New attraction pops up at botanic gardens

VISITORS to Durban Botanic Gardens are in for a treat with the introduction of a new pop-up shop at the Visitors Complex.

Koren Gnirk from Durban Botanic Gardens said the idea was born two months ago and since then she and her team had been hard at work creating a shop containing home grown, sustainable, eco-friendly and waste friendly items which are on sale to the public.

“One of the most often asked questions by tourists and local visitors is whether we have a shop. We used to have one, however it closed six years ago. The Trust is always looking for ways to fund the Gardens and we came up with the idea to open a pop-up shop which we hope will become a permanent fixture. The shop has been open since last week and there has been a lot of interest, so it’s great!” said Gnirk.

Items on sale include fridge magnets, soap, cushion covers, ceramic wear, aprons, picnic blankets and tea towels. Gnirk said they had also included vegetables from the permaculture garden and had discussed offering weekly ‘vegetables of the day.’

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“We felt it was important to give our local talent the chance to showcase their items and for us to not spend a fortune on imported goods. I have loved the journey of finding new items and meeting the people behind these items. We have a lot of ideas, so it is very exciting,” she said.

Koren said the Trust’s newly released book, Strelitzias of the World, will also be on sale at the shop which would offically be launched on 27 November.

She said a few tour buses had visited the Gardens over the past week and she was pleased there had been sales.

“Tour guides use the Durban Botanic Gardens as one of their stops and people always want to leave with something, so the shop should become popular. We also hope local visitors will also find something to buy to take home with them,” she said.

The shop is open every day from 8am to 4.30pm.

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