At this elevation, the garden would be exposed to year-round prevailing winds as well as searing temperatures in summer. In addition, the soil was exceptionally poor. Protective evergreen Viburnum tinus ‘Lucidum’ hedges were planted to simultaneously buffer the wind and divide up the garden, each area having its own character and colour palette. Conical spires of Australian brush cherry, Syzygium paniculatum, are the unifying element between combinations of fragrant roses, evergreen shrubs, blowsy blooms and a meadow of ornamental grasses and perennials. Placed strategically along the main avenue, the clipped spires rhythmically lead you down the central axis as the garden rooms unfold on either side. Plantsman Pietman Diener was instrumental in the initial planting and the reins have subsequently been handed over to head gardener Waldo Groenewald, who has, over the past three years, nurtured the garden to create the fine masterpiece it is today.
Sounds of bubbling water draw you into the white garden, the area closest to the manor house. More than any other, this area is the embodiment of Vitaly’s passion for gardens – a reflection of his appreciation of bold formality and his love of roses. ‘Part of my job is to intuit what will resonate for my clients and create something unique to suit them,’ says Franchesca. To this end, large and luxuriant blooms jostle and tumble among the predominantly white palette. Silver-leafed Rhagodia hastata, pruned into generous mounds, is the anchor to this abundant scheme, overflowing with Rosa ‘Ice Sunsation’. Spheres of white plumbago, orange jasmine and Westringia fruticosa add further definition among a sea of white heliotrope and Gaura lindheimeri, along with Agapanthus ‘Selma Bock’ and Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii.
Grass paths wind through the meadow garden, where a profusion of bulbs and perennials, including purple Salvia nemorosa, yellow spires of verbascum and cream sisyrinchium, flourish alongside grasses such as Festuca glauca.
Elsa Young
In the white garden, Ficus microcarpa trees and mounds of Rhagodia hastata anchor a planting scheme that features Rosa ‘Ice Sunsation’, white plumbago, heliotrope and gaura, Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii and silvery Stachys byzantina.
Elsa Young
The bougainvillea maze is a whimsical take on more traditional hedging, while the parterre opposite it sets a different tone entirely, with a carpet of finely textured ngongoni grass, Aristida junciformis, under a scaled-up chequerboard of Searsia crenata. ‘I was able to break the rules with scale and indulge my love of simplicity,’ says Franchesca about this area. Over the winter, the grass mellows to a golden blonde. ‘In the low winter light, the oversized green squares appear to float,’ explains Waldo. Further away from the house, the more informal meadow garden explodes into a million shades of purple and yellow. Plumes of velvety purple salvias, cheery verbascum spires, buttery sisyrinchium and bright yellow geums push up through a gauzy mixture of local grasses.
This garden is unmistakable in its formality. Its brushstrokes are big and bold, a response to an immense setting that would cause anything else to appear insignificant. Yet there is a gentleness that unfolds within the layers of planting and colour, in the balance between froth and structure – a reflection of the care and passion of those who tend it, echoed in the seamless views of valley and sky.
Quoin Rock, Stellenbosch: quoinrock.co.za. Garden tours on Fridays in October-March include lunch and a glass of wine. Tailor-made tours and out-of-season bookings are available.
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