Rare plants, knowledgeable plant collectors and the beautiful surroundings of Kirstenbosch made for a wonderful weekend on the 18th-19th April 2015, for the 40th Rare Plant Fair held by the Botanical Society of South Africa. For the second year, the event was opened up to outside growers and our sister company New Horizen Nursery, with Gert de Kock at the helm, was there with a wide selection of rare and interesting indigenous plants and a wealth of expertise to help and advise indigenous gardening enthusiasts.
The theme of the Fair this year was a "Feast of Fynbos", highlighting the role that indigenous plants can play in the growing trend of urban gardening. Spekboom and buchu were well represented with plenty of buchu infused delicacies on sale. But it was rare plants that the passionate garden fundis were after and New Horizen again came up trumps, doubling their sales from the previous year.
Gert and Francois are both passionate about plants and are compulsive plant collectors, as the rich and varied collection gardens supplying mother stock to the nursery at New Horizen attest. Gert really enjoyed the opportunity to chat with fellow experts and gardeners and shared some of the more unusual plants that don't often get picked up by the retail market. "We had customers from as far afield as Jo'burg, Betty's Bay and even Botswana!"
The whole Fair had a festive atmosphere, from the moment that the doors were opened to allow in those queuing up with wheelbarrows outside to seize upon long coveted plants and rare finds. Others who hadn�t come prepared to shop, but were tempted into loading up with plants anyway, were well looked after by the Botanical Society staff armed with more wheelbarrows to help transport leafy discoveries home.
Just a few of the rare plants that were well received from our nursery were Orbea variegata, Senecio ficoides, Juncus capillaceus, Sparmannia africana, Carex clavata and Juncus lomatophyllus, as well as Aloe cooperi and many others.
It really was a wonderful weekend and the staff at New Horizen nursery are looking forward to the next annual Kirstenbosch Rare Plant Fair in 2016.
