Full moon night cycle through the bustling streets of Cape Town
Darling Wildflower Show
A floral extravaganza along the West Coast
The Darling Wildflower Show – now in its 95th year – promises to be a blooming success - yet again - thanks to early winter showers and excellent weather conditions. Taking place annually over the third weekend in September (from Friday, 14 to Sunday, 16 September 2012) since 1917, the colourful exhibition still holds true to the ideals of its founders, celebrating the diversity and pervasiveness of the flora indigenous to the area and creating awareness around conservation efforts.
Nestled within the Cape West Coast Biosphere reserve, Darling contains more than 10 percent of the species count – there are over 12 000 species in total in the Cape Floral Kingdom - in less than 1 percent of the area. Darling is also home to the most threatened species of flora too, and it is for this reason that the Darling Wildflower Society was established.
Darling Wildflower Show
The sports club in Darling is host to the wildflower show, where carefully recreated displays mirroring the landscapes where the flowers were picked are on show. The dedicated volunteers who pick the flowers on display – from the very fragile and rare to the more common species are strictly supervised.
For those who aren’t quite fans of floral arrangements and pollen bearers, there are craft and food stalls to keep your fingers (and mouth) busy, as well.
Tickets are R30p/p for adults, R20p/p for students and R20p/p for pensioners and afford festival-goers entrance to the show. On Friday the ticket price also includes a lazy tractor ride to the private vlei – otherwise inaccessible to the public – to see the beauty of the flora in a natural habitat, and on Saturday, 15 September, adult tickets include a live music show featuring local music acts.
Duckitt Nursery Orchid Show
Specialising in Cymbidium orchids, Duckitt Nursery is the largest orchid nursery in South Africa and hosts its annual Orchid Show from Thursday, 13 to Sunday, 16 September 2012 at the Oudepost Farm in Darling. The displays offer an eye-popping landscape of orchids, as well as a tearoom and a sales area with debit and credit card facilities. The Orchid Show coincides with the Darling Wildflower Show, making this a horticultural delight for those with greener than green fingers.
---
Use our events section for an up-to-date overview of happenings in Cape Town. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle and check out our Pinterest boards for updates.
