A South African Wine Estate Garden

Jonathan’s plant list is quite extensive with around 300 species and cultivars, but perhaps the most interesting plants are the fynbos plants that are endemic to South Africa. Fynbos is the name given to the hard leaved (sclerophyllous) shrub and heathlands found in the coastal plains and mountains of the southwestern and southern Cape. The name is derived from the Dutchword fijnbosch meaning fine leafed bush and refers to the scrubby, treeless landscape that early Dutch settlers complained about when trying to find suitable timber for construction.

Fynbos is the major component of the Cape Floristic Region, by far the smallest of the world’s six plant kingdoms. Fynbos has very high species diversity with more than 7000 species crammed into just 46 000 square kilometres. More than two-thirds of Fynbos species are found nowhere else on earth. In an area of recurring fire and wind, and thriving on free draining, acidic and nutrient-poor soils,fynbos can be grouped into four major growth forms: tall protea shrubs with large leaves (proteoids); heath-like shrubs (ericoids) including ericas as well as all the other needle leafed species such as buchus, blombos and serrurias; wiry reed like plants (restioids) and bulbousherbs (geophytes).

The show garden boasts a selection of fynbos from all of the four growth groups listed above including mimetes cucullatus, rhodocoma capensis, erica mamosa andgladiolus debilis.

Plant list

Fynbos staple plants

Fynbos plants being sourced

Fynbos plants currently being raised from seed

Bulbs

Homestead plants

Homestead climbers and hedging