Revived for a new generation to discover, Arderne Gardens in Claremont, Cape Town, is a wonderworld of arboreal ancients and exotics
Occasionally we were taken on outings into that shadowy, mysterious place, to play hide-and-seek among the shoulder height roots of the towering ‘wedding tree’ and walk the overgrown paths that snaked between camellia bushes, our teachers patrolling for unsavoury loiterers. Then, as we discovered in senior school, if we leaned from the windows of the upstairs science lab, we could get a good look at the occasional flashers in raincoats who lingered at the fence of that neglected garden, hoping schoolgirls would see them: an education of sorts.
These days, this public space in Claremont has been lovingly restored to its original splendour by a group established in 2004, Friends of the Arderne Gardens (FOTAG), in partnership with Cape Town’s city council. Although the garden was declared a National Historical Monument in 1979, and the 37m-high Moreton Bay fig has long been a popular backdrop for wedding photographs, the place is still a well-kept secret. Just off the frenetic Main Road, it offers serene glades and lawns, Japanese-style ponds fed by a natural spring, an unusual collection of magnificent trees including redwoods and araucarias, and heirloom rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas.
This story is from the December 2017 edition of House and Leisure.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2017 edition of House and Leisure.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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