Bergview petrol station, Harrismith, South Africa

Bergview petrol station

A tribute to Tannie Tuin (Auntie Garden) Jo Jelliman-Brunzlaff (1920-2007) who beautified and promoted Harrismith amongst garden lovers. Read text of tribute

“I recently visited the gardens again,” Emelia says, “and noticed that there are tomatoes in the flower bed. Mother would allow one tomato at the back of the bed for the staff, but she would never have allowed them to grow all over the other plants. But she'd be pleased at how good it still looks.”

Mrs Jelliman-Brunzlaff was the president of the Harrismith Garden Club in 1970 and 1971 and she received the South African Gardener of the Year award for small gardens in the Free State for 1986-87. Her gardening career started after her marriage to a farmer, Redge Jelliman, when she laid out a garden on the farm which, Emelia says, soon attracted attention. >>