IN spite of the fuel price and the economy, Bedford’s loyal supporters from as far afield as Cape Town, Nelspruit and Gaborone, converged on the town for a weekend of gardens, country food, unrestrained shopping and partying.
“We are very grateful for the camaraderie and generosity. The festival benefits the economy and morale of the entire district,” said festival chairperson, Bryan Knox.
“Too much good vibes,” said Aphiwe Dyanti of the Festival Garden Shop team.
When they opened on the Thursday, their stock covered 26x16m of lawn. By noon on Sunday the remaining plants barely covered a 2x2m patch.
“On Saturday we sold more plants in a single day than ever before,” said Lana Blom at Eagle Hout nursery.
At the open gardens, thousands of plants propagated and sold by garden assistants were snapped up by visitors. Most open gardens reported more visitors through their gates than ever before.
It seems garden lovers definitely have an eye for art. Kenneth Kropf at ArttLab in Hope Street reported very good sales. Six artists showed their work at Albertvale Retreat Centre and one of them turned over R40 000 worth of paintings.
Bedford’s creative and “skrik-vir-niks” foodies managed to not only feed the thousands but also amaze and delight them.
A new help-yourself buffet with four meat dishes and seven salads at Eagle Hout proved very popular, with a number of people returning several times.
Mike Church’s skill at the grill was described as that of a “champion” by a visitor who attended steak night at the Bedford Club on Saturday.
At The Hope Street Soiree on Friday night, visitors could live it up in the street or opt to eat in The Butcherbird Restaurant, The Apprentice Deli or the Duke of Bedford Inn dining room.
In spite of lively parties that lasted well into the night on Friday and Saturday, visitors showed up at 06:00 to go on guided birding walks with registered guide Mark Whitehead.
On the Sunday, Maasström farm kindly loaned a safari vehicle which took the birders into the indigenous forest for an unforgettable experience.
The butterfly talks at Huntly Glen farm are still evergreen favourites.
Sylvia Gaiser’s history walks proved popular and she even took a few extra people around privately on Sunday.
Bookings are already coming in for next year’s garden festival. The date will be set at a review meeting in Bedford on Friday.
