leisure garden one for all Surrounded by the city, the connects people and in extraordinary ways text Tess Paterson PHOTOGRAPHS Sean Calitz

OPPOSITE Home to grey herons and lotus plants, the lake is just one of the Durban Botanic Gardens’ many serene attractions. THIS PAGE Towering over an gratus , a corridor of Cuban royal palms adds to the garden’s sub-tropical flavour.

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The formal Sunken Garden features red and blue salvia, Margaret Roberts lavender and mass plantings of Cineraria ‘Silver Dust’. Opposite The gardens are renowned for their bromeliad collection, including Hohenbergia stellata, which is native to the rain forests of Brazil.

is the people- connection,’ says he afternoon light cuts DBG curator Martin Clement. ‘What originated as a formal, ornamental through the cloud, turning display has become a lot more playful, a white satin gown to gold and it re-looks traditional garden styles and uses. We have a strong focus on plant Tas the bride and groom pose conservation, and are constantly seeking creative ways to promote education. beneath a towering palm. Our permaculture classes, for instance, provide pupils with the skills to create It’s late on a Saturday, and this magical collection of exotic and indigenous food gardens at home and at school. At the green lung in the heart of urban Berea in plants from the sub tropics. The first same time our visitors can enjoy a time of Durban is packed with upbeat visitors. jacaranda brought from Argentina to solitude, wander through the spectacular The photographer is spoilt for backdrops: South Africa was planted here in 1885, as orchid collection or spend a fantastic few brightly coloured cannas line the pathway, were plants with economic potential, such hours at one of our musical concerts.’ a formal sunken garden is newly planted as cinnamon and sugar cane. As botanic As plant royalty goes, the DBG’s cycad with annuals, and ‘golden oldies’ or gardens go, this is the oldest surviving collection is a noteworthy attraction. heritage trees dot the 15 hectare space like one of its kind on the African continent, The most iconic (and threatened) of gnarled old friends. Next to the dam there’s and it’s right on our eastern seaboard, these is , which a kitchen tea on the go – complete with squeezed between two busy roads and was collected in the Ngoye forest in silver teapots and perfectly iced cupcakes. the Durban University of Technology. northern KwaZulu-Natal in 1895. ‘It’s The Durban Botanic Gardens (DBG) While the Victorian age championed estimated to be several hundred years has its history rooted in agriculture. It the acquisition of new , this botanic old,’ says senior horticulturist Janet Gates, started out in 1849 as an experimental food garden has remained refreshingly relevant. ‘and as far as we know was the last one station, evolving into an unprecedented ‘One of our most exciting challenges found growing in the wild.’

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The palm collection is another drawing card, and these graceful wind-blown exotics represent the global band of tropics from Cuba to Indonesia. Bromeliads, a relative of the pineapple, also feature strongly, but if anything’s going to take your breath away, it’s likely to be the trees. ‘What we’ve got is a giant of a sub- tropical arboretum,’ says Martin Clement, referring to the grand scale of many of the trees. More than 80 heritage trees abound, a good many of which are over a century old. Take the vast ilala palm, which was brought here in the 1870s. Countless other far-flung transactions resulted in a Candle tree from Panama, a hog plum from Queensland, Bitter ash from the West Indies, and fragrant frangipanis in a whole host of different colours. ‘The tree collection makes the garden,’ says Janet, ‘and gives it that remarkable ambience. Throughout the year there are different trees in flower, and of course there are plenty of local heroes such as our buffalo thorn – it’s one of the last remaining trees from the original bush that covered the site.’ As the light wanes, the bridal party makes their way to the solar-powered visitors’ centre where they’ll hold their reception. Garden visitors head homewards, picnic blankets and umbrellas trailing in their wake. ‘This garden has a deep significance for families, researchers, students and tourists,’ says Martin. ‘It means so many different things to different people, and its ongoing connection to our urban society is invaluable.’ durbanbotanicgardens.org.za

The Durban Botanic Gardens Trust is an independent fundraising body working closely with the city. ‘Our goal is to help maintain the standards of excellence of this remarkable institution,’ says chairman Ivor Daniel. ‘The trust ensures that all funds raised are allocated in the most beneficial ways, whether in education, specialist plant propagation or public entertainment.’ The Old Mutual Music at the Lake is one such event, and Mango Groove will perform a Mother’s Day concert on 11 May (bookings via webtickets.co.za). Winter is a good time to visit the herbarium, with the orchids in bloom between April and October.

clockwise from top Families of vervet monkeys are right at home; Spathiphyllum (peace lilies) flourish beneath a banyan tree from India; the garden’s celebrated cycad collection includes Encephalartos natalensis. Opposite An established leopard tree (far right) forms part of the garden’s remarkable arboretum.

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