Horticulture in the world-renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Outstandingly beautiful,
exotic, fascinating, world-renowned ...
There aren't enough words to describe this most glorious of botanical
gardens. If you're into
horticulture, or have an avid interest in Southern African plants,
you'll be in heaven on this placement.
Imagine a Mediterranean climate, with enough rain to
grow just about anything, and lots of sunshine to produce the most
beautiful blooms ... and you have Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Kirstenbosch lies on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain. It
consists of landscaped gardens of indigenous plants and trees, watered by the
Liesbeek River, as well as natural forest that extends up the lower slopes.
One of the most
enjoyable aspects of this project is that you'll be working with well-respected
experts in Horticulture and you'll learn a tremendous amount.
Kirstenbosch covers an area of 828Ha, 60 ha of which are cultivated; the
remainder is a natural flora reserve.It is a living display featuring 4 700 of the estimated 20 000 species of
indigenous South African flora, and close to 50 per cent of the Peninsula's
floral wealth. In the cultivated area, related plants are grouped together and
radiate from the central lawns like the spokes of a wheel.
There is a granite Celtic cross in Kirstenbosch marking the
grave of the garden's first director, Professor Harold Pearson, and it bears
the inscription: 'If ye seek his monument, look around.' It is an apt and
moving injunction - the grave is surrounded by one of the world's most famous
reserves of indigenous flora.
There is always something to see
whatever the time of year, and you will come across some unusual features as
you stroll through the gardens. There is a cycad bush in a cage, the last of
its kind left in the world. It has no mate for propagation and needs
protection from souvenir hunters. You can also see van Riebeek’s Hedge, which was planted in 1660 by Jan van Riebeek, as a boundary to the newly-established Cape Colony.
Amongst the
shrubs are impressive stone sculptures, large and small, which are
part of a permanent exhibition of Shona art from Zimbabwe. Colonel Bird's
Bath in The Dell is shaped like a bird and has a crystal clear spring
bubbling into it and through a stream filled with stepping stones that
delight children.
There is also a Braille Trail and scented garden.
The Braille Trail for the blind passes through natural Table Mountain forest
and fynbos. The plants are clearly labelled with Braille and large-print
labels. The Fragrance Garden, situated nearby boasts a fine collection of
indigenous aromatic plants, also labelled in Braille and large print, set out
in a number of raised beds. where
you’ll find sweet and strange smelling plants, with a guide to their medicinal uses.
There are so many interesting sections in Kirstenbosch (far
too numerous to list here).
Among the interesting sections here are the Cycad Amphitheatre, which hosts
most species of these 'living fossils' found in southern Africa; the famed Protea Garden on the higher slopes, with its profuse growth of silver trees (Leucadendron
argenteum); the JV Mathews Rock Garden (named after the first curator)
containing succulents of the genera Crassula, Aloe, Lampranthus and Euphorbia;
the Erica Garden and the Pelargonium Koppie.
Other interesting sections include:
Colonel Bird's Bath:
The oldest, and
arguably the most attractive section of the Garden, Colonel Bird's Bath is
the focal point of the Dell. Built in approximately 1811 by Colonel
Christopher Bird, Deputy Colonial Secretary, it is bird shaped (a play on
his name) and made of Batavian type bricks. It is fed by four
crystal-clear, ice-cold springs. The paths and bath surroundings have been
paved and cobbled in local stone by Kirstenbosch stone masons. The Dell
provides suitable habitats for shade-loving plants like ferns, tree ferns,
plectranthus, impatiensand Mackaya bella, among others.
This is the place to be on a hot summer day.
Main Pond:
In the shade of a majestic old oak tree is the Main Pond, containing
blue water lilies and waterblommejies, and pink crinums at its edge. Set
in the centre of a large lawn, it commands sweeping views of the mountain.
It is fed via cobbled streams by the natural spring that bubbles up in the
Dell. At the top of the lawn stands a magnificent old yellowood tree whose
branches hang down to the ground forming a 'cave'. This area of the Garden
is particularly popular with family groups.
Annuals: The most famous must be the fields of Namaqualand daisies
that appear from August to October.
The annuals fill the Garden with energy as they open their faces to follow
the sun.
Large areas, especially in the lower part of the Garden, are
planted with different colours ranging from brilliant white, soft peach,
intense orange and yellow to striking blue and mauve. It is mostly the
daisies, like Dimorphotheca, Felicia, Osteospermum, Ursinia and Gazania,
which create the sheets of flowing colour. Look closer to see many other
annuals like the Bokbaaivygies (Dorotheanthus bellidiformis) and
the blue flax (Heliophila coronopifolia). These annuals have a
short life and set seed before the hot dry summer arrives.
