Worcester gymnasium wins landscaping competition
Worcester Gymnasium walks away as winners in the first landscaping competition at the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden. Worcester Gymnasium walked away as the winning team in a landscaping competition held by Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden.
The competition which took place on Wednesday 25 August, saw two schools in Worcester granted the opportunity to compete at the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden to determine which school is the best at landscaping.
According to Angelo Heyns, Marketing Coordinator for the garden, the two teams consisting of five members each put their heads together and had to think like horticulturalists to create a garden that will turn the heads and attract the attention of visitors frequenting it.
“The two schools that competed were the Worcester Gymnasium and Montana High School. In and around Worcester it is very well known that in every contest these two schools are big competitors and will make every effort to impress spectators,” says Heyns.
He adds that five minds operating as one, joined forces and were instructed to establish a garden that must remain for a year.
“The garden that they had to build was lxl metre in size and the winning team’s garden would then be replicated and enlarged to 5×5 metres and continue to exist at the Karoo Desert NBG for one year. The young students worked excellently together, yielding positive results. The landscape was sculpted in accordance with the different plant selections and oaths into the garden.” adds Heyns.
According to him, horticultural talents were in full bloom as the two little gardens were constructed and designed. The learners had previously only had limited abilities, even though they were competing like professional landscapers.
“Reaching a final decision and choosing a winner from the two participating schools proved to be tough for the judges, but like they say, ‘there must be a winner. After a highly successful and eventful day at the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, Worcester Gymnasium came out tops. We would like to congratulate Worcester Gymnasium for winning our very first landscape competition and we are hoping that they will return next year to defend their title. Thank you to the sponsor for this event, AH Marais and Sons, and the Karoo Desert NBG for awarding the prizes to the winning school,” adds Heyns.
Celebrating 100 years
The garden is also celebrating its centenary this year. It was established in 1921 on 17-21 hectares of land near a railway siding at White Hill, five km east of Matjiesfontein.
“The garden was known as Logan Memorial Garden and was the second National Botanical Garden to be established after Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town. Mr J Archer, former station master at Matjiesfontein and lover of succulents, was appointed as the first curator in 1925. Because of a lack of water and the re-routing of the national road, it became evident that White Hill was not a suitable site for the garden any longer,” says a press release by the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden.
According to the press release, various plants used by the indigenous peoples, like the Nama people of Namaqualand, have been planted in the Heritage Garden with its traditional Nama kookskerm (cooking shelter) and matjieshut (reed house).
“Animals regularly spotted in the garden include small grey mongoose, dassies (rock hyrax) and three species of tortoises. The largest animal in the area is the shy Cape grysbok. Quiver trees, halfmens, and various other plants with unique survival strategies can be seen in the Richtersveld/Gariep section. The garden is home to a large succulent collection housed both indoors and outdoors and consists mainly of haworthias, mesembs (vygies), stapeliads (carrion flowers), crassulas (plakkies) and geophytes (bulbs). Guided tours can be arranged in advance at a nominal fee,” reads the press release.
Entry fees for the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden are R35 for adults, R25 for pensioners, R15 for students, RIO for learners, Botsoc members and the disabled can visit the garden free of charge.
Tuesdays are reserved for pensioners to enter the gardens free of charge.
The garden is open from 07:00 to 18:00 daily. Further information and venue bookings and enquiries can be made by contacting 023 347 0785.