Page 13 - Landscape SA Issue 107

FEATURE

The City of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape recently
held a Garden Week, inspired by the flower festival
of Girona, Spain. It encompassed horticultural tours,

landscape art, a flower parade, the opening of public
and private gardens to visitors, nature walks and
the creation of a plant labyrinth. The event was co-

ordinated by Visit Stellenbosch, with the input and
participation of various role players and partners stellenbosch mayor Gesie van Deventer, in the
such as the Stellenbosch Municipality, Remgro, Rama, labyrinth. The spekboom plants were kept in
Stellenbosch Outdoor Sculpture Trust and others. their bags as opposed to being planted in the
ground, as the labyrinth was a temporary one.

arden Week took place in the – you cannot get lost as the way in is the • enhanced creativity, intuition and
run-up to National Garden Day same as the way out. An ancient culture imagination.
Gon 17 October, and also featured around the world, its history dates back
several installations carried out by more than 7000 years, and it is one of Temporary structure
landscapers and local botanical artists. the oldest contemplative tools known De Vries says that for the Stellenbosch
Some of the region’s beautiful public to humankind. To enter a labyrinth is to Garden Week festival, she was not given
gardens were opened to visitors, including enter a sacred space. You are choosing a specific brief but rather asked to build
the historic Old Nectar Estate, the Dylan to walk a sacred path and the walk is a a temporary labyrinth to create public
Lewis Sculpture Garden, Spier Wine Farm pilgrimage to the heart. It is a form of awareness. Spekboom (Portulacaria afra)
and Delaire Graff Estate. The owners of walking meditation, helping people to was stipulated as the plant to be used.
several private gardens also participated still their minds and tap into their inner/ This succulent has numerous benefits, one
and fynbos wilderness hikes were also on innate wisdom. A labyrinth walk also of which is to help fight air pollution as it
offer. The Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens helps people to connect with nature.” has the ability to capture excess carbon in
compiled a programme of talks presented the atmosphere. Carbon is known to be
by specialists and tours were led by Ernst In addition, a labyrinth walk can help responsible for global warming.
van Jaarsveld of Kirstenbosch Botanical people to:
Gardens. • come into balance and achieve a sense The 4100 Spekboom plants used were
of wholeness, which is much needed in supplied by local entrepreneurs who
Plant labyrinth today’s chaotic world; propagated them as part of a job creation
The plant labyrinth, one of the features • become more relaxed, calm and and skills development project. They were
of the event, formed a giant centre piece peaceful; mostly the same size, giving an even look
on Die Braak, the town’s main square, • become less angry and frustrated; and feel to the labyrinth. Due to the fact
close to the Rhenish Mission Church and • reconnect with their inner wisdom; and that the labyrinth was temporary, the
aligning with Botmaskop, which one can • live more consciously. plants were not placed in the ground but
see looking up Plein Street, the main rather kept in their black bags.
street of Stellenbosch. It was designed Other benefits are:
by Terry de Vries, a ‘labyrinth guru’ with a • improved concentration and focus De Vries explains that before placing
BSc Agriculture degree, who has created (excellent for children with attention the plants in the circular pattern of the
many labyrinths in South Africa and other span difficulties); labyrinth, she first dowsed the site to see
countries. At Stellenbosch, the labyrinth • enhanced memory (great for where the centre would be. She then
was both a fun activity and a spiritual remembering what you have studied); placed a dropper in the middle and used a
healing tool. • increased productivity; long tape measure to draw the pattern on
• better stress management; the chosen area, thereafter using building
De Vries explains labyrinths as follows: “A • better handling and processing of lime to demarcate the lines on the grass. A
labyrinth is a single, winding path that trauma and grief; double line of Spekboom plants was then
leads you from the entrance to its centre • improved conflict resolution; and packed on this white line.

About Terry de Vries
Terry walked her first labyrinth in 1997, in the US, and The 4100 Spekboom
thereafter undertook extensive research on them. She plants used were supplied
has worked with master labyrinth builder Robert Ferre
and to date has built more than 350 – locally and abroad, by local entrepreneurs
temporary and permanent. She facilitates regular labyrinth
walks, transformation retreats, sound healing journeys, who propagated them as
nature walks and team building workshops. She is an part of a job creation and
internationally certified labyrinth facilitator, yoga teacher,
vision quest facilitator, shamanic minister and shamanic skills development project.
breathwork facilitator. She does regular labyrinth walks in
Barrydale, Western Cape, where she now lives. n
Terry de Vries in her labyrinth in Information supplied by Terry de Vries and
Barrydale, Western Cape Elmarie Rabe. • Photos by Juan de Swardt.

Landscape SA • Issue 107 2021 11