garden – Fairview Homestead

The Fairview Homestead Garden

In July 2018, three days before my 60th birthday the green-fingered doctor became a patient. As I sat next to his bed in the intensive care unit, watching him fight for every breath, I knew that I had to do something about his garden.

I phoned a landscape designer, whom I knew he trusted, to come to Fairview and prune the roses, prune the trees, do whatever he thought necessary to ensure that the garden would be in shape for whenever Desmond would be discharged. Ten days in intensive care was followed by a six week recuperation period during which time he sat on the back porch, looking at his beloved garden and “gardening” by giving orders!

More than six cubic meters compost got worked into the soil, a new vegetable garden was planned, the raised beds built and the vegetables planted. Gradually he regained his strength and started physically gardening again. This summer I can honestly say that our garden has never looked as good – and let’s face it, it has been pretty awesome all along.

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Lavender at Fairview Homestead

Because of the huge Australian Flowering Gum tree at the front of our property, the soil in those formal beds is dry and poor. That is why we have planted the hedges of Soutbos. We find that lavender can also cope with the soil and an added bonus is that it gives off the most amazing scent as you walk through the path toward the front door. There is such a lot to do with lavender flowers: I love making small posies using lavender and roses; I also tie small bunches on a ribbon and hang it in the wardrobes or I tie it around the bath taps and it gives off its perfume as the hot water runs over it. Ten sprigs of lavender in about 500 gram of castor sugar gives you a delicious lavender sugar (I sprinkle it on French Toast which I then serve with bacon, garnished with a lavender flower) I also would like to share a recipe for Lavender Jelly:

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Visit to our Garden by the British Royal Horticultural Society

It is countdown to the annual Garden Route Open Garden Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Desmond is gardening before work and I hardly get greeted before he is off into the garden again after work (he jokes that he actually goes to rest in his air conditioned medical practice during the day as the real work starts when he gets home!)All the hard work shows – our garden is looking spectacular. I am excited about a little collaboration with Of the Earth Catering – delicious French pastries and healthy lunches will be served at Fairview Historic Homestead’s Pop-up Tea Garden.

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Fairview Garden

At Fairview the food is home-made and often home-grown, sourced from our own garden and we keep our own chickens for the freshest of eggs. In recognition of our responsibility to the environment we also use ‘green’ products for housekeeping, laundry and cleaning. Desmond has a ‘wormery’ and three compost heaps. And Juno does her best to keep us in supply of dog poo to throw down the mole holes as a way of trying to convince them to move to the neighbors for less smelly passageways.

Our garden is definitely our biggest attraction and we can set up visits to other local private gardens.

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Van Kervel School metal work learners

We are situated opposite Van Kervel School- a double medium school that caters for learners with special educational needs, but also offer normal academic subjects. To quote their school website:

‘These learners benefit more from concrete learning programs where they learn by doing. In most cases they will eventually find employment in practically orientated professions; therefore more emphasis is placed on the skills or vocational learning programs in our school where learners can acquire skills such as panel beating, spray painting, motor vehicle repairing, woodworking, welding, building and maintenance, hospitality studies, educare, office administration and hairdressing. ‘

Our beautiful screens and arches that transform our rose garden into the spectacular, bears testimony to Mr. Myburgh and his metal work learners. Because we are situated close to the school, Mr. Myburgh could walk across with his pupils and they could take ownership of the project – from taking the initial measurements to the final product.

We are as proud as they are of their craftsmanship.