The original Karoo National Botanic Garden was created at White Hill, c.5kms away from Matjiesfontein, in 1921. It was known as the Logan Memorial Garden. However, the site proved too dry and too isolated and the garden was moved and re-established in Worcester in 1945.

At the Lord Milner Hotel the guests were relaxing around the swimming pool or in the shade on various verandahs so I wandered around by myself, camera in hand. Tweedside was Logan’s home and it seems he made a succulent garden around it – no hankering after plants and flowers which wouldn’t survive the heat. The garden showed signs of the extreme heat and no rain, but even so there were plants at which to marvel.

Vygies, small and big, were used for groundcover together with ‘fat fingers’.

Tall, prickly things give height, as do the quiver trees. 

The spekboom are used as hedges, and free-standing plants, but just look at the wrinkles on the leaves – it has been burning hot, with little rain. We are talking of temperatures ranging from 30C-40C in the daytime and a rainfall of

Of course there were aloes

And euphorbia, geraniums, and prickly things…

 

Marvellous, isn’t it – I could go on for quite a while yet…