A walk through the main Herb Garden leaves visitors astounded by the variety. For example, most people are familiar with the soothing smell of lavender, but not many know that there are thirty named varieties of lavender, and all of these are flourishing in Margaret Roberts Herb Garden. Several plants have successfully cross-pollinated and the lavender section of the garden is a haze of multiple shades of purple, mauve and lavender with butterflies flitting from flower to flower. The Herb Garden also boasts an impressive collection of basil, rosemary and oregano, to mention just a few. Visitors are welcome to explore the other gardens which have been laid out in specific styles, including a kitchen garden, a cosmetic and fragrant garden, an indigenous and medicinal garden and some smaller gardens such as a de-stress garden, a bird garden and an edible flower garden.

The Nursery at the Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre offers an amazing selection of herbs, rare fruit trees, medicinal plants and vines, complete with information on each plant. Visitors can see an Australian tea tree, citronella grass, the rare berry-forming elder tree and the exquisite Margaret Roberts rose – an old English rose which was named after Margaret for her ongoing significant contribution to the South African plant industry.

The Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre is only open to the public on Wednesdays and various “open days”. The reason for this is that on other days Margaret is teaching people to create their own herb gardens and the many benefits of using herbs in daily life. Workshops coming up in 2008 include “Making Money Out of Herbs”, “Cooking with Herbs” and “Making Plant Oils and Cosmetics”.

Without a doubt, the Margaret Roberts Herbal Centre is the place to visit to escape the frantic pace of modern day living, even if just for a while. Visitors touring South Africa, as well as local South Africans, should make a point of visiting this little piece of paradise.