My BotSoc

With the Centenary of the Botanical Society and Kirstenbosch just around the corner, inevitably, we are going to be reviewing the past and planning the future of one of South Africa's oldest NGOs and one of the best loved gardens in the world. I invite anyone to send me a letter about what BotSoc means to you, as we will be publishing some of your responses in Veld & Flora during the year. (Send your thoughts on what BotSoc means to you to: The Editor, Veld & Flora, voget@kingsley.co.za.)
An article that appeared in Veld & Flora in 1988, "The part Kirstenbosch played in my life" by Ruth Middelmann in 1988, is a fitting one to start off with. Read it here. Ruth and Walter Middelmann established Honingklip and were pioneers in the seed and protea export trade in South Africa.

The photo shows a photo of Ruth with her husband, Walter, in 1967. It was originally published in an article in The New Zealand Gardener. It is reproduced here from Maryke Middelmann's book Proteas: The Birth of a Worldwide Industry published in 2012 and available in the Kirstenbosch Bookshop.

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