 It
was in the field of botany and in the study of the genus aloe
that he made many valuable scientific contributions.
Building on his success with aloes, he later turned his
attention to a cycad collection. In his garden which covered,
1,5 hectares, a very comprehensive collection of aloes, cycads
and many species of small succulent plants was acquired -
all of which were planted with considerable care and particular
attention to their physical arrangement.
Some months prior to his death in 1950, he donated his garden
with some additional land to the Governement. The cultivated
area was very small, comprising some 1.6ha. During the past
40 years, considerable development has been made. When the
garden was eventually opened to the public and became widely
known throughout the region, the need for expansion was identified
in order to capture the interest of visitors throughout the
year. With this in mind many hectares of land were brought
under cultivation incorporating several features that include
spacious lawns with grouped trees and shrubs, a water garden
and collections of cactii and bougainvillea. Progress made
over the past few years has brought 100 hectares under cultivation.
Ewanrigg has become widely known abroad and possibly the
most favourable outcome of Mr. Christian's work has been the
garden's capacity to create meaningful plant specie exchanges
with other botanical gardens and numerous plant collectors
as well as to create a richly endowed botanical habitat for
both indigenous and exotic species. Ewanrigg has now become
one of the largest aloe and cycad gardens in the world.
 Vegetation
The area is predominantly a habitat for the indigenous miombo
wooodland, which is the most common in the garden, with brachstagia
species and parinari species appearing here and there. Exotic
species have also been introduced in the landscaped regions
of the Garden.
Facilities
Picnic Site
The serene, calm and scenic environment of the gardens make
Ewanrigg an ideal picnicking area. The sites are well serviced
with ablution facilities, braai stands and water points. For
those that may need to sweat a little there is an open ground
where visitors can play volleyball and many other ball games.
Activities
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Garden viewing - aloe viewing is ideal from May to September
when the aloes are in bloom
-
Winter time bird watching - aloes and cycads attract
a wide variety of bird species. When in bloom, aloes and
cycads become a special fascination for sunbirds, which
at times concentrate in large numbers to obtain nectar
-
Bird watchers should make this a key port of call
-
Picnicking
-
Photographing
-
Walks - guided and unguided
Why Visit Ewanrigg?
One of the world's largest aloe and cycad gardensCalm and
peaceful environmentScenic viewsWide variety of plant species
How to get to Ewanrigg Botanical Garden
Ewanrig Botanical Garden is situated north-east of Harare.
The most accessible road is the Shamva road. Visitors to Harare
should take the Enterprise road, passing through Newlands
and Highlands, continuing on the highway until the Shamva
and Mutoko road junction is reached approximately 29 km from
Harare. Take the left fork sign posted Shamva road and follow
this road until you reach the sign post indicating a right
turn, Christian Road, and drive 4 km to Ewanrigg Botanical
Garden. Christian is a loop road which links the Shamva road
and the Mutoko roads, hence the alternative is to use the
Mutoko road. The Muoko road should always be avoided during
the rainy season, owing to a high flow of water over the low
causeway at the Mvinzi River. Generally, the roads are always
kept in good condition throughout the year.
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