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Articles by Heidi Bertish
South Africa Steals the show at Chelsea 2026
‘When we walked into the marquee this morning, this guy was waiting for us,’ says lead designer and plantsman Leon Kluge, grinning as he hoists yet another coveted RHS Chelsea Gold Medal into the air for South Africa. But this year, the triumph is even sweeter. Alongside an astonishing 40th Gold Medal, the South African team- led by Leon Kluge and Tristan Woudberg, has also claimed the coveted Best Exhibit in the Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2026.
The First look at Chelsea Flower Show 2026
Ahead of the opening tomorrow of the much anticipated Chelsea Flower Show 2026, Garden Editor Heidi Bertish goes behind the scenes to discover the frontrunners, the fringe and the subtle shift changing the Chelsea Flower Show this year Chelsea Flower Show this year feels a little more grounded- and all the better for it.
Arum Restaurant Opens at Boschendal Estate
Arriving at Arum feels less like stepping into a restaurant and more like entering a recalibrated sense of place. Set in the historic werf on Boschendal, one of the Cape’s oldest wine farms, the latest addition from the FYN Group is a deliberate meditation on seasonality, terroir and the elemental forces that shape flavour. It is, unmistakably, a restaurant that has looked to the soul of the farm to find its voice.
In Praise of Bees: Babylonstoren’s New Place of Devotion
If bees disappeared tomorrow, our plates would look startlingly bare. Roughly a third of the food we eat depends on pollination, yet habitat loss and climate change continue to erode bee populations at an alarming rate. Nothing we don’t know but to read it is one, it’s another to feel it. At Babylonstoren’s newly unveiled Byzantium, that reality lands and stays long after you leave. Set just behind the Moestuin, the Byzantium is not announced so much as discovered.
Roses in the Garden: Ngoc Minh Ngo’s Poetic Floral Masterpiece
Ngoc Minh Ngo’s Roses in the Garden reveals roses as storytellers of memory, beauty and time through eleven extraordinary gardens. Rizzoli’s recent publication, Roses in the Garden by photographer and author Ngoc Minh Ngo, offers more than glossy imagery and an elegant narrative — it’s an invitation to let the wild in, to tend with heart and to see roses as keepers of time. I must confess to approaching Roses in the Garden with measured curiosity.
Where Gardens Dare: Prince Albert’s Desert Blooms
Once a year, the small Karoo town of Prince Albert opens its private gardens to the public - a rare invitation into a world where scarcity shapes design and every plant tells a story of survival. Each spring, the desert town of Prince Albert reveals its most captivating secret: private gardens thriving in arid soil, where soft greens, silvers, and bursts of electric colour bloom beneath vast, open skies. It's not simply about beauty and design - though both are abundant.
The Succulent Karoo Blooms at Chelsea 2025
Babylonstoren and The Newt bring the rare Succulent Karoo to London—a bold, beautiful vision for future gardens A collaboration between Babylonstoren and sister estate, The Newt in United Kingdom, brings the little-known ‘Succulent Karoo’ to London’s lushest stage. Beguiling and quietly radical, it’s as much a design triumph as it is a vision of how gardens might endure in a drier, more unpredictable world.
Chefs Stocks and Tempelhoff Reunite After 25 Years at Beyond
Last week, a remarkable culinary reunion unfolded as internationally acclaimed Chefs Jameson Stocks and Peter Tempelhoff shared a kitchen once again, marking their first collaboration in over 25 years. Hosted at Tempelhoff’s Beyond Restaurant at Buitenverwachting Wine Farm, the event was a nostalgic yet innovative homage to the duo’s shared roots under legendary Chef Marco Pierre White at London’s renowned Quo Vadis.
Growing for Gold: South African Landscape Designer Leon Kluge Claims Top Prizes RHS Chelsea Flower Show
From South Africa to the world, the Cape Flora South Africa display awarded for its stunning use of 22 000 Fynbos stalks and more Flowers are in order for South African Landscape Designer Leon Kluge who together with Grootbos Private Nature Reserve have received three major awards at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show.
WATCH: South African Landscape Designer Leon Kluge Claims Top Prizes RHS Chelsea Flower Show
From South Africa to the world, the Cape Flora South Africa display awarded for its stunning use of 22 000 Fynbos stalks and more Flowers are in order for South African Landscape Designer Leon Kluge who together with Grootbos Private Nature Reserve have received three major awards at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show.
