Experience Tokara in all its autumn finery when it presents the annual Rare Plant Fair and opens its private farm gardens for public enjoyment on Saturday 20 April.
For one day only, a tented Farmyard transforms and comes alive with diverse offerings from Rare Plant Fair vendors showcasing a wide selection of indigenous and exotic plants intended to delight both avid gardeners and plant admirers alike. Situated on the Helshoogte Pass, the winery will offer delicious meaty and vegetarian nourishment and refreshments alongside Tokara wine and olive products will sustain visitors at the Farmyard and offer a respite from sourcing that one elusive rare plant.
The extensive farm gardens offer their own rare treats. Meandering the rolling garden walks dotted with magnificent sculptures by local artists, visitors will have the pleasure of exploring the dedicated oasis of indigenous plants, discovering the climbing terraces of the picking garden, the rising path at the wetlands, and the babbling mountain stream dipping down the hill into a soothing lily pond. Bordering the tranquil farm dam the enchanting textural cork oak forest walk offers glimpses of the vast sloping Big Lawn dominated by Dionysus, a massive stone man at rest, and at his back, the Boat House hovering at the water’s edge.
The rarest experience will surely be the unique and extraordinary Adamastor Moss Garden nestled into the hilly surrounds near the Boat House. The past two years have seen the remarkable integration of local sandstone, granite, indigenous mosses and fynbos in the ever-evolving Adamastor Moss Garden. The latest addition of carefully selected Paarl granite, hand-chiselled into beautiful pieces of art and rectangular and linear forms, creates a kaleidoscope of muted hues and textures. With the masonry of hewn stone lintels that frame the garden just completed, visitors to this enchanted refuge can experience the true beauty and quietude reminiscent of a Japanese-inspired South African landscape.
Visitors meandering the garden walks can enjoy a picnic delight on the Big Lawn. Pre-ordered Rare Fare Picnic Boxes prepared by the Tokara Delicatessen can be collected at the Boat House.
Visit this annual autumn plant showcase between 08:00 and 16:00 at R50 a ticket per adult payable on the day at the farm gate, no pre-booking.
- Visit opengarden@tokara.com or www.rareplantfair.co.za for more information.
