New look botanical gardens to open in November

WITH less than two months to go, the new development at the Lowveld National Botanical Garden in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga is well on track, and scheduled for completion at the end of November. According to Christopher Willis, director of gardens and horticultural services of the National Botanical Institute, the new additions will provide local residents and travellers with a significant entertainment offering when visiting the picturesque Lowveld region. “The R8,46m development will include a new visitors centre, complete with a restaurant overlooking the beautiful cascades waterfall, a book/curio shop, an indigenous plant sales outlet and an information centre. Inside the garden, numerous additional footpaths with specific vantage points over the waterfall will be constructed as well as a pedestrian bridge across the Crocodile river. A new environmental educational centre, with trained staff will host various school groups, sharing valuable information about the country’s many indigenous plant species. The centre will also include a hall, workroom and library that will provide reading material on the entire ecological system.” The development is a joint venture by Emnotweni Casino, the Poverty Relief Fund and the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. (Miguel de Sousa)