Explore this Bishopscourt Garden with Grand Views and a Lemon Orchard
Designed by Franchesca Watson, A boundless garden seems to float above the eastern slopes of Table Mountain Along the wide, tree-lined avenues of the Cape’s southern suburbs, just below the local botanical treasure that is Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, lies a sweeping garden, so lightly planted with feathery grasses, tall spires, ornamental perennials and lacy umbels, that the experience of it is more like being surrounded by drifts of gently floating clouds, than in a domesticated, green...
This Award-Winning Garden in Robertson Blends Conservation and Extraordinary Diversity
“During summer, in the evenings, the kudus get so close to the house you can hear them munching on the Acacia tree pods in the garden,” say the homeowners of their Robertson garden – so tucked away one would be hard-pressed to know it even existed. The vegetation of the area, traditionally called Renosterveld, is one of the most threatened habitats on earth and known for its extraordinary diversity of bulbs, which bring a glistening profusion of colour to the Klein Karoo landscape in spring.
Landscape Architect Hank Lith Gives an Exclusive Look at this Cape Town Garden With a 30 Year Old Bougainvillea
Tucked into a leafy, urban cul-de-sac, plantsman and landscape architect Hank Lith has created an emerald oasis in the heart of Newlands Village. Spanning three strips of block paving, which wrap the sides and rear of Hank’s gracious Georgian home, the largely potted garden has evolved over time. ‘The formality of the architecture called for a complementary garden linked to the interior of the house,’ says Hank.
Explore Stellenberg Gardens, a Historic Hidden Gem Where Traditional horticulture Meets Generous Gardening
Tucked into the southern corner of a historic Cape property, the boutique nursery at Stellenberg gardens offers a treasure trove of special plants and old-world blooms A visit to Stellenberg Gardens is the plant equivalent to stepping into a second-hand book store. A green library of the most cherished classics, where books and botanical prints come to life as real-life plants and delicate flowers such as hyssop, penstemon, columbine and meadow rue.
Gardens of the Future: Oasis Gardens and how to maximise your urban retreat
Many of us live in small spaces these days, whether by choice or expediency. That absolutely does not mean we must live bereft of greenery and the magic plants bring to our lives. There are many ways to bring style and glamour to your small-space planted mix while being practical at the same time. If it has to be contained, I’m a firm believer in investing in good-looking pots and planters. If it’s just a pair at your front door, choose pots as big and good-looking as your budget allows.
This Seaside Cape Town Garden is the Quintessentially Coastal
What really goes into having a garden by the sea - and what's to stop those of us living away from the coast drawing on a palette of plants adapted to the reality of challenging coastal conditions? We take notes from a quintessential seaside garden by landscape designer Franchesea Watson.
Visit the small town of Prince Albert for its first major garden show
Landscape designer Franchesca Watson on her connection to the karoo town of Prince Albert and the importance of their first ever upcoming open garden event Up until about six years ago, the lovely little villiage of Prince Albert at the foot of the majestic Swartberg Pass was for me just a great occasional long weekend getaway place, that I avoided -definitely in mid-winter and a little less definitely in mid-summer because of the extreme temperatures.
A Call to Nature with Landscape Designer Leon Kluge
Landscape designer Leon Kluge always knew plants were in his future, becoming a multiple award winner with a long list of celebrity clients. Kluge’s grandfather was the curator of the Betty’s Bay Botanical Garden and his father, the curator of the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens in Nelspruit where Leon spent his childhood. “I never had a dream of becoming a doctor or a firefighter like other kids in my class”, Klug says.
Visit this garden in Franschhoek for its healing properties and beautiful landscapes
Landscape designer Leon Kluge always knew plants were in his future, becoming a multiple award winner with a long list of celebrity clients. Kluge’s grandfather was the curator of the Betty’s Bay Botanical Garden and his father, the curator of the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens in Nelspruit where Leon spent his childhood. “I never had a dream of becoming a doctor or a firefighter like other kids in my class”, Klug says.
Gardens of the Future: Oasis Gardens and how to maximise your urban retreat
Many of us live in small spaces these days, whether by choice or expediency. That absolutely does not mean we must live bereft of greenery and the magic plants bring to our lives. There are many ways to bring style and glamour to your small-space planted mix while being practical at the same time. If it has to be contained, I’m a firm believer in investing in good- looking pots and planters. If it’s just a pair at your front door, choose pots as big and good-looking as your budget allows.
A brilliant botanical book on fynbos over the years is out now
The flats, slopes and valleys of Grootbos Private Nature Reserve are a microcosm of the extraordinary botanical diversity that characterises the indigenous flora and fauna of the Cape Floristic Region, one of the most species-rich habitats in the world. It is also the setting for their new book. Drawn by the flora, immense vistas and ancient milkwood forests, Michael Lutzyer and his father, Heine, purchased the then Grootbos farm in 1991.
