OPEN GARDENS FESTIVAL
Helderberg Hospice Open Gardens 2026
Every October, a collection of remarkable private gardens across the Helderberg opens its gates to the public for one special weekend. Open Gardens is one of the region’s most beloved annual events and one of Helderberg Hospice’s most important fundraisers of the year.
Every ticket sold goes directly towards funding the hospice and palliative care services our organisation provides to people living with life-limiting illnesses in the Helderberg community.
What is the Helderberg Hospice Open Gardens Festival?
Each year, up to 12 generous garden owners in and around Somerset West, Strand, and the wider Helderberg basin open their private gardens to visitors. These are not show gardens or public parks. They are personal, lived-in spaces, cared for by the people who call them home, and shared with the public as a meaningful act of community support. From sweeping indigenous landscapes and formal topiaries to intimate cottage gardens and waterwise urban sanctuaries, no two gardens on the route are alike.
One weekend access ticket gives you entry to all gardens across all three days. You choose your own pace, your own route, and how long you spend in each space.
What to expect
The gardens are spread across the Helderberg area. For security reasons, a full garden map with addresses is only available from Helderberg Hospice at 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West, from 09h00 on Friday 23 October 2026. Maps can be collected on any of the three days during open hours. At the Helderberg Hospice garden itself, you will find plant sales, refreshments, and the tranquil Garden of Remembrance (which is celebrating its 10-year birthday this year!). The Helderberg Hospice garden is a beautiful place to begin or end your day.
Why it matters
Helderberg Hospice has been providing hospice and palliative care to the people of this community for 40 years. Our care is available to everyone who needs it, regardless of their ability to pay. Events like Open Gardens make that possible. When you buy a ticket, you are not just spending a beautiful day outdoors. You are helping us reach more families at some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Event details
- Dates: Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026
- Times: 09h00 to 16h00 daily
- Tickets: Available online at helderberghospice.org.za/shop or in person from Helderberg Hospice at 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West
Ticket pricing
- Adults: R140 – PURCHASE HERE
- Pensioners: R120 – PURCHASE HERE
- Children and teenagers (0 to 18): Free (complimentary ticket required at checkout)
All prices are VAT inclusive. Tickets are valid for all three days.
Free Garden Talks: Limited Seats Available
Learn from some of the Helderberg’s most passionate gardeners at our free talks this Open Gardens weekend. To keep each session personal and hands on, space is limited, so booking is essential. Reserve your seat below and we’ll send your confirmation by email if seats are still available.
Friday 23 October – 11h30 to 12h30 | Helderberg Hospice (FREE TO ATTEND)
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 40
The talk – Our summers are getting hotter and drier, so how can you create a garden that copes and still looks beautiful? Master Horticulturist Cherise Viljoen shares practical climate smart gardening techniques using attractive indigenous plants and natural methods. You’ll learn ways to save water, look after your soil and choose plants that thrive in dry conditions. Her approach suits gardens, balcony pots and indoor plants. It also shows how growing local plants at home helps protect the extraordinary biodiversity of the Cape.
The speaker – Cherise is a Master Horticulturist and the founder of Cherish Plants. She has more than 30 years of experience in botanical gardens and nursery production. She holds a Master’s degree in Horticulture from CPUT. She has been Senior Nursery Manager at Kirstenbosch, General Manager of Old Nectar Garden and a horticultural lecturer. Cherise is a regular guest on 567 Cape Talk, a garden judge for the SALI Awards of Excellence, and has exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 40
Saturday 24 – 11h30 | Sunday 25 October – 11h30 | Helderberg Hospice (FREE TO ATTEND)
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE PER SESSION
The talk – Clivias are one of South Africa’s best loved shade plants, and growing them from seed is very rewarding. Lynn Judge takes you through the whole journey. She’ll explain when and how to harvest ripe seed, how to prepare and plant it, and how to care for young seedlings as they grow. She’ll also share tips for keeping mature clivias healthy and flowering year after year. This hands on session suits complete beginners and experienced growers alike. Attendees will go home with a Clivia plant.
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE PER SESSION
Friday 23 October – 15h00 | Saturday 24 October, 15h00 | Sunday 25 October, 11h00 | Off site venue in Somerset West (details sent on confirmed booking) (FREE TO ATTEND)
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE PER SESSION
The talk – Known as “the poor man’s bonsai”, kusamono is a Japanese art form related to bonsai. It uses grasses, wildflowers, waterwise plants and even weeds, planted as they would grow in nature in a particular climate zone. Kusamono began as accent plants displayed beside bonsai at Japanese shows. It has since become an art form in its own right, celebrated for its soft character, texture, colour and the way it marks the changing seasons. In this demonstration, François shows how kusamono is created and shares his bonsai collection.
The speaker – François Voges is a bonsai and kusamono enthusiast who will share his own bonsai collection during the session. Various bonsai and plants will be available to purchase with proceeds being donated back to Helderberg Hospice.
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL AS SEATING IS LIMITED TO 15 PEOPLE PER SESSION
BASICS OF FERTILISING – Health soil = happy plants | Louwrens Bosch from Atlantic Fertiliser, will be giving a talk on Saturday 24 October 10am.
Keep an eye out for the Atlantic Fertilizers pop-up booth at one of our gardens on Saturday 24 October! Stop by to chat to the team, get expert advice for your garden and collect a free sample while stocks last.
Mayford Seeds will also be hiding somewhere along the route on Saturday 24 October. Find their promo booth to pick up free samples, ask your seed and growing questions and leave with ideas for your next planting season.
Garden and Plant Market at Helderberg Hospice
Start or end your Open Gardens day at Helderberg Hospice, where our garden and plant market runs all weekend. Browse our nursery and plant sales for something new to take home. Then explore the garden themed stalls, enjoy refreshments, and spend a quiet moment in our Garden of Remembrance. Every purchase supports palliative care in the Helderberg community.
📅 Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October | 09h00 to 16h00
📍 Helderberg Hospice, 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West
Good to know before you go
For enquiries, please contact eventsteam@helderberghospice.org.za | 021 852 4608
- Wear comfortable walking shoes. Many gardens include uneven paths, slopes, and steps.
- Garden maps are only released from 09h00 on 23 October 2026 at Helderberg Hospice, and not before, for the security and privacy of the garden owners.
- No pets are permitted on any of the properties.
- Gardens are visited at your own risk. Helderberg Hospice and the garden owners are indemnified against injury or loss during visits.
- Tickets are non-refundable.
- Visitors to the gardens are required to collect their access tickets at Helderberg Hospice, 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West from 09h00 on 23 October 2026 to redeem their garden listings, which will give them access to all the private gardens, including our Garden of Remembrance at Helderberg Hospice.
- Right of Admission is reserved.
- Plants will be for sale with a variety of stalls available at Helderberg Hospice throughout the weekend.
- Please be advised that you visit the gardens at your own risk. By purchasing Open Gardens Festival access cards, you agree to the T&Cs and indemnify Helderberg Hospice and the owners of the gardens against any and all injury and/or loss that may occur during your visiting of the gardens during the Helderberg Hospice Open Garden days.