This week, Top Billing returns to a viewer favourite – gardens. But this isn't just any garden. Owned by renowned jeweller Christopher Greig and his wife Susan, this natural wonder took a decade to restore to its former beauty, and it is glorious.
Originally laid out in the 1940's by Joane Pim, Beechwood Gardens was designed by the same landscaper who designed the Oppenheimers’ famed Brenthurst Gardens. When Christopher bought the house, he was told this Eden would take ten years to restore, and so it proved but a decade’s work had its rewards.
This European style garden has everything your fairytale heart desires, from wooded forests and a rose garden, to ponds and water features. Owner Christopher always been passionate about nature, and has found himself his own sanctuary where he can experience the things he loves.
Strolling through the shady Camphor Trees is like walking into a shady, green paradise. It helps that the garden sits on a generous underground water source with a borehole taking care of all water needs. With a wheelchair accessible path around all the sights, Christopher often opens his green wonderland up to garden societies. The gardens are also now the subject of a Masters’ thesis, ensuring that the story of this wonder of nature continues to grow.
One of the most practical features of the garden is the a huge selection of fresh produce in the vegetable garden. As both Christopher and his wife Susan follow a vegetarian diet, they spend a lot of time in their kitchen garden, growing all kinds of vegetables from seeds to mature plants.
Tune in to Top Billing this Thursday at 7:30pm on SABC3 to catch a glimpse of this little piece of heaven.
