Innholdsfortegnelse for SUMMER 2025/26 i SA Garden and Home

“This summer’s colour palette offers rich shades like brown and olive green, warmer neutrals like blush pink, and bright accents of yellow…

Summer brings not only sunny and warm weather but also the chance to add bold touches of colour to your home. Consider our featured holiday homes your inspiration. And with evenings now ideal for al fresco gatherings, why not try your hand at our DIY trellis canopy with an arrangement of lush greenery or colourful blooms suspended above your patio table? You'll create a focus point that will surely leave guests impressed.…

This home on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, is beautifully bright and breezy. But it wasn’t always that way. Recalling its previous incarnation, owner Kathryn Garton says the home was ‘a bit of an ugly duckling’, albeit with plenty of potential for improvement. It was a bland beige-on-beige weatherboard and masonry structure, but the location backing onto the beach was so wonderful that she and her husband Ian couldn’t resist. Today, it’s the perfect coastal getaway for the couple, their daughters Andrea, 16, Georgia, 15, and beloved Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Charlie. Kathryn and Ian bought the home in 2014; in 2017 they were ready to renovate, and engaged Interior Designer Stewart Horton of Horton & Co for the project. Stewart had renovated their main residence in…

There's no better time than the summer season to take in the sights and sounds of nature in a beautiful garden setting. And Steenberg Hotel & Spa offers this and more. But if you want to create your own garden haven that you and your guests can enjoy, then our checklist will help you prepare. Short on space? Read our Urban Gardens feature to learn about an innovative growing system used in projects across the country, and how it can benefit you, too.…

GARDENS BY THE BAY, SINGAPORE With over 115 million visitors to date, Gardens by the Bay is a spectacular urban park in Singapore’s downtown area. Spanning 105 hectares, it comprises three waterfront gardens: Bay South Garden in Marina South, Bay East Garden and Bay Central Garden. The Gardens boast a diverse collection of over 1.5 million plants from every continent except Antarctica, and more than 200 sculptures, from unique stainless steel flower sculptures to recycled rubbish sculptures. Other popular attractions include the Flower Dome, Cloud Forest with indoor waterfall, and Supertrees. The Flower Dome is housed in the Bay South Garden - the largest of the gardens at 54 hectares - and broke the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Glass Greenhouse in 2015. From the Flower Dome, guests…

Tucked beneath the Helderberg Mountains, Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa is a sanctuary of timeless elegance. Bordering the prestigious Gary Player-designed Erinvale Golf Course, this countryside retreat boasts a prime position in the heart of the Helderberg, with iconic wine estates such as Vergelegen, Lourensford and Morgenster as enviable neighbours. As a distinguished member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts' L.V.X Collection, the hotel has undergone a spectacular transformation, evolving from a historic gem into a modern marvel. It offers 56 beautifully appointed rooms, a world-class wellness retreat, serene gardens and exquisite dining. Guests can unwind at the reimagined spa, a haven of holistic wellness. For those eager to explore beyond the hotel, there's a wealth of experiences on offer, from environmental tours to hiking, biking, padel, clay pigeon shooting, and…

Garden Party Extravaganza Embrace the beauty of nature with a chic garden party theme. Perfect for family gatherings, it’s all about elegance and relaxation. DECOR IDEAS Table decor: Use white tablecloths with fresh flowers and candles as centrepieces. Blackboard signs: Create these to label food and drinks or share quotes about family and togetherness. Games: Have a few games up your sleeve, and get everyone involved - no one will be sitting on the sideline, that's for sure. Camping This time, transform your garden into the great outdoors with a fun camping set-up. DECOR IDEAS Tents: Pitch a couple of tents or use some sheets and suitable poles. Fill the tents with blankets and cushions for a cosy vibe. Fairy lights: Hang string lights or lanterns around your backyard to…

