Three new members were elected to the GRBG Board of Trustees at the 2020 Annual General Meeting held

on Saturday, 8 August.

The Garden Route Botanical Garden is excited to welcome Roxanne Joubert, Desireé du Preez and Theo

Rossouw to the Board, and thanks all the other candidates who stood in the election for their willingness to

serve the Garden.

As per the Trust Deed, Roxanne, Desireé and Theo will serve a two-year term, after which they will have the

option of standing for re-election to the Board. They will serve alongside seven other members, one of whom

(Elizabeth Boshoff) was re-elected to the Board at the 2020 AGM. The Board of Trustees is now comprised as

follows:

Roger Bath

Elizabeth Boshoff

Priscilla Burgoyne

Charles Carelse

Pauline Cloete

Desireé du Preez

Roxanne Joubert

Anne Kellner

Theo Rossouw

Clive Welgemoed

The other trustees look forward to working alongside Roxanne, Desireé and Theo and are confident that the

Garden will only benefit from the experience and expertise they will bring to the table.

New Members Elected to Board of Trustees

September 2020

NNNeeewwwsss

Newsletter

Chairperson’s Financial Report to 2020 AGM

For those who were unable to attend the Garden Route Botanical Garden’s Annual General Meeting on 8

August 2020 – either in person or online – below follows the annual report Board of Trustees

Chairperson Roger Bath delivered to GRBG Members. The report offers a summary of the successes

the Garden achieved, as well as the challenges it faced, during the financial year ending February 2020.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRPERSON TO THE

2020 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE GARDEN ROUTE BOTANICAL GARDEN TRUST

“I am honoured to be able to report to you on the activities since we last met and the financial results for the year

ended February 2020.

My first important task is to thank each and every one of the many people who have supported the Garden in

different ways over the last year – too many to name, but they include donors and the volunteers who work

tirelessly in different areas of the Garden, the Nursery, the Herbarium and the Propagation Yard. I would also like

to thank all those who have supported us in our fundraising efforts as well as various organisations who are such

good friends of the Garden.

Our financial results for the year ended February 2020 were slightly better than the previous year. We saw

improved revenue from the Nursery and from landscaping and had a very successful fundraiser golf day. Total

revenue for the year was R1.934 million with expenses being held at R1.898 million resulting in a surplus of just

over R35 000. We also note that R106 000 was spent on improving the restaurant property which has been

capitalised.

During the year we have had three challenges which are as yet not fully resolved:

The tenant in our tea garden closed early in July 2019 and it was some time before we could get a new tenant

operating. Although it must be noted that during this time we were also busy on building the new glasshouse and

refurbishing the restaurant. The restaurant had barely started when we had another new operator come in and

then had to face shutdown as a result of COVID. The new operator informed us that he is not prepared to carry on

after the shutdown is lifted and, in the last few weeks, we have been contracting with another new operator who

will open mid-August.

We have also faced some challenges with the position of garden curator, with Finn Rautenbach having resigned in

February. Our selection process was well underway and we were about to appoint a suitable candidate when the

shutdown commenced. Since the shutdown, the negotiations have not been able to be concluded and your

trustees, having reviewed the situation in the light of a challenging economic environment in the coming period,

decided that we will not appoint a new curator during this financial year but carry on with the capable services of

our acting manager and the interns and staff we have.

An ongoing challenge to your trustees is sustaining the Southern Cape Herbarium which is specifically included in

the objectives of the Trust. The resignation of the previous curator left a big gap in the expertise needed to

continue the work of the Herbarium. The trustees have appealed to the botanical community for help, but at this

stage do not have the funds to employ the highly qualified person required. I remain hopeful that we may get

funding externally, but in the interim we will carry on as well as we can with the help of the … continued

continued…

Appeal for Fundraising Ideas

As alluded to in the Chairperson’s AGM Report, in order to sustain the

GRBG while the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Garden will need

to seek new revenue sources and consider innovative – and possibly

unconventional – ways of generating income. The GRBG Board of

Trustees would like to appeal to all Members and the public at large

to propose any workable ideas they have for new ways in which the

Garden can raise much-needed funds. All ideas, whether big or small,

are welcome. Please email your suggestions to GRBG Trustee Elizabeth Boshoff at elzabeth.boshoff@telkomsa.net

(Please note the particular spelling of Elizabeth’s email address.) We look forward to receiving your feedback.

