Garden club at Rietvlei Roses

Last week the intrepid ladies and gents of the Aberdeen Garden Club sallied forth in a minibus to Rietvlei rose farm, some 20km outside Graaff-Reinet. The members, many of them avid aspiring rose growers, have not stopped enthusing about the visit since!

The farm is owned by Lyell van Rensburg and her husband Richardt, and they also farm sheep and cattle. The beautifully restored Cape Dutch farmhouse, built in 1817, is now a national monument, and the ladies were enthralled with the fine furniture and detail in the house. The house had been empty for 22 years when the van Rensburgs moved in, and the members could only stand in awe of all the work that had been involved in the renovations. Of particular interest was the original fireplace, which has been restored, which had been built using parts of an oxwagon.

Lyell is famous for her roses, and this year won the Landbou Weekblad Sanlam Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award at a prestigious dinner in the Cape. She was more than happy to share her rose-growing tips with the members, and her advice on growing in the Karoo was particularly invaluable for those new to the area.

The weather was perfect for the outing, and the members enjoyed exploring the different areas.  There are approximately 10 000 rose bushes on the farm: 8 000 in greenhouses and a further 2 000 around the house. A wonderful display of perfect white iceberg roses fronts the farmhouse, and indeed the rose theme even carried through to the serviettes at tea time!

Many of the ladies purchased bunches of roses at a very reasonable price, which were carefully nurtured on the way home. All in all a most enjoyable outing, and several of the ladies are looking forward to increased crops in their own gardens as a result of what they have learned.

The members of Aberdeen Garden Club at Rietvlei rose farm