These urban flower farmers are turning the burbs into full-bloom spaces
Susie Harris Leblond and Tarryn Martin, the dynamic duo behind Flourish Urban Flower Farm, connected through a shared love for flowers and growing. Both beguiled by their newfound lifestyle as ‘urban flower farmers’, they met virtually while searching for small-scale flower growers on Instagram. Susie’s flower journey began after her vegetable garden was transformed into a mishmash of happy blooms. ‘I have always loved flowers,’ she says.
Jolly good urban farming is at its best in Johannesburg
Nestled at the foothills of Northcliff Hill, Albertskroon is an old Joburg suburb, lying north west of the city, adjoining Greymont and Montgomery Park. Established around 1896 on Waterval farm, the area was named after the Alberts family, the original farm owners. The only artesian spring in Gauteng is tucked away under the Northcliff ridge on this urban farm. The spring continues to flow, and because of it, Albertskroon is now the second largest ‘green lung’ in Joburg.
Franchesca Watson guides us through achieving the enduring appeal of a hanging garden
You see it in nature, cascading over cliffs and dramatic slopes. The magic is that the plants change and turn to present their leaves more gracefully – and you would be surprised by the variety of species that are perfectly happy to hang. We imagine it is otherworldly and exotic hence our enduring fascination with the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which I believe did indeed exist – why ever wouldn’t they have? We can use this quality to great advantage very simply when we garden.
GARDENS AT BRAHMAN HILLS IN KWAZULU-NATAL ARE A STAGE SET FOR CELEBRATION AND MERRIMENT
A dedicated outdoor space for entertainment, for which one needed a ticket to gain entry. These gardens were sites for music, dancing, eating and drinking, fireworks, operas, masquerades and folly. Laid out as formal gardens with shrubberies and waterways and dedicated buildings for performances and entertaining, they were places of celebration and coming together. The garden at Brahman hills in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands is not a dissimilar experience.
A whimsical garden in Johannesburg where purple reigns supreme
Pleached fruit trees, clipped hedges and gravelled pathways are within a planting palette abundant with fragrance and old fashioned blooms in shades of purple, blue and white Tucked away in a leafy Joburg suburb is a small jewel of a garden meticulously laid out and informed by its owner’s affinity with formal design. SOOTHING SOUNDS Water in a garden reflects light and ripples in a breeze and introduces gentle splashing that muffles sound beyond its boundaries.
A romance of colour and texture rule in this dreamy Cape garden
Along the wide, tree-lined avenues of the Cape’s southern suburbs, just below the local botanical treasure that is Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, lies a sweeping garden, so lightly planted with feathery grasses, tall spires, ornamental perennials and lacy umbels, that the experience of it is more like being surrounded by drifts of gently floating clouds, than in a domesticated, green space.
This family home celebrates the natural beauty of the Cape
Actress and avid collector Philippa Berrington-Blew’s courtyard in Cape Town is as much a reflection of her globetrotter’s spirit and prized flea market finds as it is her flair for curating outdoor spaces and her love for nature. Finding a family home in the city with a central outdoor courtyard where you can enjoy magnificent views of Table Mountain is like finding a needle in a haystack. Can you divulge the backstory? We visited San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the summer of 2010.
How to save seeds like a pro
Thrive Urban Farm harvests, dries and saves seed from the garden for the upcoming flower season By Heidi Bertish | January 20, 2022 | Category gardens My grandmother had a treasure trove of a walk-in closet where she kept her table linen, crockery, glassware and cutlery.
A diverse and sensitive Table mountain garden by landscape designer Athol McLaggan
At its core, this garden story is one of synergy and response to site that was as intuitive as it was environmentally sensitive. From the outset, there was a natural connection between homeowner, architect, garden designer and landscaper. The kind of connection so often at the root of revealing the magic in a site- particularly when forces join in a like-minded approach and respect for the site. The garden evolved naturally as the house was built.
6 Ways to create a finely tuned garden
If the thought of a controlled palette of plants and materials conjures up a garden devoid of personality, think again. A restrained garden is the key to appreciating subtlety in every detail. We take inspiration and ideas from Red Daffodil Landscaping’s latest project In the Clouds Manicured topiary interplanted with a well-chosen handful of plant species makes for the perfect combination of sculptural drama vs. soft flamboyance.
