Practice - Made Perfect

Flowing beds, masses of carefree plants and peaceful views define this colourful country garden.

- Marianne Alexander

Peter Goemans comes from a family of nurserymen. His father Harry’s family grew bulbs in Holland from 1850. Harry continued the family tradition when he moved to Cape Town in 1951. He began by trading bulbs then started a cut flower nursery, and eventually established the Harry Goemans Garden Centre, in which Peter was involved from an early age.

Both Peter and Tessa are horticulturists and share a love of growing plants. Although Peter ran the family nursery in Cape Town, it’s Tessa who is now the main gardener, and who created the amazing colour-filled garden around their home.

Eighteen years ago, the Goemanses decided to get away from the hustle and bustle of Cape Town. They wanted somewhere suitable for growing plants for the wholesale market, and near schools for their children. They fell in love with this property in the Elgin Valley, which, explains Tessa, was originally part of the Houw Hoek Inn. She adds, that in the early days, all east-bound travellers and explorers would have used the outspan at the far end of their farm to camp, rest and water their livestock.