Join the Friends for a tour of the Arderne Gardens, one of Cape Town’s hidden secrets. The excursion will be led by Hank Lith, plantsman, landscape architect and member of Friends of the Arderne Gardens (FOTAG) committee.

Ralph Henry Arderne acquired a piece of land for 740 pounds in Claremont In 1845, on which he planted a garden, built a home and named it ‘The Hill’. As a successful timber merchant, he was in a unique position to trade indigenous plant seedlings in exchange for the exotic seedlings, shrubs and perennial plants carried by ships that had stopped in Cape Town to replenish their supplies. In time his garden became famous amongst local residents as a place to stroll and enjoy the outdoors.

Henry Matthew Arderne continued his father’s work in the garden. Sadly, the entire property was sold for development and subdivision in 1914 and the Ardene family home was demolished. Fortunately, a far-sighted municipal official persuaded the City Council to buy 4.5 hectares of the original garden in 1928. This became the Claremont Public Gardens which was renamed the Arderne Gardens in 1961. This public park is a Provincial Heritage Site, contains more than 400 trees and is managed by the City of Cape Town with significant voluntary assistance from FOTAG.

On this excursion participants will learn about the history of the garden, the special trees, including the six champion trees, and new developments in the garden as a result of FOTAG’s work over the last eleven years.

• To secure your booking, please respond by email samfriends@iziko.org.za
• Date: 13 October 2018 11h00
• Members R80 Non-members R100