Arderne Gardens

"Arderne Gardens is a historic public garden and arboretum at 222 Main Road Claremont, in Cape Town's Southern Suburbs, laid out with manicured lawns, winding paths, ponds, and shaded dells across roughly five hectares. It was established in 1845 by Ralph Henry Arderne, a timber merchant originally from Cheshire, England, who was uniquely placed to trade indigenous plant seedlings in exchange for the exotic seedlings, shrubs, and perennial plants carried by ships that had stopped to replenish their supplies, before the City eventually took over a section and named it in his honour. Today it holds the finest collection of exotic trees in South Africa, including several Champion Trees and a giant Moreton Bay Fig, also known as the Wedding Tree, that ranks among the largest trees in the country. A declared South African Provincial Heritage Site, it is free to enter and beloved as a quiet spot for strolls, picnics, and wedding photographs."