About the garden
Owned by
Terry de Waal
With the Simonsberg, Du Toitskloof and Franschhoek Mountain as a backdrop, Babylonstoren in the Drakenstein Valley sits at the heart of the Cape Winelands. This restored Cape Dutch farm dates back to 1692 and is renowned for its magnificent garden with pergolas, gravel pathways and water canals.
Diversity is a trademark of this garden. It includes vegetable patches, orchards of fruit and nuts, fragrant indigenous plants, ducks and chickens, bees for pollinating, a prickly pear maze to wander through and a palette of trees of historical or botanical significance. It features more than 300 cultivars of trees alone and thousands of plant species.
There’s a Healing Garden, a splendid Succulent House, the Kitchen Garden planted with a variety of seasonal vegetables as well as the Spice House where tropical plants thrive. A collection of some 7,000 clivia lilies bloom spectacularly every spring, while rose towers covered with fragrant varieties and an aromatic chamomile lawn bloom in early summer.
After spending the day exploring the gardens, sipping a glass of wine in the Tasting Room, rejuvenating in the Garden Spa or devouring delicious local cuisine, guests can rest their heads at the Farm Hotel. With its thick whitewashed walls, elegant gables and hearty fireplaces, the hotel promises to give guests an authentic farm stay experience.
