ROSE GARDENS OF VERGELEGEN

Vergelegen Wine Estate is home to an extraordinary 18 beautiful gardens, including the famous Octogonal Garden adjacent to the manor house. An oak tree thought to be South Africa's oldest and five massive camphor trees that were designated national monuments in 1942, lie on the other side of the Cape Dutch style farmhouse. On Friday, October 28, 2016 the estate's rose garden was redesigned with a stunning focal water element and more than 80 different rose kinds, making it arguably the most beautiful rose garden in the Fairest Cape.

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KIRSTENBOSCH BOTANICAL GARDENS

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens were named International Garden of the Year in 2015 by the International Garden Tourism Awards Body.

Located at the base of Table Mountain in Cape Town, Kirstenbosch is a botanical garden. The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) oversees the garden, which is one of ten such facilities across the country. These gardens represent five of South Africa's six biomes. The cultivation of native species is highly valued at Kirstenbosch. At a period when invading species were not seen as an ecological and environmental hazard, Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden in the world to be built in 1913 with the goal of preserving the flora local to South Africa's area.

The Botanical Society Conservatory, a sizable conservatory within the garden, houses flora from a variety of habitats, including the savanna, karoo, and fynbos. Plants indigenous to the Cape region are the main attraction outside, with the breathtaking protea collections serving as the showpiece. (See CAPETOWNSPLENDOUR for all the best hiking trails in Cape Town).

The gardens are a haven for Cape Floristic area plants, both preserved and nurtured. Kirstenbosch has made 33 appearances at the Chelsea Flower Show, during which she has earned 29 gold awards.

A number of paths, many of which are popular among hikers and mountaineers, branch out from the gardens and ascend and descend the mountainside. A simple and well-traveled path to Table Mountain's peak leads up a ravine known as Skeleton Gorge. Prime Minister Jan Smuts was a frequent user of this path, so it is also called Smuts' Track. A contour road winds its way through the woods on the hillsides above the garden's agricultural areas, ultimately leading to Constantia Nek in the south.

An attractive feature of the gardens is the Boomslang, a massive pedestrian bridge that winds its way through a forest canopy.

On Sunday evenings throughout the summer, the gardens play host to a popular series of outdoor concerts. Johnny Clegg, The Parlotones, Ike Moriz, Arno Carstens, Mango Groove, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, and many more renowned local performers have graced this stage. The Kirstenbosch stage has played host to a number of major acts in recent years, including Cliff Richard and Michael Bublé.

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OU NECTAR

Ou Nectar is as famous for its gardens as its beautiful Cape Dutch manor house. Previously visible only when attending music concerts, the Gardens are now open to the public every day of the year except for Christmas and New Year’s Day, for a small admission fee.

Everyone who visits the Old Nectar gardens can't help but notice the diverse tree species found there. With the exception of the oak trees, every single tree in the gardens—including the following: Redwood, Elm, Copper Beech, Chorisia, Lombardy poplar, Liquidambar, Magnolia, Cape chestnut, Maple, Flowering peach, Flowering plum, Camellia, and Prunus—was planted by Una van der Spuy over the course of seventy years.

The lily pond reflects the glorious façade while a sophisticated blend of indigenous plants with roses and topiary create a marvelous scene that has delighted artists and biologists alike over the years. Credit goes to the renowned Una van det Spuy who established the gardens and wrote a number of books based on her experience on the farm.

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DELAIRE GRAFF AGAPANTHUS GARDENS

British jeweler Laurence Graff, a billionaire, fell in love with Delaire Estate's spectacular panoramic vistas across the Banghoek Valley in 2003. The property was planted in the 1980s by South African wine experts John and Erica Platter. He changed the name to Delaire Graff.

Along with construction of stunning gallery and jewelry store s, a restaurant with great views and superb cuisine were established. This is when vast areas of the farm were planted with indigenous trees and perennial flowers.

The most noteworthy of these is the fields of agapanthus that were planted. In December and Early January these come into bloom and provide a sea of lavender in the foreground of already spectacular views of Simonsberg Mountain and the Drakenstein Mountains.

In addition to utilizing the estate's exceptional vineyard location on the north face of Botmaskop Peak, which is perfect for producing world-class wines, Graff has transformed the property into an ideal destination for hospitality and arts.

From William Kentridge's charcoal drawings to Anton Smit's abstract sculptures and large-scale stone carvings by Nicolas Moreton, the owner's personal portfolio is now on display throughout Delaire Graff. The hotel's extensive landscaped grounds feature a magnificent bronze cheetah by Dylan Lewis, which is arguably the most striking sculpture. The most breathtaking valley views serve as a backdrop to this ode to the untamed strength and beauty of Africa's animal kingdom.

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SPIER CLIVIA GARDENS

Guests have the option to prearrange a picnic beneath the shade of trees on the lawn adjacent to the river, or they can whip up their own meal in the brand-new Spier Farm Kitchen on the Werf. A huge dam on the Eerste River, which flows through the property, reflects the leaves of the surrounding willow trees.

Native plant beds, particularly expansive clivias that burst into brilliant orange in the spring, have lately supplanted the rose gardens.

At Eight Restaurant, you can savor healthy, farm-fresh cuisine. Along the dam's banks, you may sample award-winning wine with tasty snacks, and there are plenty of other exciting activities to partake in as well.

A vineyard tour on Segways combines a scenic glide through the estate with a plethora of fascinating facts about the property, while the River Walk leads tourists past a huge variety of proteas on the farm.

A conservation and rehabilitation program for birds of prey, Eagle Encounters is sure to be a hit with the kids. Among the raptors, you may find more than 20 species and more than 100 birds of prey. In addition to seeing and even participating in the daily flying performance, guests can pet tame birds.

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