An Abiding Passion
Home South Africa|February 2017

Nan Steyn’s life revolves around roses. She tells us about her love for the queen of flowers and shares advice on how to get the best from these plants.

Marie Esterhuyse
An Abiding Passion

Somewhat romantic, joyful, soft and tranquil. That’s how Nan Steyn describes her abundant rose garden in the beautiful town of Swellendam.

Nan is a rose enthusiast, through and through. Although she also grows other shrubs and perennials, they often have to make way for more roses, she says. Nan designed her garden herself and hasn’t changed much of its basic structure over the past 11 years – but she has planted many new roses.

“We previously lived on a smallholding in the Hermitage Valley just outside town. That was really the land of milk and honey as far as roses are concerned! The soil there was slightly clayey and rocky – just what roses need to thrive. I had hundreds of roses! Eleven years ago, we moved into town and I started my garden from scratch. We bought an empty property, so there was no garden at all. Just wonderful loamy soil and enough space for plenty of my favourite flowers,” she says.

One step at a time

Nan drew up a plan for her garden, keeping roses as her top priority, and then tackled it one section at a time. In the front garden, she grouped the roses more or less according to colours. She prefers to plant lots of the same type of rose together, with companion plants in the same colour. This creates a fluid colour effect.

In her back garden, she planted roses such as ‘Rina Hugo’, ‘Duet’, ‘Garden Queen’, ‘Tineke’ and ‘Red ’n Fragrant’, which all bear gorgeous cut roses for her home. “In that section I wasn’t so strict about colour groupings. I planted a wide variety of roses that are all excellent cut flowers because I simply cannot be without flowers – particularly roses – in my home.”

Denne historien er fra February 2017-utgaven av Home South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra February 2017-utgaven av Home South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA HOME SOUTH AFRICASe alt
Pestilence Domestica
Home South Africa

Pestilence Domestica

We usually call them dirty, dangerous and utterly gross. But what if we looked at domestic pests through a different lens, asks Karin Brynard.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Quick as a flash!
Home South Africa

Quick as a flash!

These 15 dinners can be whipped up in a jiffy - before the power goes out!

time-read
10+ mins  |
May/June 2023
The gift that keeps on giving
Home South Africa

The gift that keeps on giving

By taking cuttings and dividing existing plants and those from friends, Anne Turner and her son David have created a stunning garden that takes on a whole new personality as the seasons change.

time-read
6 mins  |
May/June 2023
Upcycle it!
Home South Africa

Upcycle it!

Tuis Home food editor Johané Neilson and her husband Allister revamped a second-hand melamine wall unit to create a bespoke wall-to-wall display cabinet, for less than R3 500!

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Little house in the forest
Home South Africa

Little house in the forest

Thanks to her capable father, Neilke Pretorius and her partner enjoy an idyllic lifestyle in a custom-made home hidden in the trees.

time-read
4 mins  |
May/June 2023
Living large, inside and out
Home South Africa

Living large, inside and out

South Africans love a space where indoors and outdoors come together.

time-read
8 mins  |
May/June 2023
Modern CLASSIC
Home South Africa

Modern CLASSIC

With authenticity as a guiding design principle, a young family has created their happy space in a 105-year-old house in the heart of vibrant Sea Point.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Peace & quiet...
Home South Africa

Peace & quiet...

A cinematographer and a set designer found the perfect bolt-hole in the Eastern Cape Karoo where they can truly relax and unwind.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
ART AND SOUL
Home South Africa

ART AND SOUL

Five years ago, the Krugers transformed a tired city bungalow into a unique and modern family home.

time-read
3 mins  |
May/June 2023
Group therapy
Home South Africa

Group therapy

Add impact and create rhythm using repetition and collections, as these Home readers have done.

time-read
1 min  |
May/June 2023