Page 17 - Landscape-Issue125

FEATURE

BOTANICAL MOSAICS FOR

VERGELEGEN GARDENS

One of the Western Cape’s best-loved garden
collections at Vergelegen wine estate in Somerset
West is being further enhanced with detailed mosaic
art works which reflect the botanical bounty of their

surroundings. Details of garden-inspired mosaic by Romé
Zurnamer

Mosaic artist Romé Zurnamer seated at a water trough created in 2020 for the Sundial Garden A beautiful mountain and vine backdrop
complements the drinking fountain in the East
Garden
omerset West mosaic artist Romé Zurnamer has completed I’ve ever had and it has been a wonderful opportunity. All my current
two works inspired by the colourful birds, plants, butterflies work has led from that first commission and I’ve now found my niche
Sand insects that abound on the 323-year-old estate. She has in mosaic - it’s a medium I love.”
now started a third Vergelegen art work, with a fourth mosaic also Romé works with large sheets of stained glass, imported from
in the pipeline. Mexico, which she hand-cuts and sets against a background of
Romé created her first mosaic for Vergelegen in 2020, to reconstituted stone. This stone is slightly thicker than the glass,
complement a long, narrow water trough in the Sundial Garden near creating a three-dimensional effect. It also wraps around the glass’s
Stables Restaurant and the Wine Tasting Centre. This area was being sharp edges, making it safer for the playground area.
replanted at the time, and has many plant varieties such as lavender, Her other commissions include painted murals for the Somerset
day lilies, galadia, verbascum and pineapple sage. West night shelter, as part of their upliftment programme, and mosaic
The intricate, colourful mosaics generated so much interest from school crests for Bishops, Somerset House and St. Cyprian’s Prep
visitors that Romé was commissioned to decorate a drinking fountain schools as leavers’ gifts.
in the east garden. This area is home to a vast collection of 15 000 Vergelegen is a provincial heritage site whose gardens span ten
blue, lilac, purple and white agapanthus flowers in 21 varietals, whose hectares and reflect the historical layers of the past 323 years. The
colours and shapes are reflected in the mosaic panels. The panels have gardens contrast the simple with the bold, and the formal with the
now been attached and the drinking fountain installed. informal.
Romé is starting work on a larger, more colourful, eight-panelled Visitors can view the mosaics at their leisure or book a heritage and
drinking fountain near the children’s playground. This will reflect birds, garden walking tour. This includes the gardens, significant trees, the
cosmos and agapanthus flowers in a more colourful palette. historic homestead and library.
This fabrication should take two months to complete, after which Vergelegen horticulturists Richard Arm and Chris Randlehoff say
she will start creating a ten-panelled installation, near the playground. there is still much to enjoy in the gardens during the late summer
This will portray tortoises, squirrels and other small creatures which months. The Octagonal Garden is renowned for two lengthy flowering
visitors often encounter while strolling around the property. borders, flanking the path leading to the historic homestead.
Romé is a self-taught artist with no formal training. She explored Another late summer star is the main Rose Garden near the
a multitude of artistic platforms, ranging from abstract and fine art Camphor tree forest. It features 1500 roses grouped around a central
acrylic and oil paintings, to indoor and outdoor murals, before settling bronze sculpture of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and love.
on mosaics. The David Austin rose garden, within the Octagonal Garden, is also
She has visited Vergelegen’s gardens for many years, and still can’t enjoying a second flush of fragrant, full-petalled roses.
believe her good fortune to be creating art works for these much-
loved surroundings. “The water trough at Vergelegen was my first Information and photos supplied by Meropa Communications on behalf of
commission for a garden mosaic. It’s probably the most special project Vergelegen. n

Landscape SA • Issue 125 2023 15