....and overlooking Cape Town’s southern suburbs.
It is one of eight botanical gardens in South Africa under the umbrella of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). In the 1660s the site provided timber for the Dutch East India Company. The name, Kirsten’s Forest, was derived from a settler family. Some of the original boundary hedging, planted in 1660 at the orders of governor Van Riebeeck, is still evident today. In the early 19th Century, during the British occupation, the area was owned by a succession of landowners until it was bought by Cecil John Rhodes in 1898. The estate was poorly managed under his stewardship and the only legacy of his years is the magnificent Camphor Avenue (below), planted in 1898.
Rhodes, who died in 1902, bequeathed the site to the people of Cape Town. On the 1st July 1915 Kirstenbosch was reborn as the city’s botanical gardens.
As with all eight botanical gardens in South Africa, Kirstenbosch’s commitment is, in SANBI’s own words: “to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich biodiversity of South Africa, for the benefit of all people”. Thus, over the decades, it has rid itself of most foreign specimens so that it is now largely home to the 2500 native species that make up the local indigenous floras. Some of these are familiar features in gardens in Britain and around the world. Kirstenbosch also has the world’s largest collection of rare Cycads (below), mysterious fern-like plants that have remained unchanged for millions of years.
Kirstenbosch has always had an open door policy, even during the darkest days of apartheid when many city facilities were closed to the black majority. Since apartheid has been dismantled, however, it has been better able to extend its remit to helping the poor -- particularly those in the townships -- improve their environments, working with local communities to create recreational spaces or greening the areas where they live. Kirstenbosch also supports programmes encouraging Cape Town residents to grow their own produce -- to earn a living or to put better food on the family table. SANBI carries out research work into the medicinal value of plants, so that local people can build on their knowledge of medicinal flora to treat medical conditions and improve their health. To the more affluent it helps and advises on planting indigenous species to conserve water (water is becoming a major problem in the Cape).
For good reason, Kirstenbosch is considered one of the finest botanical gardens in the world.