- Staff writer
NEW GARDENING TALENT AT VERGELEGEN
Horticulturist Chris Randlehoff has joined Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West. In his new post he is responsible for maximising the floral features of the property, which is a provincial heritage site. He will also oversee plant propagation and the production of cut flowers, as well as the fruit and vegetable garden which supplies the estate’s chefs and community outreach projects.
Chris holds a diploma in horticulture from Tshwane University of Technology and his passion for plants has enabled him to work in KZN, Western Cape, France and the Comores.
He brings a range of skills to Vergelegen as he has worked on projects that include a rose nursery, commercial production of eucalyptus clones for a timber plantation and overseeing the flower section of retail stores in Cape Town. He was also a co-designer for the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea flower show in London. He is also an accredited judge with the South African Orchid Council.
Vergelegen is self-sufficient for all its water needs and its magnificent gardens range from a formal rose garden to an International Camellia Garden of Excellence, one of only 39 in the world.
