Spring is in the air, and with it comes acres and acres of flowers in full bloom! This is the perfect time for indulgent picnics or leisurely walks through the flowers, snapping pictures to put up on your walls. From August through to November is the best time to view flowers, and there are even a few festivals you can attend for the occasion. We have done the searching for you and picked the very best gardens for you to visit in and around Cape Town.

Image source: City Sightseeing

Make friends with the squirrels in the Company’s Garden

Right in the heart of Cape Town’s city centre is a lush garden, an oasis made hundreds of years ago to provide fresh produce to sailors visiting the Cape. Now it’s a peaceful retreat for locals and visitors alike; a place in the city to flock to during the day and rest amongst the trees or explore the rows of flowers, herbs, and succulents.

You will also find monuments and art pieces in the garden, as well as a restaurant at which to grab a bite. The local animals are also friendly, especially the squirrels, who are bold enough to eat an offered treat right out of your hand.

The Company’s Garden is at the centre of the Yellow Downtown Route, and you can take a stroll through the gardens after visiting any of the museums on this route, such as the nearby Iziko South African Museum, which is within walking distance.

Image source: Cape Town Tourism

Enjoy a picnic in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

On the slopes of Table Mountain, you will find the picturesque Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens , an important botanical garden that was the first of its kind to adopt the conservation of indigenous plants as its ethos. Take in the tranquillity of the gardens on a sunny day as you stretch out on the lawns for a picnic, or explore the winding paths beneath the trees and through the flower beds to view South Africa’s unique collection of indigenous flora.

If you are fit enough you can even follow one of Kirstenbosch’s many hiking trails, some which take you all the way up to the summit of Table Mountain. Kirstenbosch Gardens is situated on City Sightseeing’s Blue Mini Peninsula route, so hop off the bus at STOP 20 to go on a meander through the gardens.

Image source: City Sightseeing

Take a day to visit the West Coast National Park

Hop in the car and take a drive out to the West Coast National Park to see the wonder that is nature’s wildflower garden, bursting to full, colourful bloom in spring. The fields come alive with pallets of gold, purple, orange and white, fields of daisies and fynbos as far as the eye can see coming into bloom throughout August, September and into October.

This is the best time to visit them, and nature lovers get the chance to see the local fauna as well, such as bontebok, zebras, duikers, and ostriches just to name a few. The West Coast and Namaqualand are hugely popular with nature photographers, so bring your camera along to take some extraordinary pictures. You can also take a trip to Langebaan with the whole family for lunch or a swim in the lagoon.

Image source: reiseaktuell

Pick your own roses at the Chart Farm Rose Gardens

This is probably one of the best date ideas in Cape Town, or simply a way to get out on a Sunday. Wake up and smell the roses at Chart Farm in Wynberg, the only place in the Western Cape where you can pick your own roses. The garden consists of 6000 rose bushes, in all manner of colours and fragrances, giving you the pick of your favourite flowers.

Secateurs and picking trays are available, but it’s safer to bring your own on busy days. There’s also a farmstall and nursery on the farm, and a tea room to grab a drink, snack, or a sweet treat. It’s R6 a stem, R7 for readily picked stems, and R4.50 per stem for the Sunday special.

Image source: Chart Farm

Spring doesn’t just bring the flowers. It brings warmer days, the perfect weather for sightseeing around Cape Town. From a trip up Table Mountain to watching the sunset on Signal Hill, or wine tasting at the Mother City’s best wine estates or sailing into the sunset with a glass of champagne, the Red bus will get you there.

Book your hop-on-hop-off bus ticket or guided day tour online with City Sightseeing to see all that Cape Town has to offer, and keep an eye on our specials to make the most of our monthly deals.