How to create a perfectly scented garden
Garden Designer Franchesca Watson fills us in on creating a garden infused with a heady fragrance for summer evenings outdoors We are not the only ones for whom perfume is attractive, often evoking memories and emotions. In nature’s scheme of things, flowers that throw out their waves of scent at night tend to be pollinated by moths or bats, and they also tend to be white or very pale colours so that they shine in the moonlight and make navigation easy.
Discover South Africa’s rarest roses
The original wild or species rose, from which our current cultivars hail, evolved around 70 million years ago. Romantically, connections are thought to originate from the African continent – in Egypt, where Cleopatra famously carpeted her boudoir with rose petals to seduce Mark Antony. In Persia, the original wild roses were used to produce rosewater, secret elixirs, scented oils and perfume one and a half thousand years before they were cultivated for the garden.
Rose Gold
The original wild or species rose, from which our current cultivars hail, evolved around 70 million years ago. Romantically, connections are thought to originate from the African continent – in Egypt, where Cleopatra famously carpeted her boudoir with rose petals to seduce Mark Antony. In Persia, the original wild roses were used to produce rosewater, secret elixirs, scented oils and perfume one and a half thousand years before they were cultivated for the garden.
Big blousy blooms create architectural drama and lure biodiversity to this Franschhoek garden
One would be hard-pressed to know that the gardens at La Cotte Farm in Franschhoek are in their infancy By Heidi Bertish | June 19, 2021 | Category gardens One would be hard-pressed to know that the gardens at La Cotte Farm in Franschhoek are in their infancy. The grand double borders, lush lawns and profusion of big, blousy blooms look more like a well-established romantic garden of old than the intoxicating new discovery that it is, completed a little over a year ago, to be precise.
A boundless Cape Garden above the eastern slopes of Table Mountain
A boundless Cape garden, brimming with swaying drifts of textured planting and a dreamy colour palette, floats above the eastern slopes of Table Mountain By Heidi Bertish | March 29, 2021 | Category gardens A boundless Cape garden, brimming with swaying drifts of textured planting and a dreamy colour palette, floats above the eastern slopes of Table Mountain.
Picture Perfect
The sun was just beginning to sink beneath the horizon when I first visited the Brody family garden at spook hill, on the south-western slopes of the Helderberg mountains. It was one of those magical summer days in the cape. The warm light at the end of the day highlighted the cloud-pruned hedges and velvety palette of perennials. Freshly mown avenues were being soaked a deep, glossy green.
Floral Compass
Discovers an indigenous garden and thriving ecosystem planted as an ode to our local plant heritage. Located on the south-western tip of South Africa. the Cape Floristic Region is one of the most special places in the world for plants. While it represents only the tiniest sliver of the African continent - less than 0.5 percent, to be exact - it has been declared a UNESCO World heritage site and recognised as one of the greatest centres of terrestrial biodiversity in the world.
Hidden Gem
Tucked into the southern corner of a historic Cape property, the boutique nursery at Stellenberg gardens offers a treasure trove of special plants and old-world blooms Photographed by Elsa Young A visit to Stellenberg Gardens is the plant equivalent to stepping into a second-hand book store. A green library of the most cherished classics, where books and botanical prints come to life as real-life plants and delicate flowers such as hyssop, penstemon, columbine and meadow rue.
The Dark Side
Photo by Joäo Paulo Pereira on Unsplash Looking for a houseplant for that low-light area of your home? Gardens Editor Heidi Bertish has the answer People frequently ask me to recommend plants for tricky areas in the home, particularly those with little available natural light, and most recently, newly converted home offices with small or no windows. I have been grappling with similar considerations myself.
A chance encounter
While looking for a new home for her family, the last thing landscape designer Mary Maurel expected was to find a gem in Cape Town’s City Bowl Photographed by Greg Cox While looking for a new home for her family, the last thing landscape designer Mary Maurel expected was to find a gem in Cape Town’s City Bowl When garden designer Mary Maurel came across this house in Cape Town’s City Bowl, she was all but ready to leave the city behind her.
5 Tips from a master gardener - Condé Nast House & Garden
5 Tips from a master gardener By | January 25, 2018January 25, 2018 | Category 1‘I have only met gardens that have been encouraging and quick to forgive my mistakes.
Indi Know-How - Condé Nast House & Garden
Indi Know-How By | June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 | Category In drought-stricken South Africa, water has become a precious commodity and the ethos of gardening has shifted to a more environmentally friendly approach, namely fewer pesticides and more hardy, less thirsty plants. So naturally, Indigenous planting has come into its own at last.
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