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In 1965 Maarten Malherbe, whose remains and those of his wife Molly are buried in the main garden, bought this farm. Malherbe was one of the pioneers of the cactus trade in Southern Africa. In 1910 he got his first cactus seeds in from the Americas. The oldest cactus of SA can still be found in one of the Soekershof gardens. In 1954 Malherbe became a professional nurseryman and started the cactus nursery SHEILAM (named after his 7 children) next door. Almost all large succulents in the garden around the house of this nursery are propagated and planted by Malherbe (see also the photo's). In 1965, 80 years old, he decided to retire and sold the nursery to the present owning family which moved in three years later. With him he took a collection of cacti and other succulents. This garden was in 1971 reviewed as 'the most beautiful cactus garden in the Southern Hemisphere' by the Royal British Horticultural Society but, since his death in 1976, fully neglected. Yvonne decided to upgrade this garden and it has grown again towards its outstanding beauty of the past. The cactus garden, by the way, has been the most labour extensive part of Soekershof. Restoring it, improving the soil and sufficient weed control, consumed more labour than the creating of the other gardens, the Mazes included, during the first two years or our presence.
In all gardens there are more than 2200 different species and varieties of succulents, cacti included. And they are all in the unprotected open air. More than 700 of these succulents originate from Southern Africa. Although there are always flowering succulents throughout the year, the best period to experience various flowering succulents is in November, December and January. The photographs below are no more than an impression of a (floral) succulent display as can be seen throughout the year. There is also one which shows how the garden looked like when we bought Soekershof and one of the transplanting of a 'big one'. |
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