In Admiration of the Carob Tree

January 18th, 2019

It was always important for us to create a garden that sustained and delighted our guests throughout the year. For this reason, lanes of evergreen trees accompany the pathways to shelter our garden strollers from the sun, no matter the season

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Be queen or king of your garden – make a flower crown for Garden Day

October 15th, 2018

Garden Day is this Sunday, 21 October! Remember, it’s a day to put away the garden tools and enjoy the hard work you’ve put into your garden all year.

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The most zesty citrus varieties to know

August 1st, 2018

Citrus is the world’s most important tree fruit crop and at Babylonstoren we take great pleasure in celebrating this versatile and much-loved fruit.

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Rediscovering the citron

July 19th, 2018

Three years ago our exotic grower, Anton Roux, planted two very rare trees in the Babylonstoren garden: Etrog citrons. A now lesser-known variety of citrus, the citron was once a kitchen staple with cultural and religious significance and medicinal properties.

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Besticide: How to make an organic insecticide using household ingredients

April 19th, 2018

Surely the reason for growing your own food and flowers is that you know the love and labour you’ve put in will manifest in nutritional value and beauty.

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Gardening with Babylonstoren has turned over a new leaf

March 27th, 2018

If you’re an avid gardener you will know about our community-driven gardening app, Gardening with Babylonstoren. Well, the app is turning over a new leaf and is now moving to Candide, a brand new app with a new look, and most importantly, lots of new features.

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Growing Pears in a Bottle

March 20th, 2018

It’s one of those conversation starters: how did the pear get into the bottle? The answer: with an age-old French technique, and a lot of patience.

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In Search of Jan van Riebeeck’s Apple

January 30th, 2018

Just above the cultivated Kirstenbosch Gardens, amongst the lush indigenous forestry on the Southeast slopes of Table Mountain, grows an ancient wine apple tree.

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Get blooming ready for Garden Day 2017!

October 4th, 2017

Time is ticking to get your garden ready for Garden Day festivities. With the success of last year’s first-ever Garden Day we are sure 2017 will be blooming even bigger. Remember Garden Day is a day to put down your secateurs and simply enjoy your garden, no matter its size or shape.

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Africa’s bittersweet beauties: An aloe display in the Puff Adder

August 8th, 2017

New visitors will be delighted to discover that the Puff Adder path currently holds an exhibition of the aloes we lovingly preserve on the Babylonstoren farm. Sourced from far and wide across South Africa, our collection of aloes includes each of the 11 genera currently documented.

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