The Bedford Garden Festival

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To the uninitiated the name Bedford conjures up little more than the image of a dusty, dry country village stuck deep in the interior of South Africa, somewhere near the main road between Fort Beaufort and Somerset East, in the fringe between the Karoo heartland and Frontier Country; a place hot as hell in summer and icy cold in winter.

For those who know better, though, images of beautiful lush gardens and leafy streets spring to mind.

In 2003 the owner of Cavers Country Guest House, Rozanne Ross, came up with the concept of using the town’s gardens as a means of bringing not only the local community together, but also of introducing Bedford to South Africa.

Her concept was forwarded to then head of Bedford Tourism, Kim van Niekerk, who ran with the idea and in 2004 the Garden Festival was held for the first time.

For three days visitors pour into Bedford to visit some of the most beautiful private gardens in South Africa which, thanks to the cooperation of the owners, are opened to the public.

It proved so successful a decision was taken to run with it again the following year . . . and the next . . . and the next . . .

The festival has achieved its objectives and succeeded in uniting the community.

More and more township residents have seen the visual benefits, reaped a small financial reward and are now creating more sophisticated and beautiful little gardens around their homes as well.