Two streams cut through Kirstenbosch, both laced with besembos,
red alder and hard fern. Of historical interest is an avenue of camphor
trees and fig trees planted by Cecil Rhodes in 1898.
Within the grounds of Kirstenbosch are the headquarters of the National
Botanical Institute that administers the national network of gardens and
associated research institutes. One, the Compton Herbarium, is dedicated to research, particularly into Cape flora.
It now preserves approximately 250 000 specimens, including its own collection
and that of the South African Museum dating from 1825.
All paths in the main section of Kirstenbosch are paved. Smuts Track (used by
the late General J C Smuts) leads through the mixed forest of indigenous trees
up Skeleton Gorge to the summit of Table Mountain. The other route, Forest
Walk, leads through leafy palaces of ironwood, yellowwood and red alder.
There are two special routes along level, paved paths for wheelchairs, prams
or the less agile. Known as the Weaverbird Walk and the Silver Tree Stroll,
both are clearly signposted with the wheelchair sign. Three trails, Silvertree,
Yellowwood and Stinkwood Trails, provide more vigorous walks of up to 6 km or
three hours.
Richest Diversity in
the World
Europe's 10,000 species of plants have been well exploited for medicinal
purposes but many of the 21,000 species found in South Africa are yet to be
explored for their potential uses. The Cape sub-region houses the richest
diversity of plants per square metre than anywhere else in the world. Most of
the plants are endemic i.e. found nowhere else on earth.
The Cape plants have
their own classification known as the world's Sixth Floral Kingdom, comprising
over 2,500 different species known broadly as Fynbos.
The Kirstenbosch Environmental Education Programme
The Education Programme
started
in 1996. The Kirstenbosch Outreach Bus provides transport for learners
from previously disadvantaged areas. Approximately 20,000 learners per
year participate in activities offered. The Guided School Programme primarily supports formal education with
exciting, hands-on activities that engage learners with indigenous plants
and issues related to sustainable use of these plants.
It is based at the Gold Fields Environmental Education
Centre, which is
uniquely set against the backdrop of Castle Rock. The Centre
has wonderful teaching facilities - the Discovery Room and Lecture theatre are large, colourful rooms that can
easily accommodate 60 learners each. The garden caters especially for children having roomy spaces to sit in
the shade and plants that can be touched, smelled and small amounts picked.
A team of trained and dedicated education officers facilitates the
learning programmes.
YOUR
WORK
One of the most
enjoyable aspects of this project is that you'll be working with well-respected
experts in Horticulture and you'll learn a tremendous amount.
You will fit in with Kirstenbosch's work
schedule within the gardens and thereby get exposure to all parts of this
fascinating Botanical Gardens. The work is wide-ranging, from planting to
propagating, to collecting samples, to plant identification - and anything else
that may be required at the time you're there.
The environment is absolutely
stunning and awe-inspiring - being situated on the slopes of the mountain, the
views are breathtaking and ever-changing from a multitude of different sections.
You may also be invited to join plant
collection trips to different parts of the country, where possible.
You'll have weekends free and if you need
free time to undertake a trip or do some studying, the management are very
flexible and understanding.
YOUR
ACCOMMODATION
Depending on
availability at the time of your project, you may stay in three different
types of accommodation. The price of the project will be adjusted
depending on which accommodation you're allocated to:
The most likely (and the cheapest) will be
to stay in a cottage on
site in the Botanical Gardens. You would then share with other
volunteers, both those from Travellers and also local South African
students. You would need to prepare your own meals (or share the
preparation with other volunteers) and you'll be given a budget to buy food supplies.
If accommodation is
not available in the on-site cottage, you may be placed in a Lodge
on site, where food will also be provided in the form of a budget and
you'll do your own preparation.
The third option is
to live in a very comfortable
guest house in Observatory (a nearby suburb), where all our Care, Teaching
and Sports Projects volunteers stay. On this options you'll be given a budget for food.
Transport is not
prolific, but volunteers usually solve this problem by pooling their
resources or assisting one another.
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we
arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers
choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own
flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the
airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.
You will usually fly into
Cape Town Airport where you'll be met by our local Manager. He will take you to your
accommodation and your work, introduce you to everyone and ensure that you're
comfortably settled in.
VISAS:. Most people don't need a visa, but for
those that do, we'll send you all the necessary forms and
information and make the process very easy for you.
We can also arrange your flight
dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling
around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!
To read about the extensiveSupport & Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
WHO
CAN APPLY?
This project is open to
anyone who is either studying horticulture or is a qualified
horticulturist. However, if you have a passion for South African flora,
you may be considered suitable.
As on all conservation
placements, you need to be adventurous and adaptable.
Naturally you need to love
and care about plants and you should also respect
them
and their environment.
PRICES
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in South Africa, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation while on your project,
unless otherwise stated,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
.
+44 01903 502595
