Garden Day 2025: Celebrate with your pets and family
Sunday, October 12, marks 10 years of Garden Day in South Africa. This year, South Africans are encouraged to include their fur babies in the festivities.
Image: Supplied
Sunday, October 12, marks 10 years of Garden Day in South Africa.
Whether you’re hosting a garden picnic with your family or a tea party in your community garden, no one should be left behind, least of all your furry friends.
Babylonstoren’s Gundula Deutschländer, a founding member of the Garden Day movement, has encouraged gardeners to include their favourite animals in their planned festivities.
“Pets and plants both have a remarkable ability to elevate our mood and give us purpose.
“Just as gardens provide calm, creativity, and connection, pets bring companionship, joy, and routine into our lives. Including them in Garden Day feels completely natural,” she said.
What started in 2015 as a simple idea to encourage South Africans to exchange their gardening tools for flower crowns and enjoy their green spaces with loved ones has blossomed into a national movement.
From dogs and cats to rabbits, sheep, and even horses, pets have become part of Garden Day celebrations too.
“Whether they’re playing, preening, or resting, most of our pets spend more time in our gardens than we do. It’s only fair they get to join in the celebrations too,” Ms Deutschländer said.
Stellenbosch resident and Garden Day ambassador chef Bertus Basson is passionate about gardening.
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Stellenbosch resident and Garden Day ambassador Bertus Basson has invited everyone to celebrate their green spaces in style.
“On Garden Day this year, I’ll be celebrating the joy of growing, cooking, and sharing with friends.
“There’s something special about connecting with nature while preparing food that nourishes both body and soul,” he said.
The award-winning chef simply loves plants and gardening and has a personal connection to peonies.
“My wife’s favourite flower is a peony. I actually have three peony tattoos on my left arm, each symbolising a family member: one for my wife, my son, and my daughter,” he said.
While Chef Basson has purposefully planted fynbos, he has dedicated the back of his garden to vegetables and fruit trees.
“Our garden is a bit of a smarties box at the moment - a little all over the show.
“One of the biggest changes we’ve made recently is switching to raised beds and old fruit bins. It keeps the plants happier, the pig out of the vegetable garden, and we can better control our yields,” he said.
Award-winning chef Bertus Basson is an avid gardener.
Image: Supplied
The Garden Day movement has inspired many South Africans to become gardeners and plant parents, nurturing a growing appreciation for wellness and sustainability.
“I’m definitely more of a veggie grower. If you plant something, it should serve a purpose - either for beauty or to eat. For me, it’s always about eating,” he said.
Chef Basson also has a few garden hacks of his own.
“In the restaurant, we make a lot of fire for cooking. The old charcoal and ash get worked back into the garden beds over time. And the hay from our chickens ends up as a rich mulch.
It’s all about closing the loop,” he said.
No fur baby has to be left behind this Garden Day.
Image: Supplied
Celebrate with your pets
Caring for plants and animals is a great way to decrease stress levels and boost productivity. It is also known to bring comfort and add meaning to lives.
Here’s how you can celebrate this Garden Day with family, friends, and your fur babies:
- Craft matching flower crowns or floral collars for you and your furry friends.
- Host a garden picnic with family, friends, and pets - complete with treats for everyone.
- Plan a pet-friendly braai in your backyard for a relaxed afternoon
- Or simply relax together under a tree, soaking up the sunshine and stillness.
Blooming delicious
Whether you’re hosting a garden picnic with family or a tea party in your community garden, no one should be left behind.
They help us ease stress, soak up vitamin D, and keep us active while we mulch, pot, and prune. Here’s how you can make this Garden Day memorable:
- Sweeten the day with cake at your local community garden
- Invite neighbours over for a celebratory garden sundowner
- Enjoy a fresh, farm-to-table lunch in your veggie garden
- Host a garden tea party with floral décor and treats
- Gather everyone for a sun-soaked platter spread on your patio
- Celebrate with your houseplants and fellow plant parents
- Organise garden games like croquet, sack races, and a flower-crown toss
No garden? No stress! You can still join in the celebration:
Team up with a neighbour who has a garden or balcony.
Transform your balcony or patio with a few potted plants.
Head to a local park or community garden for your celebration.
It’s all about finding (or borrowing!) a green space or garden to enjoy.
Adorn your favourite farm animal with a flower crown this Garden Day, which is celebrated across the country on Sunday, 12 October.
Image: Supplied
Flower power
The flower crown is the official symbol of Garden Day and is easy to make. Forage from your garden or go the extra mile by adding luxurious flowers from your local florist.
What you'll need:
- A frame to attach your floral elements to, for example, wire, any ivy stem or a vine
- Ribbon, raffia or florist's tape
- A pair of scissors or secateurs
- Beautiful flowers, foliage, berries, etc., with stems cut to nearly 8cm in length
Instructions:
- Measure the crown's frame around your head and unite the loose ends by wrapping them together with your ribbon and/or tape.
- working in one direction, wrap each floral element around the frame of the crown with your tape or ribbon.
- Keep working your way around the frame, adding floral elements until your crown is complete.
Share your garden celebration pictures with us. Email Bolander reporters Sibulele Kasa at sibulele.kasa@acm.co.za and Alicia English at alicia.english@acm.co.za
Also tag us on Instagram at @ccmonlineza