Art, flowers and open gardens worth travelling for
One of nine homesteads participating in Elgin Open Gardens this year, and situated at the foot of the Houw Hoek mountain range, the gardens at the historic 1811 Wildekrans Country House are home to abundant birdlife and tumbling natural beauty. It’s all streams and water ponds, heady-scented heirloom roses and shaded lawns, olive groves and fruit trees and contemporary sculptures. It also, due to Alison Green and Barry Gould being avid art collectors for more than 30 years, boasts a contemporary collection that includes Bruce Arnott, Deborah Bell, George Pemba, Wilma Cruise, Guy du Toit, Robert Hodgins, William Kentridge and Hylton Nel.
Every year, Alison and Barry invite younger artists to exhibit on the estate during the charity garden show, and this year they’ve specifically selected Joanna Lee Miller and Caryn McArthy, whose works sync magically with the wild surrounds.
Where Wild Things Grow is an exhibition of Joanna and Caryn’s fynbos-and floral-inspired works. To enhance the theme of natural beauty, Alison and the artists are transforming the time-worn barn at Wildekrans into an Alice in Wonderland world of whimsy … expect fresh flowers, flowers, flowers and more flowers – against walls the colour of a magician’s cape.
The Wildekrans County House gardens and art exhibition will be open for walk-in visits, country-inspired refreshments will be on sale. This is a twice-a-year-only open garden, so really shouldn’t be missed. The open days are on Saturday and Sunday November 2 & 3, and 9 & 10. Open from 9.30am to 4pm, no entrance fee but a donation to The Bot River Education Fund. Loads of lovely places to stay in the area, too. To book a walkabout, an art tour of the collection or an overnight stay, email info@wildekrans.co.za
After 30 years of magazine design in Cape Town, Caryn McArthy dabbled in floristry for a year, surrounded by fragrant blooms and foliage. Intoxicated by the scents and stems she dealt with daily, she wanted to capture the transience of her floral arrangements. It was then she realised her long-held desire to express herself through oils on canvas.
“It was the love of flowers that gave me the courage to put my fears to one side and just paint.” @cabbages_and_kings_flowers, caryn@cabbagesandkings.co.za
SA artist Joanna Lee Miller trained at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Her expressive paintings of landscapes and people explore how our connection with nature can help us deeper understand ourselves. She paints exclusively in oils, creating her landscapes en plein air. “Being in nature, where wild things grow, creates the space to truly connect with who we are. It is deeply personal, exciting, full of possibility, but also strongly grounded in authenticity.” @joannaleemiller, joannamiller19@gmail.com
