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.
Soekershof September 1973
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 new garden at Soekershof was in 1971 reviewed as 'the
most beautiful succulent 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 2400 different species and varieties of succulents, cacti included. And they are all in the unprotected open air. More than 900 of these succulents originate from Southern Africa . The total
area at Soekershof covered with succulents exceeds 9500 sqm (excluding
nursery part).
