Here at Soekershof, Private Mazes & Botanical Gardens in South Africa, it’s a challenge to grow all kinds of succulent plants outside.

Even so called ‘difficult’ ones.

Of the Ariocarpus species it was said to us, four years ago when we acquired them, that it is impossible to grow them under the open sky in South Africa.

But we do. We created an elevated acre with poor sandy, rocky, soil with additional drainage 20 centimeter beneath the surface. And they are still growing; they are even flowering every now and than.

Some people ask us, with their enquiries, why we don’t have a restaurant on our premises or a craft shop like the botanical gardens of Kirstenbosch in Cape Town, Harold Porter in Betty Bay and the Karoo Botanical Gardens in Worcester; just to mention the ones of the National Botanical Institute of South Africa within the Western Cape.

“Soekershof is in the first place what a garden, in our view,  should be; a place of calmness, relaxation and contemplation. It’s not designated for mass tourism but for people who can enjoy Life in a slow pace”, is every time more or less our answer.

Don’t expect the banter of restaurants, coffee corners, craft shops but an experience ‘Pure from the Heart’.

For us it sounds crazy to get a subsidy of 3.2million Rand (approx. 500,000.00 USD) to make a parking at the entrance with a restaurant next to it as happened at one of the mentioned gardens. If that’s the way of making a revenue out of a garden ……….

And we are proud of doing it our way; in peaceful harmony.

Recently Soekershof Walkabout, Private Mazes & Botanical Gardens in South Africa, welcomed two lovely guests from Maryland, USA; Edmund Snodgrass and his wife Lucie.

This couple is the author of the book ‘Green Roof Plants’ (ISBN 978-0-88192-787-0). It includes photographs and cultural information about more than 200 species and cultivars including data about heat tolerance, moisture needs, hardiness and so on.

This practical handbook is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the subject and covers it all; from roof construction and plant selection to soil medium and maintenance.

In combination with solar (photo-voltaïc) energy a roof garden with its insulating qualities can, especially with the South African power outages, contribute to significant less dependence of public electricity supply and less energy use for cooling (in Summer) and heating (in winter).

The book can be ordered in any ordinary bookshop or, online, via Amazon.

The blogsite of Urban Habitats is also a useful source for people who want to know more about roof gardens.

Another useful blog is that of Durban based landscaper Ross Nevette.

Walk, Wonder and be Inspired!!!

Just let it happen and take your time; a few hours at least.

Soekershof Walkabout is, globally, a unique and hugely entertaining exercise for Body, Mind and Spirit.

Mission statement:
Soekershof Walkabout is a sacred enterprise, based on an appreciation of nature, humor, play, creation, expression and respect for the land, and the growth and development of the people and plants that participate -employees and visitors alike.

During Festive Season (school holiday) 2007/2008:

At Soekershof Walkabout, Klaas Voogds West, Robertson, Western Cape, South Africa.

Daily at 11 AM and 3 PM:

Rocking the World; A succulent landscaping project in Robertson.

Designed for all (succulent) gardeners/landscapers who want to know more about the possibilities and impossibilities of waterwise gardening in South Africa with emphasis on the Western Cape. See this and that plus media release below.

R 150.00 pp including picnic and standard program with quest in maze and tour in succulent gardens (see http://soekershof.com).

Duration 3-4 hrs. Only prepaid bookings.

Number of participants per educational limited to approx. 10 PAX.

Subjects:    

1) Theoretical basics of landscaping rockeries (soil, composition, creating micro climates)

2) Landscaping a rockery in practice. Interaction between participants and the garden artists of Soekershof.

Discover that waterwise gardening is more labour extensive than generally perceived but also very much rewarding.

Info and bookings: soekershof@lando.co.za Tel: 023-6264134

Rocking the world

Robertson (Western Cape); November 13 2007 - Soekershof Walkabout, Mazes & Botanical Gardens, commenced excavagation works for two rockeries which will the ‘growing ground’ of approx. 1000 succulent species from around the world within two years. These new species are in addition to the 2467 registered different succulent plants in the existing succulent gardens.
The gardens of Soekershof Walkabout distinguish themselves from those of other botanical gardens in South Africa with all plants under the open sky (not under roof or shade cloth) and all plants are organically cultivated without the use of fertilisers and other chemicals. Furthermore is Soekershof Walkabout the only botanical garden in South Africa which is certified by Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (http://www.fairtourismsa.org.za/).

Since the official opening in December 2002 Soekershof Walkabout is increasingly attracting (amateur) horticulturists, garden societies, botanists, etc. from around the globe. Locally Soekershof Walkabout is mainly known for its Klaas Voogds Maze which is regarded as the ‘largest hedge maze in the world’.

