The rain has come just in time for gardens around Grahamstown to take on a final flourish of green in preperation for the upcoming flower festival.
The rain has come just in time for gardens around Grahamstown to take on a final flourish of green in preperation for the upcoming flower festival.
Grahamstown homeowners will open their garden gates and home doors to the public on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, as part of the Grahamstown Flower Festival.
This is the second year that home owners will be opening the houses as well as their gardens to the public for a good cause. Admission will be by donation, with the proceeds going to the Masiphilisane Project.
Masiphilisane, which in Xhosa means “let’s give one another good health”, is a job creation initiative sponsored by the Grahamstown Railway Job Creation Project, and falls under the umbrella of the St Barnabas Anglican Church in Alicedale. Coordinated by Rev Cynthia Webbstock, this vegetable growing project aims to build an eco-oasis which will provide jobs and create income for members of the Alicedale community.
Three of the stately homes have also entered the Gardens of Grahamstown competition that Daphne Timm of Pam Golding in Grahamstown has co-ordinated. She has very generously sponsored a cash prize of R500 for the winner of each category. Regional and local horticultural businesses have sponsored product hampers for the runners up.
The gardens of the winners and runners up will also be open to the public over the weekend of the festival. Details of these gardens will only be known a few days before the festival commences. Two gardens on show will be the permaculture vegetable gardens located in the township, and a shuttle will be available at 12.30am on both days of the festival to transport members of the public. Michelle Griffith of the Umthathi Training Project can accommodate seven people in their Condor at R20 a ticket. Those wishing to travel out to the township in their own vehicles should link up with the shuttle in the car park opposite the Lucas Avenue entrance to the Botanical Gardens.
Directions to the town gardens will be provided at the Pam Golding on show boards located in Somerset and African Street. Flyers with the names and addresses of all the open gardens will also be available to the public at the festival information table. All information on the festival, along with the brochure and the various booking forms, is available on the festival website www.grahamstownflowerfestival.co.za, or contact Sharon Richner on 072 244 3863.
