The Company's Garden in Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, Western Cape
The Company’s Garden is located in Queen Victoria Street in Cape Town City Centre at the foot of Table Mountain and Lion’s Head and in close proximity to the Grand Parade. It is 8.5 hectares in size and is a South African Heritage Site. An entry in Jan van Riebeeck's diary shows the Master Gardener, Hendrik Boom, planted the first seeds in 1652 as well as some trees. One of these trees, the Saffraan Pear Tree (Pyrus communis) has survived to this day.
Attractions
- Arts and Crafts along the Avenue
- Aviary
- Delville Wood Memorial Garden – honours the loss in France of 2 245 South African Soldiers in World War 1
- Fish pond - with a large variety of fish
- Company's Garden Tea Room
- Herb and succulent garden
- Historical statues
- Japanese lantern – a gift from the Japan in 1932
- Paddocks
- Pear Tree – the oldest cultivated tree in Cape
- Pump and Well
- The Rose Garden
- Valuable trees and plants
Facilities
- Lawn and benches
- Security cameras
- The Calcuttac 1814A Visitors Centre
- Public Toilets
Attractions in the vicinity
- Bertram House
- Houses of Parliament
- Iziko South African Museum
- Jewish Museum
- Palm Tree Mosque
- Slave Lodge
- South African National Gallery
Animals
- Butterflies
- Chameleons
- Feral cats keep the rodents population down
- Frogs and dragonflies
- Grey squirrels that were introduced to the park in 1890. They are fairly large and visitors can buy nuts to feed them.
Birds
- Cape Robin
- Egyptian Goose
- Feral Pigeon
- Malachite Sunbird
- Red Eyed Dove
- Reed Cormorant
Entrance Gates
- Adderley Street
- Main gate opposite parliament
- Opposite Tuynhuys
- Orange Street
- Queen Victoria Street
Current projects
Maintenance
City Parks and the cities architects have put together a formal document outlining the actions to be taken to maintain the gardens in such a way that the integrity of its historic value is maintained.
Renovating
The Bothany
This is the oldest building in the garden. It was originally the workers quarters and then went on to be the gardener’s quarters, curator’s house, seed storage facility, and national library committee room. The house was fully renovated to its original state in 2008.
Directors House
The Director’s house is a Victorian styled house that used to be the Garden’s Curator’s house and was also renovated in 2008.
The Paddocks
Plans to rent out this space as a venue for functions is underway with the paving and extension of the area in keeping with the original rural style.
Future Projects
- Aviary renovations and new interactive visitor centre
- Toilet facilities to be augmented
History
1652 – The Company’s Garden was established by Dutch settlers to provide fresh food supplies to ships on the Spice Route and originally consisted of rectangular fields.
1795 – A new gateway guardhouse was built but the owner of the gardens, the Dutch East India Company was by then bankrupt and the garden was neglected. The British occupied the Cape but did not maintain the garden which by this time was almost completely ruined.
1803 -1806 – The garden was revived by the Dutch Batavian Republic who administered the Cape. They extended Government Avenue to connect with Orange Street facilitating the access of the town to the market garden of Oranjezicht.
1951 – The gardens produced plants for export.
1892 – The Municipality took over the garden and opened it to the public in its entirety incorporating the Paddocks.
1679 – Simon van der Stell turned the fruit and vegetable garden into a botanical garden with indigenous and exotic plants and a water channel system that brought water from Table Mountain for irrigation.
Hours
- Summer, 07h00 - 19h00
- Winter, 07h00 - 18h00
Admission
There is no charge.
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