Alice Notten, Information Officer, Kirstenbosch Gardens, South Africa 10 April 2024

Kirstenbosch, the most beautiful garden in Africa: a look at South Africas most famous botanical garden Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden was founded in 1913. It is situated on the eastern slopes of Cape Towns Table Mountain. It features a 36hectare informal garden set into an estate of 532 hectares of spectacular natural mountainside that forms part of the Table Mountain National Park. Kirstenbosch was the first botanical garden to devote itself exclusively to the indigenous flora of its own region and is home to many living collections, including bulbs, cycads, succulents, trees, proteas, ericas, restios, pelargoniums, clivias, welwitschia, etc. , most of which can be seen growing in the garden or are on display in the Botanical Society Conservatory, a glasshouse that is open to the public. There are also several demonstration gardens such as the Waterwise Garden, Garden of Extinction and Useful Plants Garden which focus on a particular theme. To celebrate its centenary in 2013, the Tree Canopy Walk