South Africa’s gold medal-winning showcase at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show offers a vibrant celebration of fynbos in full bloom.
WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied
This year’s exhibit – the largest South Africa has ever presented at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – celebrates the incredible flora found along our Indian and Atlantic Ocean coastlines.
Landscape designers Leon Kluge and Tristan Woudberg wanted to bring plants from the lush highlands of Kwazulu-Natal and the renowned Cape Floral Kingdom together to create a display that perfectly portrays South Africa’s distinctive beauty.
A dramatic ‘canyon’ dominated the Cape Flora of South Africa stand. The ‘canyon’ cut through a mountain of Proteas to reveal multiple waterfalls and cliffs, which were planted up with cliff-dwelling plants of the eastern escarpment. Some of the feature plants in this part of the display included the blue Streptocarpus (an indigenous relative of the African violet) and the iconic Disa Orchid, which emerges out of the mossy walls of the giant ravine. Other plants from the summer rainfall areas include the striking Sandersonia Aurantiaca or Christmas Bells as well as Flame Lilies.
The Storms River mouth located on the border of the Western and Eastern Cape inspired the construction of the ravine with its dramatic living cliffs. To portray the amber-coloured water of the Cape mountain streams, hundreds of Rooibos tea bags were soaked in the water to give it a typically South African flavour (a flavour that a family of London Foxes seemed to enjoy).
“Seeing nature respond so instinctively to something so proudly South African was a moment of pure wonder,” says Leon, who was photographed pointing to the fox’s footprints beside the Rooibos stream. “It reminded us that when we create with authenticity and respect for nature, even the wild comes to honour it.”
“A heartfelt thank you to the Grootbos Foundation, Hazendal Wine Estate, Southern Sun and all the farmers and farmworkers whose dedication helped secure this Gold. This moment belongs to all of us – and to the fox who knew a good brew when he found one,” Leon adds.
Thanks to the Grootbos Foundation, this display will be recreated in South Africa in September.
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