In late August of 2008, Marilee and I had the great pleasure of spending a day and a half in spectacular Kirstenbosch the National Botanical Gardens of South Africa on the outskirts of Capetown. It covers 1,300 acres, 89 of which are under cultivation. It is devoted entirely to the biodiversity of South Africa which includes an amazing 22,000 different plants, making the Cape peninsula the most biodiverse area on the planet, with 3x the number of plants per square mile than the Brazilian rain forest, a distant second.  It is the only garden declared to be a World Heritage Site.

        The entire Cape Peninsula has an area roughly the size of the city of London, yet there are more plant species within that peninsula than in all of Great Britain (which is 5000 times larger). One mountain is home to 1,470 species. The area represents one half of one percent of Africa’s land area, yet 20% of the continent’s flora.

        The visitor’s center through which you enter has restaurants, a coffee shop, gift shop including clothing and books, plant store, and musical concerts from December through March. To experience the gardens fully there is a great deal of walking involved, but the layout allows the visitor plenty of choices as to how rigorous a visit they want. Bring comfortable layered clothes, walking shoes, water, a camera, and a sense of wonder.