Message from the Director

A true conservationist is a person who understands that “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children” 

(Native American Proverb).

As a nature conservationist and as a proud son of the African soil, I believe with conviction that if the cause is good and the intentions just and pure, then all of Earth’s intrinsic natural forces for good immediately rally together, carefully align and act in powerful unison to create the conditions, influence events and speak to the hearts of ordinary people to contribute towards and to do extraordinary things for the good of mankind. 

Since our founding, Summerfield Botanical Garden has been at the forefront of flora protection and nature conservation and we recognise that all people of all countries are dependent upon each other’s biodiversity and the loss of biodiversity anywhere in the world represents a loss to all mankind. The impacts of ecosystem degradation reach far beyond national boundaries, requiring concerted united regional and global collaborative efforts and trans-frontier cooperation. 

The overall objective of the development and growth of Summerfield Botanical Garden is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant life of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the benefit of all people and for future generations. 

Summerfield Botanical Garden seeks to promote sustainable development in the context of a balanced relationship between economic development, quality of life and environmental health. Summerfield Botanical Garden appreciates the support it receives from guests who, through their use of the various commercial facilities introduced  and integrated into the botanical garden to ensure the viability and sustainability of the conservation initiative, are in fact indirectly contributing to the important, urgent and significant task of protecting and promoting nature conservation and biodiversity in the region.   

Despite unprecedented economic challenges, we remain steadfast to the call and loyal to the cause of nature conservation. As a recognised ‘Not For Profit Or Gain’ initiative registered through legal notice no.81 of 2008, our success is not defined in financial terms, but is defined  rather by our successes achieved in the cause of environmental conservation through our flora development and cultivation programmes, taking responsibility for our natural environment and playing an active role in the protection, conservation and remediation of our global ecosystem.

In our quest to foster awareness, sensitize and educate the public, we have continued to promote and uphold the idea of travel with a conscience, i.e. ‘Responsible Tourism’. 

Discerning travelers today aspire to and embrace the principles of ‘responsible tourism’ and are keen to lend their support to initiatives that share the same values. By integrating these socially responsible core values into the essence and ethos of Summerfield Botanical Garden, we are able to go beyond just providing an idyllic setting and exemplary service, we are indeed inspired & empowered to make a difference and take meaningful strides in combating the decimation of our natural flora and the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment. 

It is therefore as a result of the public’s support and enjoyment of the facilities at Summerfield Botanical Garden and patronage of the Boutique Hotel that we are able and better equipped to conserve our world’s biological diversity and build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.  

Summerfield Botanical Garden invites you to enjoy the gardens and to join us in celebrating natures extraordinary gifts. We encourage you to spend a while ensconced in the effortless luxury, elegance and deep-cushion comfort of its unique boutique hotel where luxury ‘thrives’… and ‘strives’ to give back to mother Earth and the urgent cause of nature and flora conservation. 

Mission Statement

A Journey Through The Gardens

Overview

The Marvels Hidden Within

The 100 hectare garden features lakes, waterfalls and cascades and exhibits both rare, indigenous, tropical and exotic plant species including a grand display of the much admired pre-historic cycad plant. The botanical gardens provide an enchanted, tranquil retreat and an opportunity to commune with nature, offering an environment where you can enjoy and appreciate all the wonderful splendours that only nature can bring. 

This superlative botanical garden lies close to the banks of the Bobokazi River and is situated in the Nokwane valley, renowned for its scenic beauty, spectacular rock formations and majestic mountain range. This idyllic setting with panoramic, unbroken views of the surrounding countryside sits proudly against the backdrop of fertile cultivated agricultural lands. 

Summerfield Botanical Garden is unique in its design as an ‘Integrated Botanical Conservancy and Leisure Resort’ in which nature conservation remains the ‘raison d’être’ and cornerstone of all the activities of the Botanical Garden.  The Garden is a national conservancy which houses the largest collection of exotic and tropical palms and plants in the Kingdom of Swaziland, including a vast collection of indigenous trees, pre-historic cycads and rare indigenous plant species. 