… volunteers, who have been the backbone of the herbarium since the start.

On the positive side, I am sure you have all seen how our Garden has flourished in the past year, with new beds

being introduced and the overall quality being enhanced. The COVID-19 shutdown did of course impact us to a

considerable degree, but the efforts of the acting manager and the staff since reopening have brought the Garden

quickly back to being highly presentable. And, with the help of volunteers, the Propagation Yard’s appearance is

vastly improved and we confidently hope to be able in the future to extend the range, quality and quantity of

indigenous plant material being made available for the Garden and the Nursery.

We had an increased volume of students through the Education Centre activities during the year and enjoyed a very

successful Science Week. I would also mention the two experts we had assigned to us from Germany who spent

some time mentoring our management.

We were successful in applying for project funds to improve the quality of the paving in the Mushroom Meander to

a handicapped-friendly level. This work will start soon. Looking to the future, we have some concern for the period ahead in the light of COVID-19 and its impact on the

world economy. The impact during this financial year has already reduced our income substantially, with zero

revenue being received in April, May and June from many of our revenue sources. And, we expect when the various

control levels are reduced that it will be some time before we can regain our previous levels of income. A budget

has been prepared and the situation is serious in that we could lose up to a third of the revenue we had in the year

ending February 2020. We are having to look very carefully at all costs and seek whatever new revenue sources we

can find.

The function of your trustees is not only to sustain the activities of the Garden but also to improve and grow it in

terms of our objectives of showcasing the flora and fauna of the Garden Route. To this end, we have a number of

projects and plans in mind, but all rely heavily on additional funding. In addition, a lot of our equipment is ageing

and becoming uneconomic to repair and we have a wish list of items we will need to replace in the next year or two.

I appeal to you all to help the trustees in any way you can in this endeavour.

In closing I would like to thank the staff of the Garden who work under difficult circumstances and with limited

rewards, as well as the trustees who have served during this year – particularly the retiring trustees, for their service.

I look forward to welcoming the new trustees who will be elected later. Thank you all for the interest you show in

the Garden and for your involvement here this morning.”

Roger Bath

Chairperson of the Garden Route Botanical Garden Trust

8 August 2020

Annual Spring Sale:

Added Attractions!

After the cold winter months we’ve endured,

spring has finally arrived! And what better way to

celebrate than by filling your own garden with the

splendour and colour of the indigenous plants on

offer at the 2020 GRBG Annual Spring Sale!

Dates: 4-5 September 2020

Times: Friday, 4 September: 08:00 – 14:30

Saturday, 5 September: 08:00 – 14:30

Venue: The GRBG Nursery

What’s on offer?

Reduced prices on selected stock;

Beautiful flowering indigenous plants perfect for planting in spring;

Plus, indigenous indoor plants, bulbous plants and medicinal plants!

Services: Cash and card payment facilities will be available, and the GRBG Nursery Team will be on hand to give

you more information on the plants on sale as well as useful tips for growing them in your garden.

This year’s Spring Sale promises to be bigger and better, with the following exciting attractions and

special offers having been added to the event:

Extra Stalls Apart from the indigenous plants on sale, there will also

be additional stalls operated by vendors who’ll be selling

gardening and plant-related products.

Raffle Anyone who spends R500 or more at the Spring Sale will be entered

into our raffle and stand the chance to win one of three exciting prizes!

Be sure to get your name in the raffle to avoid missing out!

Coffee & Cake! The Marshmallow Garden Café (which recently opened its doors on the

GRBG premises) is spoiling everyone who supports the Spring Sale with

a delicious slice of cake and a cup of coffee / tea for only R30! To qualify for

this special offer, simply present your Spring Sale receipt at the Café.

offer,

Arbour Month Tree Planting Event

September is Arbour Month, which was created to raise awareness of the value of trees. Trees play a vital role in

the health and well-being of our community and environment.

