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,”
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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
