There are those, like Gundula Deutschlander , take the gardening in the blood. “I come from a family of farmers, foresters and gardeners. Studied Fine arts , but the return to nature was inevitable”, this teacher tells us planter of Babylonstoren, a farm hotel 60 km from Cape Town, near Paarl.
“Nothing inspires me more than an untamed landscape. I'm lovin 'it the dynamic between nature Y culture , working with trees that will outlive me, and seeing a tortoise cross my path to go to a fallen peach.”
Gundula grew up on the other side of the mountain behind Babylonstoren , in a house surrounded by trees. “In 2007, the new owners were looking for someone to bring their vision to life. I was lucky to be there at the right time, have grown up in South Africa , understand its history and the challenge of planting in poor soils and harsh conditions, as well as have worked in other countries and knowing how to connect the garden with others in the world”.
In her day-to-day life, she defines herself “like a butterfly fluttering to help where it is needed. I don't usually have the luxury of dipping my hands in the dirt, except in the healing garden , I do workshops on healthy herbs there”.
Healing Garden.
Some guests who have lost loved ones They tell him how their garden helps them process their pain. "The difficult thing is to satisfy hundreds of daily guests without upsetting their balance."
When travels , likes to observe the skills of survival of the floors in the arid south african lands from Cedarberg or Richtersveld, and loves Iceland , "it's like seeing the world born before your eyes", and Iran , through the gardens of paradise. “I value the poetry to create holiness within a desert area”.
This report was published in the number 151 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine Spain. Subscribe to the printed edition (€18.00, annual subscription, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The April issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device