“A Legend Is Born”

“A dream is a wish that the heart makes”

The passion and dream that lead to the establishment and development of this vast and lush botanical garden can be directly attributed to the passion and love for nature and gardening shared by the extraordinary couple who continue to work in it. Their absolute unwavering commitment to the conservation of indigenous flora and their tireless efforts to transform an abandoned and barren property, which they purchased from owners who had left Swaziland many years ago, into an oasis for both flora and fauna, bears testimony to the creativity, resourcefulness and resilience of these lovers of nature. 

The first step in restoring this 100 hectare, barren and environmentally degraded property was to truck in enormous quantities of fertile topsoil to re-contour the eroded land and replant what had been lost over the many years of neglect. Indigenous plant species that could thrive with no use of pesticides and herbicides were brought in. Fruit and flowering trees were planted to help attract wildlife and birdlife back to the area. Trees, shrubs and grasses, which do not require much water, were a high priority as the lack of irrigation and a sufficient water supply proved to be a very great challenge. The thousands of plants and trees brought onto the property had to be watered by hand using a single tractor and a rather rickety old trailer carrying drums of water drawn from the river. There were many setbacks experienced along this journey such as drought and devastating bush fires that destroyed vast areas that had been painstakingly restored, only to be lost in just an instant. 

However disheartening these experiences may have been, the labour of love continued. Today, as you encounter the 100 hectares of Summerfield Botanical Garden along a dramatic quarter-mile avenue of Jacaranda trees, you have the sense of having stumbled upon a hidden oasis, a tranquil and exotic hideaway within what is already considered to be one of the world’s most unique, rare and beautiful Kingdoms…The Kingdom of Swaziland.

A Botanical Wonderland

This 100 hectare botanical garden sets the beautiful and impressive stage for the display of many rare, indigenous and exotic plant species. To further encourage biodiversity many different varieties of indigenous plants and other imported rare specimen plants and trees were introduced with artistry and care into the gardens. 

The Waterfall Garden

Waterfalls and cascades provide a grand backdrop for carefully curated gardens surrounding the popular Palm Cascades restaurant with its large open air pavilions, decks and gazebos straddling the fresh water lakes that ripple and teem with aquatic life. 

Bird & Waterfowl Wetland Wilderness

Bird watching is yet another favourite past time in the gardens and bird spotting is excellent all year round especially during the summer months of November to March when the migratory species have returned. The lakeside wetland and water gardens provide the ideal habitat, a serene oasis to a wide variety of small game and waterfowl and play host to a brilliant kaleidoscope of butterflies and birds providing the ideal nesting-place for our much loved Lemon Doves change to Cinnamon Doves.

Pre-historic Cycad Garden

Cycads flourished during the Mesozoic – the age of the dinosaurs – but unlike the dinosaurs cycads have survived three mass extinction events in Earth’s history. Cycads are classified as the world’s most threatened plant group. 

Occupying ‘pre-historic’ pride of place in Summerfield Botanical Garden is the Cycad Garden gracefully nestled amongst natural art, sculpture, gurgling brooks and reflective pools that all work in quiet concert to create the ultimate tranquil garden setting.  

Cactus & Succulent Garden 

Often referred to as “The Sun Garden”, this natural African garden enclave showcases succulents and plants that occur in the more arid regions of Swaziland’s diverse natural environment. This interesting display includes cacti and euphorbias and other droughttolerant species such as agaves, yuccas, natural grasses and bushveld trees. Succulents have fleshy leaves or stems that store water. In stem succulents, the stems may be green and take over from the leaves as the main organs of photosynthesis. A drainage system installed here help to simulate the dry conditions required to grow this collection. Within the garden the ‘natural stone art’ remains a firm, much sought after crowd pleaser.

The Lily Pond Gardens

A magnificent, cascading waterfall greets you as you pass through an avenue of towering Royal Palm trees. The waterfall is the centerpiece of the Lily Pond Garden with a large pond providing a vibrant and colourful display of delicate waterlilies floating gently on the water’s surface. Garden lovers from every corner of the globe who have visited the Lily Pond Gardens have eagerly returned to nourish the seeds they planted in their previous visits….the heartfelt ‘seeds of fond memories’. These magnificent gardens have captivated imaginations, stimulated senses, provided enchanting experiences and enriched the lives of many garden enthusiasts, artists, lovers of nature and committed conservationists.

