If you’re a sucker for pretty flowers, and roses in particular, Bedford has a hidden gem that holds South Africa’s oldest roses that will be sure to get you feeling giddy inside!
Bedford, South Africa (02 October 2024) – Bedford is famous for its annual Garden Festival but has another floral attraction that holds the history of timeless blooms.
Nestled in the charming Eastern Cape town, lies a hidden gem for rose enthusiasts, the Bedford Rosarium.
The floral sanctuary showcases a diverse collection of heritage roses that uniquely preserve the beauty and history of our country.
Roses that have a story to tell
As you wander through the arboretum, you’ll encounter a captivating rose garden that boasts an array of colours, fragrances, and shapes, each with its own unique story to tell.
According to Karoo Heartland, the history of roses in South Africa dates back to 1657, when Jan van Riebeeck discovered the first blooms at the Cape.
The 1820 British Settlers introduced additional rose varieties to the Eastern Cape, planting them in gardens throughout the region. The first hybridised tea roses made an appearance in South Africa around 1910.
It was a visit to a botanical park in Lyon, France inspired four Eastern Cape rose enthusiasts to develop something similar back home and start a national rosarium.
Dr David Comyn offered the club a piece of ground below his home for the establishment of the rosarium and in October 2011, the first roses were planted at Bedford’s Camelot Arboretum.
Related Story
The “old” rose sanctuary
Today the stunning blooms are safe and thriving in the town’s good deep soils!
“They grow in happy companionship with indigenous pelargoniums, sutera and agapanthus, clambering up shrubs and shady trees, filling the garden with a heavenly fragrance.
“Here you will find roses hardly ever seen in modern gardens. Eventually, this sanctuary will protect more than 2,000 roses!” Karoo Heartland shares.
Sources: Karoo Heartland
Don’t ever miss the Good Things. Download the Good Things Guy App now on Apple or Google.
Do you have something to add to this story? Please share it in the comments or follow GoodThingsGuy on Facebook & Twitter to keep up to date with good news as it happens, or share your good news with us by clicking here or click the link below to listen to the Good Things Guy Podcast with Brent Lindeque – South Africa’s very own Good Things Guy. He’s on a mission to change what the world pays attention to, and he truly believes there’s good news around us. In the Good Things Guy podcast, you’ll meet these everyday heroes & hear their incredible stories:
Or watch an episode of Good Things TV below, a show created to offer South Africans balance in a world with what feels like constant bad news. We’re here to remind you that there are still so many good things happening in South Africa & we’ll leave you feeling a little more proudly South African.
by 