Henk Scholtz's Franschhoek Garden

The Franschhoek garden of landscaper and artist, Henk Scholtz.

Those of you who have joined me from the start of this series of posts, featuring the ten private gardens open to public viewing during the 2011 Franschhoek Open Gardens tour, may recall my having mentioned that we'd had the special privilege of being invited to view a private garden that was NOT on the list of open gardens. I am delighted to be sharing it with you, today!


To see more of this unique garden that was featured on the BBC Documentary series, "Around the World in 80 Gardens", continue reading.

This extraordinary garden belongs to renowned South African landscaper and artist, Henk Scholtz. We were driving past his home when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a momentary flash of something that piqued my interest.

 I turned quickly in my seat to determine whether it was worth asking my long suffering husband to make a U-turn. Having established that this was indeed a garden I ought to explore a little closer, we pulled up at the kerb so I could take a photograph from the pavement.

 I hopped out, camera in hand and noticed a man bidding farewell to some guests in the circular parking area beyond the fenced off garden. Not sure whether this was the owner, or a neighbour from the adjacent property, I paused momentarily, then called out asking whether he'd mind if I took a picture of the mannequin standing sentry in the front garden. It was she who had beckoned me to "come hither!" Henk says she's his security guard.

Water feature in the front garden, framed in copy-cat style by a clipped hedge.

To my delight, my request was met with the broadest smile and I was told to "Go ahead!" Whether it was my clumsy attempt to lean into the garden from the other side of the perimeter fence, or my own delightful personality, I'll never know. The important thing is, Henk suddenly called out, "Please, come in. You'll find it easier to take your photograph inside the garden", an invitation that was hard for me to resist. Politeness caused me to decline, somewhat half-heartedly I am compelled to admit, since I really did want to accept this kind offer. Henk reissued his invitation warmly assuring me that it would be no problem at all. 

The clever use of shells add decorative appeal to this otherwise plain, galvanised gate, separating the front garden from the side garden.

Truly, a garden full of surprises! Here, Henk uses an old tyre to create a visually appealing bowl of potted pansies. Whoever would have imagined a tyre could become an object of beauty? There were two identical tyre gardens, one at each end of the front of the house. 

Henk mostly relies on indigenous plants in his garden. Although it is a small garden, he has used the available space to maximum effect and, with clever design, it appears infinitely larger than it really is. 

Groups of garden implements are arranged in 'dead' zones creating interest whilst simultaneously show casing some of Henk's collections. 

Once I was inside the front fence and on his thrilling turf, all barriers seemed to crumble. My eyes literally popped out on stalks in their excitement to see as much of this garden as possible in the few minutes I thought I had available. 

Henk had no doubt picked up on my unbridled enthusiasm, because once I'd hesitantly taken a couple of self-conscious pictures and was about to retreat back to the car, he offered to show me the hidden garden behind the house. I  felt common courtesy demanded that I decline once more. It was, after all, a Saturday afternoon and I had no intention of intruding on his privacy. However, Henk once again pressed me most sincerely and invited my husband to join us. Besides, who could have resisted those beautiful blue eyes? Certainly not I. 

So, without further ado, we stepped through the house and out the other side, into what I can only describe as being an arresting space. It conveyed an immediate sense of mystical calmness. Circular in design, the garden itself is beautifully landscaped, immaculately manicured and totally private.

 An instantly striking feature is the peacock blue, perimeter wall facing on to the garden. It both contrasts with and complements the emerald greens of the lawn and formal plantings, creating the perfect backdrop to this incredibly arty landscape.

 From a purely technical perspective, I have NEVER seen such precision in the  shaping and clipping of formal hedges, green obelisks and lollipop heads as I saw in Henk's garden. My breathing literally stopped for a moment when I first laid eyes on this totally private, whimsical, yet highly controlled, formal design. I enquired as to who was responsible for the day to day upkeep. The answer was Henk himself. He does employ a gardener, but does not permit him to touch the hedges. 

Henk's genuine joy at sharing his personal sanctuary was palpable. He is a charming man, infectiously gracious and generous of spirit and it wasn't hard to instantly LIKE him. He has the friendliest Whippet Hound who goes by the name of La Rose. She is clearly the love of Henk's life and he, hers, but her demonstrations of warm affection towards us showed there's plenty to go around.

Henk has a wonderful sense of humour and regaled us with interesting snippets and quips, whilst we walked around taking our pictures. I would have loved to have taken many more, but I also wanted to simply imbibe the moment and offer our charming host the courtesy of my attentive ear, so I took far fewer pictures than I could have in the time we were there. 

Just look at these colours. How they stand out against the heavy, grey clouds draped over the mountain tops.

Henk's garden backs directly on to farmland, even though it is situated in the village itself. La Rose had dropped a small parcel on the immaculate and almost too green to be real (it was very real!) lawn. Quick as a wink, Henk fetched up a shovel, niftily flicked the offending parcel on to its tip and, almost in the same motion, deftly flung it high into the air and away into the farmland beyond his perimeter wall, explaining that "it all becomes compost, after all!" Who can argue with that? It was one of the funniest things I'd seen and I'd wished I could do the same with the parcels our six dogs leave all over the garden, but our neighbours would most definitely not be charmed.

Henk's artistic side really shows in everything we saw. He eagerly uses recycled materials and objects. With his keen imagination, he turns even the humdrum into something truly eye-catching. His love of "old" as opposed to shiny, new, modern and brash comes across in the earthy tones and materials he selects and in the respectful way in which he treats his subjects. 

All the artwork featured in his garden are Henk's creations. He takes  discarded, rusty relics, imbuing them with new life to create quirky, alien sculptural forms that add impact to the overall design of his garden. 

Each of the objects displayed carries its own story and each has symbolic undertones. I wish we'd had more time to learn all the stories.

Our unexpected visit truly was the highlight of our weekend and Henk's garden will remain an abiding memory of mine.

This garden is defined by the passion of its creator and his desire to preserve, restore and honour timeworn objects. One of the features displayed on the verandah wall is this collection of very old, hand tools. Henk told us these were owned by an old lady who had been an avid gardener. She had to modify the handles to continue gardening well into her 90s, without having to bend. When she moved to an Old Age facility and could no longer garden, Henk adopted the tools and has preserved them in her memory. This story really touched a spot in my heart as it reveals a loving, caring man. 

Another of Henk's simple collections becomes an artwork in its own right.

The rustic, outdoor shower used to rinse off after a day in the garden or swim in the pool.

All of this was 'right on our doorstep' and yet, until that chance encounter, I'd not heard of Henk or the BBC documentary. It just goes to show. One should always keep ones eyes open and never fear to venture where you've not been before. Wonderful surprises await if you're only open to them!


I do hope you've enjoyed your visit as much as we enjoyed ours. Please do visit 
Henk's website to view both his gallery and the video clip by the BBC in which his garden was featured in Around The World In 80 Gardens. 


Thank you, Henk for a most memorable experience. I know I have not been able to do justice to your beautiful garden or your artistic talents, but you certainly don't need any help with showcasing your work. It speaks for itself!