of fantasy coming from the mind of interior designer Michael Hogan.

Mulligatawny Farm lies a short drive from Johannesburg in Skeerpoort, close to the Cradle of Humankind. 'We chose the area for its natural beauty, abundant water, and its close proximity to Johannesburg,' says Michael. Once a derelict space, covered in alien invader plants such as jacarandas, American poplars and syringas, Michael and his team set about removing around 3 000 trees in 2002 and got busy landscaping the area; turning an original tobacco drying shed into the farmhouse and getting to grips with the dams would be first on the list. The Skeerpoort River runs through the property, with its source in the caves of The Cradle of Humankind, which means the water is cremely high in lime, so you will find very few acid loving plants in the garden.

Drawing inspiration from great European landscapes and gardens, the gardens meander through the Highveld bushveld in an ever-expanding and fantastical display of whimsy. With hints of Monet's gardens in Giverny, thanks to the lily lakes, and aspects of British follies standing by, this is a place that merges art and the botanical world seamlessly.