Kirstenbosch+Botanical+Gardens

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Jordan Springer Often considered of as a must-see in Cape Town, South Africa, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are undeniably beautiful. Created in 1913, they contain about 7,000 species of plants. They sits on the eastern side of Table Mountain, right next to Table Mountain National Park. The garden, part of a nature reserve, is managed by SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) and part of the gardens are protected by law. In about 1660, Dutch Settler, Jan Van Riebeeck, planted Wild Almond trees between Kirstenbosch and the Salt River in order to create a barrier so as to prevent further skirmishes between his men and the Khoikhoi people, an indigenous group that lived on the land. For years, the land was passed around from person to person, but it eventually became neglected and overrun. In 1913, the land was designated to be used as a national botanical garden and managed by the newly created Botanical Society. Although it was difficult, the garden was tamed and organized through lots of hard physical labor. It was created to preserve and protect flora native to the Cape Floristic Region where the Gardens are. It is actually not known how the name Kirstenbosch came about, though it is suspected that it is related to one of the many families with the name Kirsten living in the area, as Kirstenbosch means Kirsten’s forest.

Today, Kirstenbosch features many ways to explore the beautiful nature of the area. Firstly, there are five paths through the gardens, all of varying difficulty and all of which are well-maintained and have signs throughout. The Braille and Boekenhout trails are relatively easy, and the Braille trail features materials that assist the blind. Next, the Stinkwood trail is easy and allows the visitors to see the older parts of the Gardens, whereas Yellowwood and Silvertree are more focused on seeing all of Kirstenbosch. In addition to these, there is also the Boomslang, a canopy walkway that provides amazing aerial views of the Gardens. Kirstenbosch also has a conservatory, a greenhouse which houses a baobab tree and other native plants. As it is a natural place, the Gardens change with the season. It’s said that Kirstenbosch is at its best from August to October, which is when the most flowers are in bloom. However, when we visit, in the winter, it will be more likely to rain, but the fynbos, the biome commonly seen in the Cape area will be beautiful, as many of its flowers will be in bloom. Kirstenbosch features tow biomes: the fynbos and the forest. While the fynbos is common in South Africa, the forest, as is to be expected in an arid climate, are rare and are highly protected and maintained. In addition to its natural attractions, Kirstenbosch also features many man-made additions that are worthy of mention. Firstly, the Gardens have three restaurants: moyo Kirstenbosch, the Kirstenbosch Tea Room, and vida e cafè. It also includes the Sculpture Garden, which features traditional African stone sculptures. There are also four main gift shops at Kirstenbosch. The Kirstenbosch Garden Centre sells garden equipment as well as local plants, and the Kirstenbosch Logo Store, attached to the Garden Centre, sells many things that feature the Gardens’ name. The Kirstenbosch Gift Shop is a general gift shop that also features botanical cosmetics. Next, the Botanical Society Gift Shop has books relating to gardening. Kirstenbosch has an Otter Pond, which features a statue of the Cape clawless otter and is reflective of how mankind has impacted nature. Overall, Kirstenbosch is a beautiful place that shows off the beautiful scenery of South Africa.