This year marks the 10th anniversary of Garden Day, celebrated on Sunday, 12 October 2025—a joyful invitation to pause, step outside, and embrace the healing power of gardens. And this milestone comes at the start of a season filled with opportunities to gather in nature.
October brings the Helderberg Hospice Open Gardens Festival (24–26 October) and the launch of Garden Town Stellenbosch (31 October–9 November), where open gardens, a market, and a garden show will fill the town with colour. November follows with the Franschhoek Open Garden Festival (7–9 November) and the Tokara Rare Plant Fair and Open Garden (8 November), offering a celebration of rare species and stunning landscapes. Together, these events extend Garden Day’s spirit into a full season of green inspiration.
Gardens for Health and Happiness
While Garden Day has always been about flower crowns, gatherings, and community spirit, it also carries a deeper message: gardens are good for your health. Spending time in nature can lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduce stress hormones, improve mood, and even boost immunity.
The simple act of weeding, pruning, or sitting among greenery helps calm the nervous system and restore balance. Gardening also provides a natural workout—just thirty minutes of weeding can burn up to 150 calories, while digging or trimming hedges strengthens muscles and builds stamina. Time in the sun tops up vitamin D, vital for bone health and immunity, while homegrown produce offers nourishment straight from nature’s pantry.
Beyond the physical, gardens encourage mindfulness, reflection, and gratitude, creating stillness in busy lives. And perhaps most importantly, they bring people together, whether through a shared veggie patch, a picnic with friends, or the exchange of cuttings between neighbours.
As Garden Day celebrates a decade of growth, it reminds us that gardens are more than just beautiful spaces—they are places of wellness, community, and joy. With a calendar of events stretching across October and November, this season offers countless opportunities to reconnect with nature and each other. Whether in a sprawling open garden, a bustling flower market, or a quiet corner of your backyard, the message is simple: take time to pause, celebrate, and let the healing power of gardens enrich your life.
