Page 19 - IFV Issue 6_ 2023

Estate News

which she will start creating a ten-panelled installation, near the A beautiful mountain and vine backdrop complements the
drinking fountain in the East Garden
playground. This will portray tortoises, squirrels and other small
creatures which visitors often encounter while strolling around the
property.
Romé is a self-taught artist with no formal training. She explored
a multitude of artistic platforms, ranging from abstract and fine
art acrylic and oil paintings, to indoor and outdoor murals, before
settling on mosaics.
She has visited Vergelegen’s gardens for many years, and still
can’t believe her good fortune to be creating art works for these
much-loved surroundings. “The water trough at Vergelegen was my
first commission for a garden mosaic. It’s probably the most special
project I’ve ever had and it has been a wonderful opportunity. All
my current work has led from that first commission and I’ve now
found my niche in mosaic - it’s a medium I love.”
Romé works with large sheets of stained glass, imported from
Mexico, which she hand-cuts and sets against a background of
reconstituted stone. This stone is slightly thicker than the glass,
creating a three-dimensional effect. It also wraps around the glass’s
sharp edges, making it safer for the playground area.
Her other commissions include painted murals for the Somerset
West night shelter, as part of their upliftment programme, and
mosaic school crests for Bishops, Somerset House and St. Cyprian’s
Prep schools as leavers’ gifts.
Vergelegen is a provincial heritage site whose gardens span ten
hectares and reflect the historical layers of the past 323 years. The
gardens contrast the simple with the bold, and the formal with the
informal.
Visitors can view the mosaics at their leisure or book a heritage
and garden walking tour. This includes the gardens, significant
trees, the historic homestead and library.
Vergelegen horticulturists Richard Arm and Chris Randlehoff
say there is still much to enjoy in the gardens during the late
summer months. The Octagonal Garden is renowned for two
lengthy flowering borders, flanking the path leading to the historic
homestead.
Another late summer star is the main Rose Garden near the
Camphor tree forest. It features 1500 roses grouped around a central
bronze sculpture of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and
love. The David Austin rose garden, within the Octagonal Garden, is
also enjoying a second flush of fragrant, full-petalled roses.

The Villager • Issue 6 2023 • 17