In the Cape Winelands valley of Wellington, a terraced garden abundant with salvias is a lush sanctuary for its new owners
In the 32 years Marguerite Steyn and her husband Lourens have been living in Wellington in the Western Cape, they’ve always opted for a low maintenance, structured town garden – but Marguerite secretly wished for a sweeping green wonderland overlooking a stretch of water.
‘Our daughter was getting married and we couldn’t seem to find the right venue,’ she says. ‘Then Klein Optenhorst came on the market and my ears pricked up. Imagine a wedding under the big oak.’
It was the cool canopy of venerable trees that attracted Marguerite: a yellow wood, a southern magnolia, wild olives including one gnarled specimen roughly 400 years old, oaks and plane trees with weaver bird nests overhanging the dam. Spellbound, the couple bought the property in April 2016.
Situated on the outskirts of the historical Wamakersvallei in the Cape Winelands on dusty Bovlei Valley Road, Klein Optenhorst features an 1820s farmhouse surrounded by farms and mountains. Here, previous owners Jenny and Naas Ferreira cultivated a terraced garden which Jenny, a salvia expert, opened to the public biannually.
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av House and Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 2017-utgaven av House and Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
At The Breakfast Table With Jonty Rhodes And Family
Recently renovated, the historic Cape Town home of Jonty and Melanie Rhodes is an adaptable base for an active, clean-eating clan of six
LUNCH IN THE GARDEN with siblings Bronwyn and Jonathan Cane
Alfresco gatherings are the order of the day at this updated century-old semi – the home of a design-centric sister and brother in Brixton, Joburg
IN THE KITCHEN with Karen Dudley and family
For Karen Dudley, food informs the family dynamic and her home is as multilayered and as delicious a delight as her colourful personality and cooking style
THE TRADITIONAL KITCHEN
The perfect piece to pull together a country-style kitchen is a beautiful wooden table that will age with time and hold its place in the memories made around it.
IN THE FRAME
'The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light.’
DRINKS AT THE TABLE with David Cope and Donné Bullivant
A dream kitchen renovation meant wine lovers Dave Cope and Donné Bullivant could finally settle down in their wondrously moody City Bowl apartment
THE MODULAR KITCHEN
DECOR TIP Modular elements like these USM Haller systems are a great way to create interesting, non-permanent storage that can be customised to your needs.
SUPPER IN THE BARN with the Thatenhorst family
Munich-based interior designer Stephanie Thatenhorst transformed the barn at her parents’ farm in Bavaria into an eclectic family retreat
BREAKING BREAD
The pendulum has swung back for this nutritious, crusty staple of flour, yeast, water and time – the much-beloved artisanal loaf
SNACKS ON THE TERRACE with sisters Vicky Crease and Maira Koutsoudakis
The traditional Cycladic home of dynamic sisters Vicky Crease and Maira Koutsoudakis on the island of Serifos is a reminder of what it means to be a part of a close-knit family
