La Providence [Franschhoek Open Garden 2011]

La Providence's Manor House

The owner of this extensive property is clearly not only an enthusiastic rose collector, on a scale few are lucky enough to achieve, but an avid sportsman as well. Apart from a fully dedicated gym facility and tennis courts, there was a cricket net for practice purposes. It therefore seems appropriate to quote Ben Hogan as we walk across the perfectly manicured lawns admiring roses every whichway we turn our heads: "As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round."


If you want to be assailed by the beautiful treasures this astounding garden has to offer, continue reading...




Pausing for a moment, to allow the brevity of Ben Hogan's words to sink in fully...

...let me share with you an inscription from one of the headstones we saw in the old Franschhoek cemetery...  

Remember me, as you pass by.
As you are now, so once was I.
As I am now, so must you be.

Right! Now let's proceed with viewing this estate, whilst holding those poignant words in mind. Remember, take it all in, knowing you'll only pass by this glorious place, once! Unless of course you care to revisit my posting again :)

The long, rose-lined driveway leading from La Providence to the public road below. I think this property would more accurately be termed, A Gentleman's Residence. The large duck pond (dam) that was undergoing repairs at the time of our visit and had been completely drained, is just visible to the left (the cobblestone edging belies how large and deep it is!)

The Manor House, front entrance (left) and Guest House, front entrance (right). There was also a third dwelling semi-detached from the Manor House at the back and beyond the impressive garaging. I took pictures, but have too many to show you everything! 

Formally clipped hedges and lollipop trees are featured generously throughout this vast and lavish property.

A sea of Iceberg roses welcomes visitors to the main homestead.

Front entrance of the Manor House.

Manor House, side on view of main entrance.

Main entrance to the Guest House at La Providence.

A lovely Guest House lies adjacent to the main house. It is fully self-contained and completely separate from the Manor House, with its own beautiful garden and stunning pool area.

The generously proportioned Guest House was well-concealed by roses and an ivy clad pergola extending around three sides of the house.  

Looking up at the Guest House from the rose garden below.

The front entrance to the Guest House.

The Guest House pool comes with its own life guards. They were having a practice drill when we arrived on the scene. 

"We are having such a lovely swim in the Guest House pool. Our dam is being reconstructed at this time."

The private pool area of the Guest House.

The Guest House verandah which ran along the full length of the house on three sides is festooned with full blown roses. An ivy clad pergola provides welcome shade and a marvellous sense of coolness and calmness.

The view from the attractive verandah of the Guest House. 

The narrow walkway down the far side of the Guest House, which led from the gazebo in the picture below, to the private pool area in front, was also lavishly planted with roses and other flowering perennials.

An attractive, thatched gazebo on the lawn in front of the Guest House, probably used for enjoying al fresco breakfasts and lunches. 

The Guest House gazebo set amidst a prettily landscape garden.

An after-swim nap in the shade of a palm tree. Bliss! 

The side entrance to the formal garden and pool area in front of the Manor House.

Nothing on this property was purely functional. Everything was selected or constructed to offer visual appeal. 

Many of the older properties in Franschhoek had slave bells from days of yore. I doubt this one was a genuine artefact, but it made a most attractive statement as a feature at the far end of the wide, shaded front verandah of the Manor House.

Every part was made into a feature in its own right. This cellar doorway, possibly housing gardening tools and wood for the winter months, was an artwork deserving of appreciation.

The amount of work that this garden requires is mind-boggling!

This is only a small section of the wide expanse that makes up the side on facade of this enormous home. Look at those perfectly clipped hedges and balls.

A view across the pool from one of the screening arbours incorporated into the whole design surrounding the pool, creating an entirely different garden room within the main body of the Manor House garden.

One of the elevated seating areas surrounding the pool, on three sides. One of the formally constructed water features is visible behind the seating. These were built to screen the pool from the garden beyond. Smaller water features were incorporated on both sides of the ornate walls. The walls were in turn separated from each other by formally clipped hedges, serving as a green screen to break up the starkness of the lemon and white painted walls. Additionally, attractive flower beds were also incorporated to further enhance the feeling of being contained within a separate garden. It was evidently a vast undertaking to plan and landscape all of this so beautifully and cohesively.

There were several seating areas surrounding the pool, each at a slightly different elevation. Each of the formal constructions screening off the pool, from the remainder of the vast garden, served as a water feature in its own right. Both sides (front and back) of the wall were put to use. 

Lollipop bushes accent the undulating hills and mountains beyond. 

A wide-angled picture to give some idea of the size of this water garden.

The water garden was huge...I loved the way attractive planters were sunk in the water. 

Pond closeup...the water looked a little green on the day we visited.

Wherever your gaze drifts in this garden, it's bound to rest on a featured rose.

One of three identical features screening off the enormous swimming pool from the rest of the garden.

A section of the formal rose garden situated directly below the extensive manor house swimming pool and behind the gym facility.

The gym and tennis court, surrounded by exquisite roses, planted formally in gardens and tumbling and cascading over walls and up trellises.

The entrance to the gym and tennis court.

Standing in the rose garden adjacent to the gym and tennis court, looking back towards the Manor House. 

The roses surrounding the tennis court were named after Tennis greats.

"Won't you come into the garden. I would like my roses to see you."
~Richard Brinsley Sheridan~ 

"It was roses, roses, all the way."
~Robert Browning~

"If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom."
~Terri Guillemets~ 

One of my Mother's favourite roses is Elina!  

One stem of these makes a bridal bouquet!

We saw roses of every hue.

This huge garden makes extensive use of pergolas, obelisks and arbours.

Even the birds residing here live in style! 

Roses tumbled over every wall giving true expression to "Roses, roses, everywhere!"