Fragrant Garden

The spectacular fragrant floral gardens play their unique role. An explosion of color greets the visitor in these gardens with their vivid floral displays. Numerous varieties of contrasting shapes and sizes burst into bloom seasonally, creating the ultimate garden experience Perfumed, vibrant and delicately layered colorful blossoms on rambling vines gently rise to welcome guests in floral greeting from the very first moment of their arrival and continues to delight across every aspect of a garden planted to bloom 365 days a year.

Pottager & Herb Garden

A Potager is a French term for an ornamental vegetable or kitchen garden where edible flowers and herbs are planted with the vegetables to enhance the garden’s beauty. Our Potager and Herb Garden is designed around a beautiful water feature and is comprised of a series of symmetrical geometric raised beds in which we have planted an abundance of edible flowers, herbs and vegetables in aesthetically appealing and specific groupings. Thanks to a year-round harvest of trained fruit trees, herbs, edible flowers and vegetables, this delightfully delicious garden is more than just a feast for the eyes… it is ‘A Garden…Good Enough To Eat!’ This bountiful kitchen garden provides an endless source of fresh organic produce all year round for our kitchens.

The Fernery

Delicate varieties of ferns await the observant visitor in this sheltered area of the garden. Visitors can enjoy a graceful display of these beautiful foliage plants that add softness and movement to this shadier area of the garden. Ferns vary in shapes and sizes with specimens that either stand tall adding stature to the fernery like our tree ferns and some are lower-growing, but no less graceful, such as the lady fern.

The Tropical Palm Garden

Palm trees have a presence all their own. When someone mentions palm trees it immediately conjures up images of warm tropical climes, blue skies and relaxed easy living. Summerfield Botanical Garden is a tropical palm tree paradise. This special garden is a national conservancy which boasts the largest collection of exotic and tropical palms and plants in the Kingdom of Swaziland.

The Orchards

Our Lychee orchards are a magnificent feature of the gardens and serve an aesthetic as well as a productive purpose. During the Lychee season the fruit is harvested and visitors are able to purchase bags prepared with lots of the sweet refreshing fruit from the restaurant kitchen.

Arboretum

The arboretum is the part of the botanical garden that has been carefully selected and devoted to the growing of indigenous trees for the purposes of conservation and research.

This forested area is home to some rare, endangered and symbolic trees from Swaziland and the southern African region. The trees with their dense foliage and indigenous fruit provides the perfect sheltered habitat for a large variety of birds and is quite simply the ultimate ‘birders paradise’.

Wind Chyme Wedding Chapel 

New and blessed marital beginnings

Art In The Garden 

The Earth Without The ‘art’ is simply ‘eh’.

We are proud to house an impressive collection of hand sculpted artworks featuring wildlife found in the african bush. These life-size sculptures grace the botanical garden’s landscape.

Government Gazette & Legal Status

Declaration

Summerfield Botanical Garden is the first and only registered Botanical Garden in the Kingdom of Swaziland and was officially declared a botanical garden under legal notice no.81 of 2008 and is governed by the terms of Section 3 of the Flora Protection Act, No.5 of 2001, for the purpose of  ‘promoting the sustainable use, conservation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant life of the Kingdom of Swaziland’. 

Registered as a company  ‘Not For Profit or Gain’

Summerfield Botanical Garden operates a company which is  registered ‘Not For Profit Or Gain’  

Environmental Conservation Mandate 

Our mandate is to value, respect and defend the integrity of our natural heritage and to ensure the conservation of our rich biological diversity for the well-being and benefit of future generations. 

Overall Objective

The overall objective of the development and growth of Summerfield Botanical Garden is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of the exceptionally rich plant life of the Kingdom of Swaziland for the benefit of all people and for future generations. 

Summerfield Botanical Garden seeks to promote sustainable development in the context of a balanced relationship between economic development, quality of life and environmental health. 

Nature Conservation Is  

  A Global Imperative

Summerfield is wholly committed to environmental conservation and has initiated ‘The Embracing Nature’– Donor Programme which seeks to sensitize and educate, to solicit and secure donor funding and sponsorship for the protection, cultivation and conservation of flora and fauna.

Picture Gallery

Pictures to blow your mind