The Company’s Garden

The Company’s Garden is recognized by the long, tree-lined avenue that runs through its center, shaded by mature oaks and frequented by resident squirrels. It is the oldest cultivated urban space in South Africa, originating in sixteen fifty-two when Jan van Riebeeck, acting for the Dutch East India Company, established a site to grow fresh produce for ships traveling between Europe and Asia. The master gardener Hendrik Boom broke the first soil here in April of that year to plant vegetables like cabbages, carrots, and onions intended to combat scurvy among sailors.