We travelled to Kwa-Zulu Natal post lockdown to the small seaside town of Salt Rock, north of Ballito and Shaka’s Rock. The town is a popular holiday destination and has beautiful beaches and a lovely new shopping centre called Mount Richmore Village.

Salt Rock is a family friendly beach and Granny’s Pools is a popular spot for young kids as the water is clear, calm and shallow. Another feature my kids loved was the historic tidal pools built into the rocks in front of the Salt Rock caravan park.

I contacted the Salt Rock Hotel Beach Resort to ask them for any insights into the history of the tidal pools. Evan Mitchell shared the following, “The Salt Rock tidal pools were built in the forties by sugar cane farmer Basil Hulett, grandfather of the current owners of the hotel and great grandson of Sir Liege Hulett. He was the township developer who started Salt Rock and built the hotel and surrounding golf course and Country Club. He originally sold off very reasonably priced plots of land to his friends in an attempt to entice people to build homes and live in Salt Rock.” (see their website https://www.saltrockbeach.co.za/)

The Salt Rock Caravan Park and Campsite overlooks the Tidal pool

The walls are built out of stone and mortar and create a unique sense of place. The pools are created by several concrete walls that fill up with water crashing over the rocks from the sea. Walking along the walls and up to the small lookout is an adventure for young and old alike A highlight for my kids was the stream of overflow water that cascades into a small waterfall on the side of the tidal pool where the small stream runs back to meet the ocean.

There is another tidal pool at Thompsons Beach (a 5 minute drive from main salt rock beach) which is larger but also has more fish and other coral in it, including sea urchins. A good spot for snorkeling as we even enjoyed watching the beautiful fish from the side.

There is an indigenous nursery called Claremont Farm (http://claremontfarm.co.za/) nearby which I was hoping to visit but didn’t get to fit it in. Hopefully next time!

I must confess that I have absolutely no knowledge of orchids or how to grow them (Shhhh..don’t tell anybody ) I can barely keep them alive at all, let alone get them to flower again each year. But someone who is incredibly knowledgeable about these plants and who is able to grow them successfully in his own garden is a close family friend named Mr D who lives in Nelspruit.

I asked Mr D, “What started your passion for Orchids?”

He answered that a family friend gave him one as a gift several years ago and from then on his interest in the plant family was sparked. He explained that there are several wonderful specialist nurseries stocking orchids in the Nelspruit area and he started visiting these as well as orchid shows and so his collection grew. He accredited the mentorship of Louise Stevenson, who was generous with both her knowledge and plants over the years, as an important part of the journey as well as the encouragement of the Lowveld Orchid Society.

Plant Composition

There are thousands (yes.. that figure is correct, not hundreds but thousands) of orchids carefully positioned onto logs and each individually and lovingly attached with rope or cable ties. The Lowveld climate is well suited to growing these plants and they can grow outdoors without the need for a greenhouse since temperatures rarely drop below zero. The orchids are elevated above a variety of other tropical plants including Arum Lilies, Paintbrush Lilies, Begonias, Impatients, Bromeliads, Air Plants and Ferns. Old Mans Beard is also scattered throughout the display adding foliage and contrast with its delicate silver strands. An irrigation system runs through the array of interconnecting logs ensuring enough moisture reaches the plants, especially when the weather is hot and dry.

This garden, although not very large, feels like an enchanted wonderland and you can get lost in discovering the myriad of plants, arranged in the garden like sculptures with bursts of colour that change with every season. These images were taken in Spring when many of the species are flowering and the logs look like trees covered in flowers.

The Patio

The Patio of this home overlooks the garden and epitomizes the term ‘Lowveld Living’. Lazy afternoon drinks spent with family and friends surrounded by an oasis of botanical beauty. The tables on the patio are also used to display magnificent orchids in bloom. The sides of the patio are adorned with creepers (Jade Vine and Lady Slipper Vine) to create additional shade and to cover the brick walls.

How This Garden Started

A few years back Mr D and his wife moved from their large family home to a smaller complex and the size of their garden was dramatically reduced. On the positive side the new garden could be started from scratch as there was only a blank canvas of lawn to begin with. They started by transporting several of the logs and orchids from their old garden as well as planting an impressive amount of new indigenous trees.

Trees

The list of new trees is worth mentioning as these are some amazing species: Erythrina latissima (Broad Leaved Coral), Schotia brachypetala (Weeping Boer Bean), Vachellia sieberiana var woodii (Paperbark), Harpephyllum caffrum (Wild Plum), Warburgia salutaris (Pepperbark), Bolusanthus speciousus (Tree Wisteria), Dais cotinifolia (PomPon Tree), Dombeya rotundifolia (Wild Pear), Antidesma venosum (TassleBerry), Halleria lucida (Tree Fuschia), Heteropyxis natalensis (Lavender Tree), Afzelia quanzensis (Pod Mahogany), Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana (Sjambok Pod), a Cussonia and a Ficus. What a collection, which will grow into an impressive forest garden and attract many birds and other creatures.