Karoo Oasis

WORDS Graham Wood PHOTOS Charles Johnstone, Arthur Mennigke, Connall Oosterbroek, Joag Van Rooyen

The marvels of Mauritzfontein, an oasis created in the middle of the dry landscapes of the Nama Karoo, are captured in a new book – and sure to inspire gardeners of every persuasion.

Mauritzfontein near Kimberley in the Nama Karoo was established as a stud farm for thoroughbred racehorses by the Oppenheimer family in the mid-1940s. Legendary landscaper Joane Pim created a nine-hectare oasis around the main farmhouse, which rises like a mirage from the Karoo landscape. Starting in the ’50s, she planted trees and “greened the desert”, creating half a dozen outdoor “rooms” that included rolling lawns, a woodland garden, a pioneering succulent garden and more, all knitted together with beautiful local stone walls and paths.

In 2014, horticulturist Arthur Mennigke took on what he calls a “reinvigoration” of the gardens. His task was to modernise them while maintaining Pim’s legacy. “We needed to become more sensitive to the environment,” he says, explaining that updating the garden was not just a matter of style, but also of introducing a contemporary ecological approach that took conservation and sustainability into account. “Also, I wanted it to be quintessentially African.”

He restored elements of the original design, and updated aspects where, for example, woodlands that had been planted had become fully established and even altered the microclimate, which in turn meant that plants that would never have survived before could thrive in the new conditions.

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He also added his own trademark touches and devised new features, such as his remarkable “river of grass” – a naturalistic meadow that invites some of the endemic surrounding elements and plants back into the oasis. This stylised meandering meadow cuts through the rolling lawns, Arthur says, and “brings the spirit of place back into the main garden so that you can experience the grasses and the natural cycles of the seasons within the garden”. He also created an incredible vegetable and picking garden for the farm kitchen, and to provide cut flowers for the house.

Now it’s all been documented in a beautiful book: Mauritzfontein: The Story Of A Karoo Garden by Paul Duncan and Arthur Mennigke. Detailed and comprehensive, it includes full planting lists to cater to the needs of serious gardeners, but also tells the story of the evolution of this pioneering garden from its origins to its present incarnation. It’s a visual feast of photographs by Arthur himself as well as Charles Johnstone, Connall Oosterbroek and Joag van Rooyen – and a more literal feast of recipes that feature produce from the garden. Arthur hopes it will play a role “in inspiring and educating gardeners, especially in arid regions of the country”. After seeing the Mauritzfontein oasis, you can’t help but be inspired.

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