Babel. Babilon. Babylonstoren

Drie woorde. Drie betekenisse. Een plek.

Die ikoniese tuine van Babylonstoren is in tale, geskiedenis, skoonheid, aarde, en vrugbaarheid gevestig. Die Drakensteinvallei is nie net die bakermat van inheemse Afrikaans nie, maar hier is daar al van die voortye Khoi- en Hottentottale gepraat. Later het Hollands, Frans en Engels bygekom. Tydens die aanlê van die tuine is daar baie stukke porselein van die VOC opgegrawe wat daarop dui dat die plaas al sedert die eerste setlaars bewoon is. En dan die tuine self… wat herrinner aan die grootse tuine van Babilon.

Dit was ‘n warm, droëe stowwerige Kaapse dag toe ek die tuine saam met ‘n paar gaste en die filosofies-praktiese tuinboukundige en landskapsartgitek, Liesl van der Walt, deurstap. Die pragboek, The Gardens of Babylonstoren, word bekendgestel en die fotograaf, Heidi Bertish, is ook by ons.

Stofstorms gee die lug ‘n vreemde ligroos skynsel en teen Simonsberg sak daar reën uit. Die hitte is soms onuithoudbaar.

Heidi onthou die eerste foto wat sy van die tuin geneem het, van die dak van die hotel af. Dit was ‘n koue wintersoggend net voor dagbreek in Augustus 2016. Sy vertel: “Ek het gevra dat ‘n leer die vorige aand vir my uitgesit word. Terwyl ek opklim na die dak word ek toe spyt dat ek nie handskoene aangetrek het nie. My vingers wou vries. Maar toe ek op die dak kom is ek met ontsag oorval oor die nuwe perspektief, grootsheid en skaal van die tuine. Ek het nie meer die koue gevoel nie. Voor my het die grafiese patrone en eindelose landskap in plek geval. Ek het my kamera opgestel en gewag dat die son oor die Babylonstorenkoppie aan die einde van die koejawellaning moes opkom. Kliek! Ek het dit gekry!”

Dit was die begin van meer as 800 foto’s wat Heidi oor ‘n jaar in die tuin geneem het. Sy het ‘n besondere verhouding met die tuin begin opbou. Nie net as ‘n ruimte met ‘n besondere styl nie, maar ook vanuit ‘n tuinboukundige perspektief. Sy wou beelde van haar gunstelingplekke vasvang. Veral die groenteblokke wat met appel, peer en kweper omlyn is. “Die oggendlig is magies hier, daarom het ek hierdie blok vir die groepskoot gekies. Ek moes op ‘n leer staan sonder stabiliteit. Met lae lig, en ‘n wankelende leer. En ek moes asem ophou om die sluiter te druk…,” vertel Heidi.

“Groentetuine is diep in ons tuinboukultuur en erfenis ingebou. Babylonstoren het hierdie onderbou, asook die die hart, die warmte, die vrygewendheid,” mymer sy verder.

Om die tuine se omvang die beste te verstaan is om na’n lugfoto te kyk. Om te sien hoe die tuin uitsrek oor 3.5ha tot byna teen die koppie, wat op ou kaarte as Babylontoren aangewys word. Die einste koppie wat vandag ‘n natuurreservaat is en waar steenbokkies, duikers, dassies, muishonde, slange, valke en uile ‘n tuiste het.

Om die tuine te beskryf is haas onmoontlik omdat Liesl en haar span soveel aandag aan elke vierkante meter gee. Dit is ‘n tuin met ‘n sterk ontwerpersondertoon, sonder om werklik formeel te word. Daarvoor is daar te veel vryhede toegelaat waarin die tuin op sy eie kan ontwikkel en groei. Die omgewing, die geskiedenis, die ou Kaapse geboue en die nabyheid van berge en water maak dit ‘n plek van buitengewone skoonheid en kan jy nie vergeet dit is tipies Suid-Afrikaans nie.

“Ek het soveel vroegoggende en aande die lig gejaag om die betowerende oomblik en lig met my kamera vas te vang. Die tuin het ‘n besondere gravitas. En kombineer jy dit met styl, ontwerp en ruimte, is jy op ‘n plek wat met jou siel praat,” vertel Heidi verder.

