Silver Digest September/October 2020

Page 36

Leisure …

REMARKABLE GARDENS OF SOUTH AFRICA

T

his extract from Remarkable Gardens of South Africa by Nini Bairnsfather Cloete and Craig Fraser, courtesy of Quivertree, features one

of the 20 magical private gardens included in this sumptuous historical and horticultural feast of a book. We selected a walk through the garden of Una van der Spuy, the undisputed doyenne of gardening in South Africa going back to 2012, the year she turned 100. A legend in her own lifetime, the author of 11 books about gardening and the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, Una’s garden, Old Nectar is, in her words, “rather like circling the globe, for the plants in it come from the ends of the earth − China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, North and South America and Europe”.

[When Una van der Spuy]

homestead of Old Nectar in that

[it] coincided with the chilly

year. Standing on just 12 acres

months of the Cape winter of

of steep ground and facing the

2012. Hers is a spirit that always

glorious Jonkershoek mountain,

manages to overcome whatever

it was a charming property, but no

difficulties are presented to her.

sooner had he taken transfer of it

And in the early days of Old Nectar,

than he had to be off on military

there was most definitely adversity

assignments as the Second

aplenty.

World War was still raging. He

Una says, “It all began in 1941,”

36

SILVER DIGEST // SPRING 2020

somewhat dilapidated Cape Dutch

celebrated her centenary birthday,

was away for almost five years,

and goes on to explain how her

appearing only now and again

husband, Major-General Kenneth

for a few days at a time. Una and

van der Spuy, acquired the then

her two small sons were on their


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