Garden Club Outing

Fifteen members of the Aberdeen Garden Club had a most enjoyable outing last Friday to the Blue Magnolia Nursery in Graaff-Reinet. After  a short time to wander around and admire the products on display, the ladies settled down to enjoy the most entertaining and informative talk given by Tanya Visser, editor of The Gardener magazine.

Tanya’s main message was “Stop, be still & listen in God’s garden”. She spoke of her inspiration being the vast areas of flowers In Namaqualand and urged all those who hadn’t been to go there. She shared her  secret to planning a striking garden  (inspired by nature and Namaqualand), to plant an occasional grey coloured plant in between the colour to “make the colours pop!”

Tanya further mentioned the importance of compost and mulching (especially in the hot dry Karoo climate). This was followed by useful planting tips, and the advice to visit neighbours’ and public gardens in the area to see what grows well.

After the talk, a sumptuous banquet of food was enjoyed, as colourful and varied as the flowers themselves! Champagne was served, from bottles that had been chilled in birdbaths of ice. All the ladies agreed that this was an exceptionally interesting and enjoyable outing, and many plan to revisit the nursery at their leisure to stock up their gardens.

Members of Aberdeen Garden Club at the new Blue Magnolia nursery in Graaff-Reinet