Garden gems sparkle for charity

■ The most beautiful gardens in and around the Helderberg will be open to the public, on Saturday November 4 and Sunday November 5, from 10am to 4pm, to benefit Helderberg Hospice. Tickets cost R80, and are available at Helderberg Hospice, 21 Old Stellenbosch Road, Somerset West. They encourage visitors to get their tickets early, on Friday November 3, so that they have the full day on Saturday and Sunday to visit the open gardens, and then can also tour the lovely hospice Garden of Remembrance, relax with some tea and treats, and browse the interesting tables – there will be plants for sale, gardening books, and lots more. The focus this year is on water-wise and indigenous gardens, and the Open Gardens will feature an array of innovative ways that garden owners are making use of to cope with the drought.