Visitors and horticulturists can enjoy a weekend of viewing vibrant garden displays while contributing to a community-led greening and gardening initiative when they attend the 12th Noordhoek Open Gardens showcase, which returns to the Noordhoek Valley over the weekend on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October.

That weekend, visitors will be invited into 16 private residential gardens across the region, all of which will be open to the public.

Unexpected designs

This event promises a garden-hopping adventure, guiding participants through diverse, deeply personal green spaces filled with hidden corners, indigenous flora and unexpected designs.

With a map and descriptive brochure, visitors can move between gardens and plan their own itinerary.

The showcase also features guided tours of the nearby Chapman’s Peak Nature Sanctuary.

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All proceeds raised over the two days are donated directly to On the Verge (OTV), a community-led greening and gardening initiative that has cared for the broader Noordhoek environment for more than 15 years.

The civic organisation works tirelessly to design and maintain public roadside gardens, plant indigenous trees, clear invasive alien vegetation, and preserve local walking pathways and public greenbelts. Crucially, the environmental project provides regular employment, formal training and valuable skills-development opportunities for the dedicated men working in its public gardens.

Fundraising

“OTV is about so much more than keeping Noordhoek beautiful,” explains OTV spokesperson Kathy Fish. “It is about caring for the shared spaces that belong to all of us, while creating meaningful employment and developmental opportunities within our community.”

With the cost of plants, equipment and maintenance continuing to rise, fundraising has become increasingly important. Open Gardens is one of OTV’s key annual fundraisers, helping ensure the organisation can continue its work throughout the valley, she added.

It also runs its volunteer “Mad Hackers Society”, which meets monthly to tackle invasive alien vegetation in the surrounding mountains, alongside other fundraising initiatives during the year.

Tickets will be available for purchase before the event, with tickets also available at the gardens on the day. Local Scouts and Girl Guides will assist with ticket sales over the weekend.

For more information visit Quicket.

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