[Image: Wikimedia Commons]
As a Capetonian, I can tell you, we’re buzzing. Our very own Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has cracked the top 10 of a global list of must-see gardens, nogal!
You know how we always say there’s no place quite like Cape Town? Well, it has become evident that the world agrees.
The list forms part of the latest edition of the prestigious T25 series by The New York Times, where six top-tier horticultural gurus – yes, the real deal – got together to thrash out which gardens on this planet are truly worth booking a flight for.
These weren’t your average green-fingered aunties, mind you. We’re talking Louis Benech, the French landscape maestro behind the revamp of the Tuileries in Paris; Juliet Sargeant, RHS gold medalist and Chelsea Flower Show trailblazer; Tim Richardson, author of 22 books on gardens (we won’t even pretend we’ve read them all); plus editorial legends Deborah Needleman and Tom Delavan, and Harvard architecture professor Toshiko Mori, who brings a sustainability lens to the whole thing.
They each nominated ten gardens and then spent four hours on a video call in March whittling them down to just 25 spectacular spots.
The debates got spicy, too. Apparently, the Dubai Miracle Garden – you know, the one with the giant Mickey Mouse topiary – caused a proper stir. Some panellists were horrified by its water usage. One even called it “deeply immoral”, and another went so far as to say it was “honestly disgusting.” Sjoe. But fair enough, it still sparked interesting conversation, which earned it a mention even though it didn’t make the final cut.
Gardens from 20 countries made it into the top 25, with Italy and the UK leading the pack, and France not far behind. Meanwhile, places like Monet’s Giverny are too obvious, they said. No shade, but sometimes popularity isn’t everything.
Anyway, here’s what really matters: Kirstenbosch wasn’t just a token African pick. It made it all the way to number 9. That’s the top 10, folks. Our magnificent garden nestled on the slopes of Table Mountain is finally getting the global credit it deserves. Just imagine the panel discussing fynbos and Proteas while sipping herbal tea across time zones. Makes a local’s heart swell, hey?
“A garden,” said the British horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll, “teaches entire trust.”
And trust me, Cape Town, the world just placed its trust in our local green fingers.
Have you taken a stroll through Kirstenbosch lately? Maybe it’s time.
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Here’s a list of the top 25 must-see gardens. Scroll to find K-bosch!
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden in Cranbrook, England
- Great Dixter House & Gardens in Northiam, England
- Giardino di Ninfa in Cisterna di Latina, Italy
- Jacques Wirtz in Schoten, Belgium
- Saihoji Kokedera Temple and Moss Garden in Kyoto, Japan
- Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne in Cranbourne, Australia
- Royal Botanic Garden Sydney in Sydney, Australia
- The High Line in New York City
- Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Newlands, Cape Town
- Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Ind.
[Source: NY Times]
