Exploring Joburg's Private Gardens

2Summers | 17 October 2019
johannesburg gardens

Every year in early summer, a bunch of private gardens in Joburg open up to the public as part of the Gardens of the Golden City series. This is a rare and special opportunity; This city has some incredibly beautiful gardens with incredibly beautiful houses attached to them.

My friend Michelle and I visited one of these gardens – “The Stables” at 34 Pallinghurst Road in Westcliff – the weekend before last. The Stables is one of many Joburg mansions designed by renowned architect Herbert Baker around the turn of the 20th century. The garden was designed by Tim and Liz Steyn.

Here are a few pictures.

Greenery at the Stables gardens n Pallinghurst Road
Garden ladies.
Roses at Pallinghurst
Roses.
Luca at the Stables
Michelle’s son Luca in his lad of leisure outfit.
Lady under a jacaranda in Westcliff
The jacarandas were just starting to bloom during that weekend. They’re out in full force now.
View of Joburg from Pallinghurst gardens
There is a beautiful view of the city from this garden.
People at Pallinghurst
Watching the people watch the view.
Herbert Baker house at Pallinghurst
The house. Westcliff is one of Joburg’s wealthiest suburbs.
Right beside the Stables property is another property – I never managed to get the full story about how the two properties are connected/related but I’m sure someone will chime in on this post – occupied by a crazy modern house with a jaw-dropping view of Parktown Ridge and downtown Joburg. (UPDATE: The property is owned by renowned architects Lesley Carstens and Silvio Rech. Makes sense! Thanks Theresa.)
View of Joburg from Westcliff
More of the view.
Michelle and Luca in Westcliff
Michelle and Luca arranging a photoshoot.

The Pallinghurst open garden cost R70 (about $5) to enter (most of the other open gardens are a bit cheaper). There was also a great little tea garden and wine/gin bar set up offering tasty food and drinks, with all the proceeds benefitting Johannesburg Child Welfare. It was such a lovely afternoon out.

Sorry for the short post – I’m on the move. But I wanted to slap this up and let you know that if you’ve missed all the open gardens up until now, don’t worry. There are several more coming up in late October and November. Peruse the list here on the Gardens of the Golden City website. Also read this post about a previous visit to the Gardens of the Golden City.