Later donder en blits dit en die reën sak al om ons uit. Dit voel asof ons in ‘n straling van die elemente opgevang is. Maar met ons voete stewig in die tuin geplant.

Met dank aan Babylonstoren en Heidi Bertish @HeidiBertish

Babel. Babylon. Babylonstoren.

Three words. Three meanings. One place.

The iconic gardens of Babylonstoren have been established in languages, history, beauty, the earth and fertility. The Drakenstein Valley isn’t only the cradle of indigenous Afrikaans – since pre-history Khoi and Hottentot languages have been spoken here. Later Dutch, French and English were added. During the establishment of the gardens many shards of VOC porcelain were excavated which indicates that the farm has been inhabited since the first settlers. And then the gardens themselves … which call to mind the great gardens of Babylon.

It was hot, dry, dusty Cape day when I walked through the gardens along with a few guests and philosophical-practical horticulturist and landscape architect, Liesl van der Walt. The splendid book, The Gardens of Babylonstoren, was being launched and the photographer, Heidi Bertish, was also with us.

Dust storms lent the sky a strange pink glow and rain began to fall over Simonsberg. The heat seemed unbearable at times.

Heidi remembers the first photo which she took of the garden, from the roof of the hotel. It was a cold winters morning just before daybreak in August 2016. She relates: “I had arranged that a ladder be put out for me the previous evening. While I was climbing to the roof I regretted not wearing gloves. My fingers were going to freeze. But, when I reached the roof I was overwhelmed by the new perspective, greatness and scale of the gardens. I no longer felt the cold. Before me the graphic patterns and enless landscape felt into place. I set up my camera and waited for the sun to rise over the heads of Babylonstoren at the end of the avenue of guava. Click! I got it!”

That was the beginning of more than 800 photos which Heidi took of the garden over a year. She began to build an exceptional relationship with the garden. Not only as a space with an inherent style but also from a horticultural perspective. She wanted to capture images of her favourite places, especially the vegetable blocks bordered by apple, pear and quince. “The morning light is magical here, that’s why I chose this block for the group shot. I had to stand on a ladder without stabilisation. With low light and a shaky ladder. And I had to hold my breath to press the shutter…,” Heidi continues.

“Vegetable gardens are deeply entrenched in our horticulture culture. Babylonstoren shares this undercurrent as well as the heart, the warmth, the generosity,” Heidi continues to muse.

The best way to understand the scope of the gardens is to look at an aerial photograph. To see how the gardens stretch over 3.5ha almost to the koppie, which is indicated as Babylontoren on old maps. That very koppie which is a nature reserve today and which is inhabited by steenbok, duikers, dassies, Cape mongoose, snakes, hawks and owls.

To describe the gardens is almost impossible because Liesl and her team pay so much attention to every square metre. It is a garden with a strong designer undertone without being truly formal – too much freedom has been allowed in which the garden can develop and grow on its own. The environment, history, old Cape buildings, the proximity of mountains and water all make it a place of exceptional beauty and you cannot forget that it is typically South African.

“I chased the light for so many early mornings and evenings to capture the bewitching moment and light with my camera. The garden conveys a certain gravitas. And when you combine this with style, the overall design and space, you find yourself in a place that speaks to the soul,” Heidi continues.

Later came the thunder and lighting and rain began to fall around us. It felt as if we had been caught up in the radiant elements. But with our feet firmly planted in the garden.

Birdseye view of the farm and gardens

The garden from the top

1805 Cape Dutch gable of the old wheat barn

Working ducks marching past Babylontoren farmhouse.They zap snails in the vineyards

Chefs aforaging, at sundown

Collection of 7 000 indigenous clivias blooming in September

The Puff Adder snakes amongst wild olives and bluegum trees. Superb ventilation and 50% sun is ideal for clivias

View of vineyards and Simonsberg as seen from the Babylonstoren hill

Astride the leivoor in the garden

Play beside the lavender and waterblommetjie ponds

Birds’ nests for lovers among the reeds

Bird houses among the rye

Liesl wondering through the cycad collection

Our gardener doing room service in the insect hotel

Various room options in Insect Hotel, some with jacuzzi