For as long as gardener and floral designer Dané Erwee can remember, his life has revolved around plants. In fact, his relationship with them predates his own memories: There’s a family story of Dané’s mother taking him out on the farm dam in a small boat when he was a baby, and packing the waterblommetj ies (Aponogeton distachyos flowers) she was harvesting from the water around him as he slept. His first conscious recollection of planting something dates to when he was ‘about five or six years old’, Dané says, when his grandmother gave him some clivia seeds. He planted them, ‘and they grew’. Growing up on a vegetable farm means that plant knowledge has always been an integral part of Dane’s life, and his path from being a child…

REVAMP A DRESSING TABLE Give a shabby piece of furniture a new lease of life by repainting it a jazzy new colour and adding sparkly drawer handles and a mirror. Find an old dressing table or wooden desk at a charity shop or online. Start by lightly sanding to get rid of rough edges and flaky paint, then wipe over with a damp cloth. Depending on your choice of paint, the surface may need priming first for a durable finish, then apply one or two coats of your chosen top coat in a bold, standout colour. Finish with some new handles. DISPLAY PICS ON LEDGES Create an easy-change picture gallery to go above a bed. Using narrow picture ledges means you can easily update any artwork you choose - unlike…

Few plants capture the spirit of a South African summer quite like the Agapanthus. With their graceful, architectural stems crowned by clusters of blue or white blooms, these hardy perennials are a familiar sight in gardens across the country; lining driveways, edging pools and adding structure to borders. Their tall, airy umbels burst into flower just in time to bring vibrant colour to warmweather celebrations. A SOUTH AFRICAN FAVOURITE Commonly known as the African lily or lily of the Nile, Agapanthus africanus and its many hybrids are beloved for their resilience and long flowering period. Native to the Cape, they thrive in the very conditions that define a South African summer: hot sun, dry spells and minimal fuss. Their fleshy roots store moisture efficiently, making them remarkably droughttolerant once established.…

After spending years decorating beach resorts in dreamscapes such as Seychelles, Mozambique and Tanzania with her interior design company Gdf Design Lab, Carla de Fondaumiere finally had the opportunity to create a very personal beach home. The Capetonian designer found a beach property just an hour away from her home town. 'I used to holiday on the Langebaan lagoon as a child; says Carla of South Africa's West Coast village, where her new family holiday home lies. 'When I met my husband, Marc, I took him to Langebaan, and he fell in love with all it had to offer, too: A perfect match for the family's sport-filled lifestyle, their house allows direct access to the beach and lagoon from its garden, allowing Carla and Marc's children (Chloe, 15, and Alex,…

I was inspired to DIY this suspended trellis canopy after seeing something similar hanging over the tables in a beautiful coffee shop. I wanted to create that same interest and feel over an outdoor table on my patio, and now you can too! TOOLS NEEDED Jigsaw, handsaw or compound mitre saw Orbital sander with 120-grit sanding paper disc Power drill and 3 mm wood drill bit 6 mm × 4 mm × 20 mm wood-cut screws Claw hammer Pack of general-purpose flat- head wood nails (25 mm) Pack of panel pins (13 mm × 1.2 mm) Water-resistant wood glue Paintbrush and outdoor weatherproof paint and/or sealer Measuring tape and pencil Small key rings and fishing gut to carry around 20 kg Spreader damps Safety gear, such as gloves and glasses…

Globe Artichokes with a Caper Salsa PREP TIME 40 MIN COOK TIME 25-30 MIN SERVES 6 AS A SIDE 2 small bunches parsley, all roughly chopped 1 small bunch mint, leaves only 1 small bunch basil, leaves only 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 100 ml extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 4 pickled cucumbers, very finely chopped 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped 1 lemon, sliced 6 large globe artichokes Finger bowls of water and lemon slices, to serve To make the salsa verde, place the parsley, mint and basil in the small bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic and mustard with a large pinch of salt. Blitz until finely chopped. Drizzle the olive oil in until roughly blended. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, cucumbers and capers. Use…