Gauteng Smallholder July 2016 | Page 12

NEWS From page 8 the Chelsea show takes place in the northern Spring, while in the South it is autumn. Fortunately for South Africa, that's when the fynbos flowers, which is why such plants are used in abundance on the stand. This year's exhibit therefore focused on the Harold Porter National Botanical Garden, Arum lilies in a pond located within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve. This is a place of great natural beauty and complex floral diversity that it is recognised as one of the world's greatest biodiversity hot-spots. A win at Chelsea has a farreaching effect. The Sanbi stand is one of the “must-see” attractions of the Chelsea Flower Show, drawing many of the more than 150 000 visitors to the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, London over the five days of the show. Residents of Gauteng are also afforded the privilege of seeing this award-wining display as the stand is reconstructed as part of Garden World's Spring Festival from 29 July to 4 September at its nursery in Muldersdrift. This year, apart from the Chelsea exhibit, 22 gardens (the most ever) will compete for best on show and this includes the work of twelve landscapers who are participating for the first time. There will be great emphasis on water wise Flora from the Harold Porter Botanical gardening this year, with Garden in the Kogelberg Reserve. display gardens from Pretoria. Rand Water, and Sanbi's two The Spring Festival Gauteng botanical gardens, programme of talks includes namely Walter Sisulu and Continued on page 11 10 www.sasmallholder.co.za