Join us at the Garden Route Botanical Garden on Friday, 18 September 2020 as we plant trees and strengthen

our indigenous forests. The event will take place from 09:00 to 15:30, and is a joint effort by the GRBG, Precious

Tree Project and The Botanical Society of South Africa (BotSoc). We encourage all schools, businesses and organisations to participate in our community ‘greening’ event to

improve the health and beauty of our Garden and the local environment, and for a greener South African future. Please bring along gardening tools if you have, such as your own spade, fork, and gardening gloves to minimise

direct contact between planters, as well as sun protection, water and a smile. You can also sponsor a tree or three for Arbour Month. If you can’t join us on the day and would still like to

contribute, please sponsor a tree for only R80. Or even better, do both – sponsor a tree and help us plant it!

We will be planting in different spots within the Garden, if needed, to ensure social distancing.

So, get ready to dig in and get your hands dirty for the good of the Garden and the planet. See you there!

The aim of the Arbour Month planting event is to introduce pioneer species,

such as Keurboom, and other fast growing species, such as Cape beech/Kaapse

boekenhout, to support current stands of indigenous trees in the Garden. The

pioneer species help to enrich the soil through nutrient cycling and support the

growth of slow-growing, long-living species. The fast-growing pioneers also

create competition for the current species, which not only increases the latter’s

growth rate, but will increase biodiversity and habitat formation. This will all

ultimately benefit the GRBG by encouraging growth in stagnated stands.

New Visitor Photo Board

As you may already have noticed, we have put up a Photo Board at our Protea

Entrance. This board will be used to display photos taken in the Garden by visitors.

If you have taken any special photos recently or take any during your future trips

to the Garden, you are welcome to bring these on a flash drive to the GRBG

front office. We will then print and laminate them, and pin them up on the

Photo Board for all visitors to view and enjoy!

We hope to eventually erect a number of these photos boards throughout the

Garden, and we would love for everyone to contribute to what is displayed on them.

NNNoootttiiiccceeesss &&& EEEvvveeennntttsss

New Membership Fees

The membership fees for the Garden Route Botanical

Garden are now as follows:

Full Membership

Adults (18+ years): R250

Seniors (60+ years): R200

Annual Access Card

Adults (18+ years) R200

Seniors (60+ years) R150

Students (12-21 years) R100

You can purchase or renew your Full Membership or

Annual Access Card by emailing the Garden at

info@botanicalgarden.org.za, phoning 044 879 1558 or

visiting the Garden’s front office.

Marshmallow Café Trading Hours

The Marshmallow Garden

Café – which recently made

the GRBG’s tea garden

facility its home – is open for

business at the following times:

Tuesday to Friday:

09:00 – 17:00

Saturday and Sunday:

09:00 – 15:00

Donations Welcome

The Garden Route

Botanical Garden is

a non-

governmental

organisation (NGO)

and relies heavily

on donations from

the public to fund

our activities. (Sadly, although we know a thing or

two about trees, we haven’t quite figured out how

to make money grow on them.)

If any person, organisation or business would like

to support the GRBG monetarily, this can be done

online at www.botanicalgarden.org.za/make-a-

donation or by making a deposit directly into our

account using the banking details provided further

below. You can also phone our offices at 044 874

1558 or email info@botanicalgarden.org.za.

All donations properly receipted by the Garden in

terms of Section 18A are tax deductible. Any

donation – big or small – will be greatly

appreciated.

GRBG Banking Details:

Name: Garden Route Botanical Garden

Trust (Current Account)

Bank: Standard Bank, George

Account No: 281 859 183

Branch code: 050 214

Thank you for your continued support.

GRBG Nursery Open on Saturdays

The GRBG nursery is once again open on Saturdays! We

are extremely excited to welcome back our weekend

customers who can shop at the Nursery between 09:00

and 14:30 each Saturday.

As mentioned further above, The Marshmallow

Garden Café is also open on Saturdays, which

means you can stop by the Nursery to stock up

on plants before visiting the Café for a good cup

of coffee and a slice of cake – the perfect

Saturday morning outing for the whole family!

Behind The Scenes

• Attributions: This newsletter was designed using

resources from www.freepik.com, including

images by macrovector, brgfx, pch.vector,

vectorpouch , stories and rawpixel.com.

• Content Contributors: Roger Bath, Corné Brink,

Elizabeth Boshoff, Roxanne Joubert, Anne

Kellner, Colin Ralston and Gabby van Huyssteen.

• Design and Layout: Nicole Jonklass