A special ‘thank you’ to the heritage village of Stanford

What do Chelsea, the Overberg, and scarecrows have in common? The answer is Stanford village; proud host of Leon Kluge's award-winning Cape Flora display at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, showcasing our country's botanical heritage. We took a trip to see the stunning floral artistry and experience Stanford's community spirit. 

There are several legitimate reasons for us, as South Africans, to roll our eyes and sigh. Negativity is all around. But I want to highlight something positive that we can be proud of (besides our Springbok rugby team). The spotlight is on the pretty little village of Stanford. Nestled in the Overberg and overlooked by the Klein River mountains, it went above and beyond in hosting the local recreation of Leon Kluge’s winning Cape Flora display at the 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower show.

Leon’s impressive floral exhibit - an explosion of thousands of proteas and fynbos - earned 3 Chelsea awards: a Gold Medal, the Best Exhibit in the Great Pavilion, and the New Design Award. Quite a coup!

Bringing it home

Thanks to a stroke of genius and magnanimity, Leon and his team - in collaboration with their sponsor, Grootbos - agreed to create the exact 100 square metre replica of the winning display on home soil (literally). We are very grateful to have had the opportunity of sharing in this moment of glory achieved at Chelsea. 

For 2 weeks (21 September to 6 October), the heritage village of Stanford - which comes with a market square and village green - hosted the exhibit at 32 Queen Victoria street for locals and tourists. 

We arrived in Stanford in miserable grey weather (icy rain and strong winds) but nothing could dampen our spirits. The community and Garden Club had transformed their town, inviting us to share in a little piece of country living.

Starting with a whimsical welcome of colourful bunting and strategically-placed life-size scarecrows, happy energy abounded.  

But first, coffee

To warm our cockles, first on the agenda was coffee and breakfast. We chose Union Eatery and Deli as our cosy ‘shelter from the storm’. Steaming cappuccinos and smashed avo on toast - with beetroot hummus on the side - was all we needed to get ready to explore; come rain or shine.

You needn't be a botanist or horticulturalist to appreciate Leon’s showstopper. However, photographing the display could not really capture the beauty, scale and wonder of his mass curation and floral pairings. It could only be fully appreciated up close and in person. 

A tribute to South Africa’s floral heritage 

Leon Kluge’s landscape design mastery paid homage to the natural wonder of the Cape Floristic Region, bringing together a vibrant and breathtaking display of indigenous flora that highlighted the richness and variety of the Western Cape’s plant life.

His ability to blend art and nature was on full display where intricate designs celebrated the striking beauty of Cape mountain flowers, including high-altitude fynbos and rare protea species such as the ‘snow leopard’ and ‘blushing bride’.

The skilful use of texture, colour and form created a dynamic and sensory experience that left us in awe of both the art and the plants. 

But that’s not all. Speaking of art, there was also a gallery of 120 botanical artworks and illustrations from local and international artists - courtesy of the Grootbos Florilegium private collection - on display. 

A whimsical touch

Let’s talk about the scarecrows. As part of ‘Stanford in Bloom’, the Garden Club was responsible for the scarecrow installation around town. Each scarecrow's ‘personality’ and witticisms was a delight to young and old. (These characters were extremely photogenic). 

Bringing an element of playfulness to this picturesque platteland village, their quirky and humorous appearances made everyone smile. (Just the type of positivity needed). 

The design persona of every scarecrow created a storytelling moment and each pose had its own charm. (Some even showed a little attitude). As the scarecrows greeted visitors from far and wide, they embodied the friendly embrace of Stanford. 

Yes, negativity may dominate our headlines, but ‘Stanford in Bloom’ made us pause and appreciate our unique botanical wealth and the extraordinary big-heartedness of a small town’s community spirit. 

This celebration of nature, culture and community illustrates that positivity can thrive in even the smallest corners of South Africa. 

Even if you didn't make it to Stanford in Bloom this year, this little village should definitely make it onto your travel wish list. 

So from me, it's a big ‘thank you’ to Stanford for sharing the love, welcoming one and all, and going the extra mile to make our visit memorable. 

(I'm off to free the fynbos!) 😉

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