Walk
Wonder
and be
Inspired!
 
Soekershof Walkabout
Mazes & Botanical Gardens
 
Primary Unusual Destination
Certified by Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa
 
Klaas Voogds West, P.O. Box 291, Robertson 6705, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)23 626 4134
Skype: soekershof
E-mail: soekershof@lando.co.za
Website: http://www.soekershof.com
Blogsite: http://soekershofwalkabout.blogspot.com/
Soekershof Science: http://soekershof.wordpress.com
Dutch: http://www.dagboek.iblog.co.za
http://www.travelpod.com/members/soekershof

Mission statement:
Soekershof Walkabout is a sacred enterprise, based on an appreciation of nature, humor, play, creation, expression and respect for the land, and the growth and development of the people and plants that participate -employees and visitors alike.

Soekershof Walkabout is a personal event which is simply described as the “Largest Hedge-Maze in the world” and/or “a garden with more than 2400 different succulents from all over the world under the open sky”.
 
But Soekershof IS more than that.
The original concept goes beyond all prejudice perceptions.

Walk, Wonder and be Inspired!!!

Just let it happen and take your time; a few hours at least.

Experiencing Soekershof Walkabout is, globally, a unique and hugely entertaining exercise for Body, Mind and Spirit; not to be missed.

Daily Tours: 11 AM and 3 PM (sharp!!!)
See website for more details.

With reference to an earlier submission:

Last week we started excavagation works for rockeries with a surface of around

1000 square metres. This at the entrance of Soekershof Walkabout.

One rockery will, in due time, filled up with caudiciform plants like adenia, delonix, cussonia, pachypodium, fockea and fouquirea species. As you can see at the picture we already planted with main infrastructure (focal points) with Brazilian snow trees (Chorisia speciosa) and some adenia species. 

The other rockery will consist of 4 spheres; one American (we will call it ‘Little Texas’); one Australian (with Australian succulent plants including 2 Brachyton species (bottle trees); one Southern Africa with a mix from Madagascar, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and Namibia and the fourth small one will contain mainly Sempervivum, Crassula and Sedum species.

It’s very important to gradually plant the rockery. Ours is a three year plan and don’t be surprised if it takes longer. As soon as all focal points are in we just wait and look and think before we make additions. The focal points are essential. You will have to visualise the future size and shape. During the next months we probably move a few ones.

In one of our other blogsites we recently wrote an item about the visit of a group horticulturists/botanisists/garden lovers from The Netherlands.

We made a powerpoint presentation of this visit and included additional data such as road directions from Cape Town, opening times, etc.

You can order this presentation for free. Via our general website (see contact details under General Info) you can pick up our e-mail adress and email us your request. After emailing the presentation your email adress will be deleted.

The duration of the slide show is approx. 3 to 4 minutes and the file size is just below 1 MB.

We get many enquiries (especially from North America and Australia) about our unusual enterprise. The powerpoint presentation provides interested parties with a brief general insight.

The most rewarding way of enjoying your plants is growing them from seeds. But we understand that not everybody has that much patience and growing plants from seeds is also very labour consuming.

But once the decision is made one wonders where to get the seeds. Ordinary nurseries generally only sell cactus seed mix but for people who want to grow something special it can be difficult to find the right adress for the desired seeds. And than there is always the risk that seeds do not germinate. We’ve had our experiences with that.

One of the few specialised succulent growers with good quality seeds can be found in The Netherlands (more than 80 percent of the seeds germinating; via friends of friends we got around 50 packets. In comparison average less than 10 percent of  germination rate of seeds acquired at South African seed suppliers including the National Botanical Society) . In the online cataloque (secure payment method) of CactusPlaza you will find seeds of over 5000 different succulent species including cacti, mesembs, caudiciforms, etc.

The Dutch supplier states that its seeds are not older than 2 yrs at the most and that most probably explains the high germination rate.

Today’s (also tomorrow’s etc.) literature is found on the website Gardening in South Africa.

It’s not because Soekershof Walkabout is mentioned in it but it provides the reader with some insight in the evolution of the succulents. Just interesting background.

The website is, in spare time, made by Darlene Roelofsen who is employed in a nursery. She is absolutely devoted to her plants!

Scientiffically unproven (probably no research) but we experience that there must be some interaction between plants. In our garden the Scelitium tortuosum grows best with the Oreocereus celcianus. It’s a kind of love affair between a cactus from South America and a hallucinatic succulent from Bushmen Land in South Africa