NATURAL ATTRACTIONS - BEST PARKS AND GARDENS IN CAPE TOWN
Restaurants, wine tasting or picnics available
View our pick of top parks, gardens and other natural attractions in Cape Town. Enjoy wine tasting, dining at a restaurant with a view or bring your own picninc. Images courtesy of ARCHITECTCAPEDUTCH and CAPETOWNSPLENDOUR.NO 1. KIRSTENBOSCH GARDENS
One of the Cape's top natural attractions.
This garden takes number one place because of it's year on year success at producing stunning rose blossoms. Actually an exotic plant, the rose has become the mainstay of many a Cape Dutch garden. View GLITZYMAGAZINE for gardens with lakes.
The recent Cape Dutch gable at Van der Stel Manor is as authentic as one from 300 years ago. The well designed hard landscape elements of low werf walls, water features and pots, compliment beautifully the softening elements of the hedges and roses. This design, together with the stunning setting and thatched Cape Dutch style house, should elevate this from a guest house to a tourist attraction.
INDIGENOUS BLOSSOMS
No exotics in Kirstenbosch
The botanical gardens are a conservation area for the indigenous Cape Floral Kingdom, and as such the parks are blossoming with indigenous vegetation only.Visit PLOTSFORSALECAPETOWN for gardens and parks with lakes.
NO 2. GREENPOINT PARK
Near the V & A Waterfront
A Modern Cape Dutch House and the surrounding organic gardens have been built in addition to the existing farmhouse. Educating the public on best practice vegetable gardening, as well as stunning use of indigenous flowering plants, this is a must visit for garden enthusiasts in the Cape.See CAPETOWNSPLENDOUR for other gardens with architectural landscaping between.
THE MANOR HOUSE
The neoclassical style gabled house rests peacefully behind expansive lawns and in front of Simonsberg Mountain.
Visit PLOTSFORSALECAPETOWN for picnic spots and the Cape's flower gardens.
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THE NEOCLASSICAL STYLE PERGOLA
During spring, the new laeves on the trees and vibrany vines, make this an exhuberant picture perfect garden
Got TOP-ARCHITECTS for more information about characteristics of the Cape Dutch style.
FLOWERING PLANTS
A wide diversity of flowering indigenous plants makes this an exemplary Cape Dutch garden.
Click on ARCHITECTCAPETOWN to view flower gardens of the Western Cape.
TOPIARY AND HEDGES
This bench looks so inviting as the symmetrical design of the topiary around it creates a sense of importance for this place of repose.
View CAPETOWNSPLENDOUR for an overview of the characteristics of the Cape Dutch architecture genre.
DECORATIVE VINES
A very particular place is made possible by the way the pergola's space is visible via the garden wall's architectural arch, which is softened by ornamental vines and ivy.
View TOP-ARCHITECTS for best gardens and parks in the region.
NO 4. VERGELEGEN
NATIONAL MONUMENT IN SOMERSET WEST
This enormous garden, which is why it ranks first on many lists of Cape Town gardens, features formal architectural features as well as various orchards and unstructured garden areas. It is these constrasts in the scenes and the way that the visitor experience the change from one to the next, that creates the magical garden experience we all long to see.See TOP-ARCHITECTS for more ideas on how to combine hard lanscping features with ground covers and rose beds.
EXOTIC AND INDIGENOUS BLEND
The cypress type conifers and bogain villas are not strictly indigenous vegatation but add welcome interesting colours and shapes that are equally as hardy as their indigenous counterparts.
Go to architectcapetown for architects working on farms in the Helderberg Basin and different styles that may be possible on these stunning erven.
THE HEXAGONAL GARDEN
View of the hexagonal walled garden's lawns, bushes, and flowers from the Historical Manor House. Agapathus, a tough native plant that blooms in the middle of summer, is the source of the purple flowers.
THE CAMPHOR TREES
The camphor trees have been declared national monutments in and of themselves. These seven huge trees have massive gnarled trunks. You are not supposed to climb on them but this little girl did no harm.
BOGAIN VILLAS
Again, the bogain villas are exotic plants, but many Cape Dutch gardens are blessed by the splash of colour that these plants provide during the hot summmer months.
NO 5. BOSCHENDAL
A NATIONAL TREASURE
The gardens at Boschendal are ideal for picnics and weddings. A stunning white pergola has been built amidst immaculate lawns, a pine forest and breathtaking views of Simonsberg.
A BRAND NEW DAY
At Boschendal, the early mornings in the spring have an almost magical feel.
THE MANOR HOUSE
One of the few Cape Dutch homes that is open to the public as a museum is this old manor house, which has been designated a National Monument. A popular technique to add some color to a Cape garden that can weather the hot, dry summers is with drought-resistant "veggie" ground cover.
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To view more stunning Cape Dutch gardens in the Cape Town area. Seen here, a bogain villa adds colour to the gardens at Vergelegen Wine Farm.
