Bianca MullerGarden Day is almost here, and South Africans have plenty of ways to celebrate the season of new growth. Taking place on Sunday, 18 October 2026, this year’s celebration includes flower workshops, food garden experiences, sculpture gardens and relaxed picnics, with events planned in the Western Cape and Gauteng.
The annual initiative encourages people to step away from their usual gardening chores and enjoy the green spaces around them. Whether you have a sprawling garden, a few pots on a balcony or a favourite public park, Garden Day is an opportunity to reconnect with nature and gather with friends and family.
This year’s theme, From Garden to Table: Grow, Gather, Celebrate, highlights the connection between what we grow and what we share around the table. If you’re looking for a way to mark the occasion, here are the Garden Day 2026 events and promotions to add to your calendar.
Garden Day events in the Western Cape
1. Explore the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden in Stellenbosch
When: Sunday, 18 October, 08:30–16:00
Cost: R280 per adult; R160 for pensioners and students
Spend Garden Day wandering through the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, where large-scale sculptures sit within a landscape of indigenous planting.
Visitors can explore the grounds at their own pace or join a guided tour at 10:00. There will also be a flower crown-making station among the Dombeya rotundifolia trees, which are known for their seasonal flowering.
Pre-booking is required through the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden website.
2. Pack a picnic for Wynberg Park
When: Sunday, 18 October, 09:00–16:00
Cost: Free
The Cape Horticultural Society is hosting a relaxed Garden Day picnic at Wynberg Park in Cape Town.
Bring your own picnic or a plate to share, gather with fellow garden enthusiasts and wear a floral hat to mark the occasion. The society will also sponsor new tree labels for the park, helping visitors identify and learn more about its trees.
It’s a lovely option for anyone who would prefer a casual day outdoors rather than a ticketed workshop or organised experience.
Find the event details on the official Garden Day website.
3. Celebrate art and nature at Norval Foundation
When: Sunday, 18 October, 10:00–16:00
Cost: R250 per adult; children enter free
Norval Foundation in Tokai is combining art, nature and family entertainment for its Garden Day celebration.
The programme includes access to the museum and sculpture garden, flower crown workshops, children’s creative activities, face painting, a balloon artist and a performance by the Jungle Theatre Company. Live entertainment, food trucks and picnic options from Atelier Café will round off the day.
Adult tickets also include a tasting of three Simonsig wines. With activities for younger visitors and plenty to see outdoors, this is an option for families wanting to make a full day of it.
Tickets are available through Webtickets.
4. Learn how a food garden works at Boschendal
When: Sunday, 18 October, 10:00–14:00
Cost: R600 per adult; R50 for children under 12
Boschendal is putting its Werf Food Garden in the spotlight with an educational, hands-on experience focused on growing and caring for the land.
Visitors will rotate between five stations exploring different aspects of regenerative gardening, including the journey from waste to soil and from seeds to flowering plants. Each station offers a closer look at the people and processes behind a productive garden, with keepsakes to take home.
For home gardeners, the experience offers an opportunity to pick up ideas that could be applied to their own outdoor spaces.
Bookings and further details are available on the official Garden Day event page.
5. Make a flower crown at Babylonstoren
When: Thursday, 15 October, 11:00–13:00
Cost: R750 per person
If you’d like to get into the Garden Day spirit before the weekend, Babylonstoren is hosting a flower crown-making workshop led by its Flower Team.
The session includes flowers and all the materials needed to create your own crown, along with coffee on arrival and refreshments. It’s an opportunity to spend time among the gardens while learning a new floral craft.
The workshop is limited to 16 participants per session, so advance booking is important.
Check availability and booking information on the Garden Day website.
Photo: Unsplash
6. Press spring flowers at Backyard Café
When: Sunday, 18 October, 10:00–12:30
Cost: R1,300 per person, with an optional fynbos flower crown for an additional R160
For those who enjoy bringing the garden indoors, Backyard Café is hosting a flower-pressing workshop in collaboration with Velt.
The experience includes a grounding meditation, seasonal flowers to press, guidance on preparing and preserving blooms, and ideas for using the finished pressings. Participants receive an A5 Velt flower press and an information booklet to take home, with coffee, tea and snacks included.
It’s a creative way to preserve spring flowers for framed artwork, cards and other handmade projects.
To enquire about bookings, visit the official event listing.
7. Join a spring flower workshop with Veld & Sea
When: Sunday, 18 October, 11:00–14:00
Cost: R950 per person
Veld & Sea is celebrating Garden Day with an experience centred on edible flowers, botanical drinks and seasonal blooms.
The programme includes a guided garden walk, an introduction to edible flowers and their uses, a botanical drinks-making station and a flower crown workshop. A spring-inspired grazing lunch rounds off the experience.
Participants will also receive edible flower notes and recipes, making this a particularly appealing outing for anyone interested in bringing more botanical inspiration into the kitchen.
Find booking details through the Garden Day event page.
8. Enjoy a spring lunch at The Homestead
When: Sunday, 18 October, 11:00–15:00
Cost: Contact the venue for pricing
The Homestead is hosting a Garden Day lunch in its garden, with flower crown-making and live music accompanying a spring-inspired menu.
Bookings are limited and subject to availability. Contact the venue on 021 797 9819 or email the address provided on its official Garden Day listing.
