“I am in awe at the vast, limitless space. The formal design, framed by the surrounding mountains and lit by the sunrise in the mornings, is unbelievable.”
So said horticulturist Chris Randlehoff about his new workplace, the exquisite gardens of the 322-year-old Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West. He took up his new post last month and is responsible for maximising the floral features of this beautiful property, which is a provincial heritage site.
Randlehoff will also oversee plant propagation and the production of cut flowers as well as the fruit and vegetable garden, which supplies the estate’s chefs and community outreach projects.
He holds a diploma in horticulture from Tshwane University of Technology and his passion for plants has enabled him to work in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, and abroad in France and the Comoros. For the past five years he was garden manager of Avondale gardens in Durbanville.
Randlehoff brings a range of skills to Vergelegen as he has worked on projects that include a rose nursery, commercial production of eucalyptus clones for a timber plantation and overseeing the flower section of five retail stores in Cape Town. He was a co-designer for the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show in London.
“Some 250 boxes of cut flowers were flown overnight and we had five days to set it up. This was worth it though as the stand won a gold medal in both 2018 and 2019,” Randlehoff recalled.
Vergelegen’s managing director Wayne Coetzer said they are delighted to welcome Randlehoff to their horticultural team. “We are intent on making Vergelegen a truly world-class destination for garden lovers. Chris’ plant and landscaping knowledge will complement the skills of our long-established horticulturist Richard Arm. We chose to view the closure of the estate to visitors during some weeks of 2020, due to the strict Covid-19 lockdown, as an opportunity to reassess the gardens. We are now well positioned to build on the horticultural legacy of this remarkable estate, in keeping with its status as a showcase of the best of South African heritage, culture and sustainability.”
Vergelegen is self-sufficient for all its water needs and its magnificent gardens range from a formal rose garden to an International Camellia Garden of Excellence, one of only 39 in the world.
Randlehoff, an accredited judge with the South African Orchid Council, of which he is the regional chairperson, particularly loves the estate’s historic Octagonal Garden, which has two luxuriant herbaceous borders flanking the path to the historic homestead.
“I’m enjoying beautifying the garden and helping to bring it back to its former glory as an authentic, old English heritage garden. Of course, it’s a long process, as plants grow slowly. In three years’ time, the garden will look unbelievable when mature plants are nestled in.”
V To find out more about Vergelegen’s gardens, visit vergelegen.co.za.
