A decade in bloom: Celebrate Garden Day's 10th anniversary in Joburg

06 Oct 2025

Figuring out flower crowns. Photo: Supplied.

Spend Garden Day with loved ones. Photo: Supplied.

Enjoy a summer spritz at Pink Mama's. Photo: Pink Mama's on Instagram.

In a densely packed city like Joburg, green spaces offer more than just a breath of fresh air. They’re places to pause, reconnect, and marvel at nature's quiet magic. Cue Garden Day – South Africa’s annual reminder to slow down and soak it all in. Falling on Sun, Oct 12, 2025, this year marks a decade of flower crowns, picnics, and muddy fingers. It's a day to ditch the screens, don your favourite floral, and toast to the joys of gardening – even if your "garden" lives in a pot on your balcony. To help you celebrate, we’ve rounded up some leafy local happenings in Johannesburg. Read on for where to go, what to bring, and how to get your green on.

What is Garden Day?

Take time out to celebrate the green spaces you love this Garden Day. Photo: Supplied.

Garden Day is a day to stop and celebrate your green space – whether that’s a full backyard, a balcony jungle, a public park, or just a few potted herbs on a windowsill. Every year, the celebration falls on a Sunday in October and is celebrated throughout South Africa with dedicated events and a call to the public to craft their own. Even if you don’t have much green space, Garden Day offers ways to connect: swap plants with a neighbour, invite friends and family over to share a meal outside, or turn a corner of your workspace into a tiny oasis. It’s about celebrating nature in whatever patch you can. Garden Day on Sun, Oct 12, 2025, marks a decade of this fabulous initiative.

How to celebrate Garden Day in Joburg at home and outdoors

Host a backyard picnic for your loved ones. Photo: Supplied.

Garden Day is about celebrating your own garden first. So, before you dash out, think of ways to turn your space into a gathering spot. You could host a braai or a tea party among your potted plants, invite friends and family who don't have a garden to come and sit on the grass with you, string up fairy lights for a twilight picnic, or simply savour nature – just you, a book, and the birds. Follow @gardendaysa on Instagram for more ideas, and tag them in your photos from the day.

Share your garden party pics on social with #GardenDaySA or send via WhatsApp to +27 74 288 1487.

If you're the kind to celebrate your garden every day, Joburg also has a host of events that also fit the bill:

1. THE BLOSSOMRY GARDEN DAY FLOWER CROWN WORKSHOP AND LUNCH

Learn the art of flower crown-making over lunch. Photo: The Blossomry on Instagram.

Get ready for Garden Day on Sat, Oct 11 by crafting your own flower crown with The Blossomry, while enjoying a festive meal. Tickets are R400 per person. Book here.

2. VICTORIA YARDS ARCHITECTURE AND GARDEN TOUR

Tour Victoria Yard's green gardens with Siyabonga Ndlangamandla. Photo: Garden Day on Instagram.

Join urban farmer Siyabonga Ndlangamandla at Victoria Yards on Sun, Oct 12 as he hosts a special Johannesburg Design Week x Garden Day event featuring an architectural and garden tour, flower crown making, and a day of food, drink, and community. This experience costs R320 per person. Book here.

3. GARDEN DAY AT PINK MAMA'S

Pink Mama's is offering a feast this Garden Day. Photo: Pink Mama's on Instagram.

Visit Italian restaurant Pink Mama’s on Sun, Oct 12 for a lavish celebration with unlimited Babylonstoren wine, curated cocktails, an abundance of freshly-sourced ingredients from GardenFresh, bright summer salads, gift hampers, live entertainment, and flower crown styling by Corli Leonard. Spaces are R1,500 per person. To book, call +27 78 409 2233.

Don't have your own garden? Visit one of Joburg's beautiful public parks

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden is one of South Africa's most beautiful green spaces. Photo: Mark Straw.

If you're yearning for more wide-open spaces, Joburg has no shortage of lush public parks perfect for a lazy picnic, a stroll under the trees, or simply soaking up nature on Garden Day. Here are a few of our local favourites in and around the city. See our full list of Johannesburg's most beautiful public parks here.

Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, Emmarentia: One of Joburg’s best-loved green lungs, with rolling lawns, shaded walkways, and a view of the dam. Pack a picnic and find your patch.

The Wilds, Houghton: A secret garden in the heart of the city. Think winding stone pathways, ponds, trickling water features, and colourful mosaics and sculptures – with one of the best skyline views.

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Roodepoort: Home to a waterfall, wild eagles, and flowering trails, this botanical gem is a must for nature lovers. The perfect day trip escape.

An added bonus is that October is jacaranda season, so you’ll be able to marvel at the city’s budding purple canopies as you wander through the public parks and surrounds.