9. End the day with a garden-inspired dinner at Babylonstoren
When: Sunday, 18 October, 17:30–22:00
Cost: R2,950 per person
For a more elaborate Garden Day celebration, Babylonstoren is hosting a one-night-only dinner in collaboration with Horrell & Horrell.
Chefs Schalk Vlok and Horrell & Horrell will bring their approaches to cooking together for a menu that puts produce from Babylonstoren’s garden and farm at the centre of the experience. Guests can expect aperitifs and canapés before a multi-course meal celebrating seasonal ingredients and cooking over fire.
It’s a fitting way to round off a day inspired by the journey from garden to table.
See the official Garden Day listings for booking information.
Garden Day events in Gauteng
10. Spend the day at Dikeme Farms in Muldersdrift
When: Sunday, 18 October, 10:00–16:00
Cost: Check the organiser’s booking page
Dikeme Farms is opening its gates for its first annual Garden Day celebration, with a programme combining gardening, creativity and time outdoors.
Activities include flower crown and vase bouquet workshops, guided harvesting, herb planting and quiet spaces for breathing exercises and journalling. Visitors can also browse a farm-focused market offering produce and locally sourced goods.
The event is designed around slowing down and reconnecting with nature, making it an option for anyone looking for a more hands-on celebration.
Find further details through the official event listing.
11. Share a garden table at Femme Pétale
When: Sunday, 18 October, 11:00–15:00
Cost: Check the organiser’s booking page
Femme Pétale in Pretoria is hosting a garden-inspired food and wine experience built around seasonal flavours and gathering around a shared table.
The afternoon begins with a glass of Allée Bleue Brut Rosé MCC, followed by a guided tasting of four wines paired with canapé-style bites. A harvest table will offer artisan breads, flavoured butters, olive oil, cheeses and other accompaniments.
Guests will also take home supplies to start sowing a small patch of summer flowers.
See the official Garden Day listing for booking details.
12. Celebrate with a garden feast at Landje 46
When: Sunday, 18 October, 11:30–16:00
Cost: R850 per adult; R200 for children under 12
Landje 46 is hosting a family feast featuring live-fire cooking by Chef Lourens, wine pairings from Springfield Wines, flower crowns and live music by Basson Laas.
The event combines food, entertainment and a garden setting, making it an option for those who would rather celebrate around a table than spend the day at a gardening workshop.
Bookings can be made by contacting the organiser at the email address listed on the official Garden Day website.
Garden Day promotions to look out for
You don’t necessarily need to book an event to join the celebration. Several promotions are also running during October.
13. Get creative with The Blossomry’s DIY flower crown kit
When: Available until Sunday, 18 October
The Blossomry is offering a DIY flower crown kit for anyone who would like to make their own floral headpiece at home.
Gather friends or family, set up a creative afternoon and make flower crowns together ahead of the main celebration. Check availability and purchase details through the Garden Day promotions page.
14. Save on rose plants at Ludwig’s Roses
Photo: Pexels
When: Throughout October
Ludwig’s Roses is running its annual Rose Festival, with a 10% discount on rose plants at its nurseries countrywide.
For gardeners planning to add roses to their beds or borders, the promotion offers an opportunity to shop for new plants while celebrating Garden Day month.
Check participating nurseries and any applicable terms on the official Garden Day promotions page.
15. Look out for Garden Day touches at selected PLATŌ stores
When: Sunday, 18 October
Selected PLATŌ coffee shops will mark Garden Day with baristas wearing dried myrtle flower crowns, handwritten messages on takeaway cups and themed in-store displays.
Participating locations include stores in Cape Town, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Durbanville, George, Pretoria, Centurion, Randburg and other Gauteng areas.
It’s a small way to join the celebration while grabbing your usual coffee. Check the official promotion listing for the full list of participating stores.
Extend your garden outing with the Greyton Rose Show
When: Friday, 23 October, to Sunday, 25 October 2026
If you fancy turning Garden Day into a longer spring outing, the Greyton Rose Show and Open Gardens takes place the following weekend in the Overberg.
The three-day event includes open private gardens, a rose exhibition, local stalls and community activities. Gardens will be open daily from 10:00 to 16:00, with the main Rose Show taking place on Saturday, 24 October.
The event also supports early childhood development initiatives in the Greyton Valley, adding a community fundraising element to the weekend.
Tickets and further information are available on the Greyton Rose Show website.
How to celebrate Garden Day at home
Not every Garden Day celebration needs a booking or a long drive. The initiative encourages South Africans to enjoy whatever green space they have available, whether it’s a large garden, a small courtyard, a balcony or a community garden.
You could host a spring lunch outdoors, invite friends over for a potting session, arrange a picnic beneath a tree or spend a little time enjoying the plants you’ve been tending throughout the year.
If you’re growing herbs, fruit or vegetables, consider harvesting something from your garden and using it in a meal to reflect this year’s garden-to-table theme.
You can also share your Garden Day moments using #GardenDaySA on social media or send photographs to the official Garden Day WhatsApp number, 074 288 1487.
Whichever way you choose to celebrate, the idea is simple: take a break from the gardening to-do list and enjoy the green spaces that make everyday life a little more beautiful.
Event details, prices and availability can change. Confirm information with the organiser before travelling or booking.
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Feature image: Pexels
