GEORGE NEWS - Three fundraising events are lined up for this coming Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
The ever popular annual George Open Gardens in aid of Badisa George will take place on Saturday 12 November from 09:00 to 16:00.
The organisers encourage visitors to bring along a donation of non-perishable food to top up the Badisa food pantry.
The event is put together by a small organising committee and a couple of garden enthusiasts who assist by scouting and visiting the gardens beforehand. The aim is to have 10 gardens - five new gardens and five gardens that have been included previously.
They look for gardens representing different categories such as retirement-living gardens, small gardens, gardens with plant collections, and vegetable gardening. They always try to include at least one speciality garden and this year the focus is on trees.
The gardens of two bonsai enthusiasts will be included - those of Dr Tobie Kleynhans and Wessels de Jager.
The two anchor gardens that are included every year are that of Rodene Botha and Des Benkenstein. Botha's garden has been visited by the World Rose Society, Ludwig Taschner, and a group of local rose enthusiasts, and was featured in the April 2021 issue of the Tuis|Home magazine.
Her large country-style garden with English-style roses, combined with foxgloves and delphiniums, rose arbours, a large koi dam, a vegetable garden, and many exotic and indigenous, well-established trees proves to be a crowd-pleaser every year.
Benkenstein is at the helm of his large, ever-changing garden at his Bergsig property with the beautiful historic Georgian house dating back to 1861. He is a plant collector at heart, so it is all about variety and not so much about presenting a perfectly manicured garden.
He is particularly fond of salvias and hydrangeas. His garden has been visited by the Royal Botanical Society and appeared in the November 2019 issue of Tuis|Home.
Most of the gardeners will be on site to answer questions and share some gardening tips.
Entrance is R50 per person. Schoolchildren enter for free.
Tickets can be bought at 36 Stander Street, Bergsig or at 13 Glenwood Avenue, Glenwood. Directions to the participating gardens will be provided when you buy your ticket.
Binah Autism Walk and talk by Keith Kirsten
On Sunday 13 November, a Binah Autism Walk will be held at the Garden Route Botanical Garden and on Monday 14 November Keith Kirsten will hold a talk at the Badisa cocktail fundraiser evening. Both events will be held at the botanical garden's Environmental Education Centre and proceeds will be in aid of autism support.
As a registered non-profit and a public benefit organisation, Badisa is committed to social development through 145 community-based programmes, providing social services to all in need, irrespective of age, gender, nationality or religion.
They have five focus areas: children and families, elderly care, disability care, substance dependency, and early childhood development.
If you would like to become involved in the Open Gardens event, contact Tracey on 060 676 0078) or Philda on 071 441 9132 or send an e-mail to georgeopengardens@gmail.com. Visit www.georgeopengardens.co.za for more information.
More information on Badisa is available at www.badisa.org.za.
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