Company’s Garden Trees

Landscape architect, Clare Burgess’ highly enjoyable and informative walk of Cape Town’s central park, is back by popular demand.

The variety of trees is astounding. Some date back hundreds of years, others have planted recently in the style of the old or contemporary.

Clare worked at the City for nine years and designed some of the areas in the Garden. She is an active local champion of the value of trees, especially in the urban environment. She is the co-founder and chair of TreeKeepers Cape Town.

As a lecturer at both the University of Cape Town and Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Clare brought her students to the Garden.

Initially a farm created and maintained by enslaved labour in the 17th century, Company’s Garden is now surrounded by major South African institutions. It is used by many Capetonians to get to and from work or school. (I cover briefly history and sculpture in the Garden.) We will probably see families picnic-ing and here to take wedding pictures.

Wiki says there are 3 000 plants species in the Garden. Two are from the time of the dinosaurs – some cycads existed in the Mesozoic Era (251.9 million to 66 million years ago). Ginkgo has been planted since ancient times in Chinese and Japanese temple gardens. It is now valued as a fungus- and insect-resistant ornamental tree.

Cost per person: R400 or R300 for paying by Monday 7 October; free for full time landscape students and long term unemployed.

To book: kate@cultureconnectsa.com WhatsApp +27 72 377 8014

Start and finish at Coffee At The Vine and Heritage Shop

17 Queen Victoria St

Company’s Garden (near the Company’s Garden Restaurant)

Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000

Saturday 12 October 2024, 10am to 12h30 (note 30 minutes more than the usual Culture Connect open tour; do slip away early)

Clare and I will be delighted if you could join us for lunch at the Coffee At The Vine.

Let me know if you would like this as a private tour; ditto Clare’s walking tour at Arderne/Claremont Gardens and Green Point’s Urban Park. Her knowledge and passion are phenomenal.