THE GARDEN BOUQUET
We are surrounded by boundless beauty, whether hiking up a hill in the Franschhoek Valley, wandering through a veld outside of Witbank, or stretching our legs in our very own gardens (however modest they may be). In every environment, the species that populate it, and in every stage of their cycles, there is life – a complex network of infinite connections; Mother Nature in all her glory.
Similar to creating a bouquet of flavours in a dish, creating a bouquet of flora is not about the picking or matching of complementary flowers, plants and colours according to themes. It is about the need to conserve something from nature – the source – and to bring her into your home. It is about appreciating the intricacies of an environment; honouring a meadow, a park, or an entire ecosystem.
The classic gardeners – particularly those in France – worked in this way. That is, simply, but with a heightened sensitivity to nature and her rhythms. All across Europe, gardeners soon followed suit. They created conservatoires, gardens dedicated to preserving rare botanical treasures from far and wide; the more modest potagers, or kitchen gardens, to serve the needs of the cook; jardins de cueillette, vibrant gardens created solely for the joy of picking; and the prairie garden, a free, meadowlike environment of wild flowers and indigenous grasses.
Their passion was to recreate environments, capture their essence, and rematerialise them in more contained places – new environments that would give pause and remind us of what we have. That is when we realise: what we have is true wealth.
POTAGER
Cynara cardunculus Scolymus Group (Artichoke) ; Helianthus annuus
(Sunflower) ; Allium ampeloprasum (Wild leek) ; Citrullus lanatus
(Watermelon) ; Calamintha nepeta (Lesser calamint) ; Eschscholzia californica (California poppy); Polyanthus tuberosa (Tuberose) ; Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato) ; Malus sp. (Crabapple) ; Clivia miniata (Bush lily) ; Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’ (Sedum) ; Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’ (Chinese rose) ; Nicotiana langsdorffii (Langsdorff’s tobacco) Ammi visnaga (Bishop’s weed) ; Psidium guajava (Guava) ; Cercis siliquastrum (Judas tree) ; Vitus vinivera (Grape) ; Ficus carica ‘Mission’ (Fig) ; Citrus x aurantiifolia (Lime) ; Citrus limon (Lemon)
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JARDIN DE CUEILLETTE
Macleaya cordata (Five-seeded plume poppy) ; Lagerstroemia indica (Pride of India) ; Odontonema strictum (Firespike) ; Polygala virgata (Purple broom) ; Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian shield) ; Hemerocallis ‘CP Memorial’ (Daylily) ; Crocosmia aurea (Montbretia) ; Canna iridiflora (Canna) ; Dietes grandiflora (Large wild iris) ; Anemone hupehensis ‘September Charm’ (Japanese anemone) ; Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop) ; Verbascum chaixii (Nettle-leaved mullein) ; Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke) ; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Hibiscus) ; Symphyotrichum novi-belgii (Michaelmas daisy) ; Salvia azurea (Azure blue sage) ; Salvia cacaliifolia (Guatemalan sage) ; Rosa ‘Bloomfield Abundance’ (Rose) ; Rosa ‘Ambridge Rose’ (English rose) ; Rosa ‘Reve d’Or’ (Rose) ; Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ (Switch grass) ; Paeonia lactiflora (Peony) ; Dahlia
CONSERVATOIRE
Begonia rex Hybrid ; Scadoxus membranaceus (Dwarf paintbrush) ; Abutilon megapotamicum ‘Seashells’ (Chinese lanterns) ; Paeonia lactiflora cv. (Peony) ; Tulipa ‘Apricot Parrot’ (Tulip) ; Hoya carnosa (Wax plant); Tricyrtis hirta (Japanese Toad lily) ; Syngonium podophyllum ‘Neon’ (Arrowhead vine) ; Plumeria alba (Frangipani) ; Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ (Knotweed)
PRAIRIE
Polyanthus tuberosa (Tuberose) ; Macleaya cordata (Five-seeded plume poppy) ; Ammi visnaga (Bishop’s weed) ; Verbascum chaixii (Nettle-leaved mullein) ; Calamintha nepeta (Lesser calamint) ; Amaranthus caudatus Viridis (Love-Lies-Bleeding) ; Persicaria microcephala ‘Red Dragon’ (Knotweed) ; Rosa chinensis
‘Mutabilis’ (Chinese Rose) ; Plumbago auriculata (Blue plumbago) ; Anemone hupehensis cv (white Japanese anemone) ; Chasmanthium latifolium (Indian woodoats) ; Pennisetum macrourum (African feather grass) ; Pennisetum villosum ‘Cream falls’ (Feathertop grass) ; Salvia caudata ‘El Cielo Blue’ (blue Mexican sage) ; Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine) ; Salvia azurea (Azure blue sage) ; Coriandrum sativum (Chinese parsley) ; Hyacinthus orientalis (Dutch hyacinth)
