Tucked away in the scenic embrace of the Breede River Valley, one finds Adene’s Farm Flowers, an incredible flower farm. Owned and run by the passionate, green-fingered Adene Nieuwoudt, Adene’s Farm Flowers (established in 2016) is one of the best producers and suppliers of local blooms and unique flowers in South Africa. Best of all, in recent years, Adene has kindly opened the family’s working farm up to the public for weekend open days.

These open days are spread out in selected summer months (annually) when the flowers bloom best; usually from mid-December to the first week of April.

A visit to the unassuming, down-to-earth Platvlei Farm in Wolseley reveals the beauty of Adene’s flower business. It is a magical experience for young and old to enjoy.

In this post, I share more about this stunning Cape farm and highlight Adene’s well-known flower offerings.

Flower Power – and Passion to the Fore

Not only is Adene’s Farm Flowers dedicated to “producing high quality, beautiful and long-lasting fresh cut flowers and foliage” – but the focus is on eco-friendly growing practices, environmentally balanced and responsible family farming.

This is something you really get a sense of when visiting. Even as you see the passion and efficiency with which Adene and her staff run her flower business.

The setup is professional, yet laid-back and the staff are warm and welcoming. This makes you feel instantly at home in the countryside.

Adene’s love for flowers wooed her into this business and unearthed (quite literally) her talent for growing beautiful things that bring joy to others.

Today, she is one of the biggest and best flower suppliers locally. Her business provides flowers for florists, weddings and events, wholesalers and even the popular Oranjezicht Market, where she has a lovely stall.

Local and International Flower Favourites

Her flowers, which range from local favourites like cosmos flowers and roses to more exotic varieties, celebrate “the fleeting beauty of the season, freshly gathered from our fields and gardens.”

Many of the flower types have been imported to SA shores from places such as the Netherlands, Italy and beyond. Something that makes them truly unique.

With everything from outstanding dahlias to pretty anemones, this flower farm offers an amazing range of fresh cut flowers for the public to purchase.

You can either order online, purchase them from selected stores or buy some when visiting for farm open days.

They sell out quickly on the open days and even at the market stall so it’s best to secure some early, if you can. Also, if you are buying fresh flowers on the farm, bring a bucket with.

Aside from the fresh flowers you can buy at the farm, they also sell beautiful, quality linen and floral masks near the entrance.

Adene’s Farm Flowers: Incredible Open Days at Platvlei Farm

I have wanted to visit for the open days since November 2019. Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to do so.

First off, the drive from Cape Town is a truly scenic one. Especially if you travel along the N1 through the Huguenot Tunnel, then Rawsonville and into Wolseley’s farmlands and wineries. It is a nice road trip, coming in at about 75 minutes’ driving time (one-way). You can travel via Wellington or via Paarl if travelling from the Mother City.

Every season – usually during summer to early autumn – Adene opens the farm on weekends for the public to enjoy.

Entry tickets cost R70 per adult and R40 per child. (Although you receive a free packet of seedlings valued at R65 anyway. Children also receive a seed packet.) You can pay using cash, card or Snapscan.

Personally, I think it’s really good value because you can spend on average 1-2 hours (if not more) among the flowers. What’s more, you get the soothing experience of exploring a working farm in the countryside.

On average, you can see some 25 000 flowering dahlias, 6 000 heirloom roses, 2 000 hydrangeas, plus many other flower varieties and this is a fun, family-friendly experience.

It is great for garden lovers, families and friends to enjoy together as a safe, fun outing. Please just keep an eye on your children and ensure they don’t pick the flowers or damage them. You cannot pick your own flowers here. You can only purchase pre-cut ones from the farm.

We visited at the tail-end of the 2020/2021 flower season in mid-March. Yet we still saw the most glorious displays and in truth, thousands of flowers.

Adene’s Open Days and Need-to-Know Info

On Saturdays and Sundays, during selected months, visitors can enjoy entrance to the farm from 08:00 am – 12:00 pm. (Keep an eye out on their social channels for announcements.)

Please note: The farm is only open to the public on selected weekends and for floral design-type workshops, which Adene sometimes hosts throughout the year.

Entry is not allowed past 12:00 pm. However, if you are ready inside before 12:00 pm, you are welcome to spend some of the afternoon at the farm too.

It is best to arrive early as we did (a few minutes after they open is best) because, not only do the netted greenhouses get very warm and humid but Wolseley is quite hot in general. Plus, the crowds definitely start increasing from 9:30 – 10:00 am onwards…

In terms of what to bring, you should definitely bring sunscreen (even in cloudy weather), a sun hat, and if you are going to buy flowers, a bucket.

Oh and wear closed, sensible flat shoes. The paths are generally smooth and well-maintained but it is a farm and after rain, it can get muddy. There is also gravel in places so it is not suited to heels or fancy shoes.

Disappear Among the Flowers

When you enter, you generally get told where the different displays are set out – but it’s pretty easy to just work your way from the entrance down through each greenhouse as you go.

The cosmos are largely outside behind the main greenhouses and then, closer to the fruit orchard and the river, you will find the roses.

There is some signage and well-worn paths – but if you get confused, just check with the staff. (On a separate note: I loved watching the staff harvest and cart the flowers off; I think it adds to the whole experience.)

When you are exploring the rows of flowers, which are pretty endless, you can stick to the main paths but here and there, you can go among the flower rows.

I generally just stuck to the main paths because I didn’t want to knock or damage the blooms… You still get to see the flowers close up and pose next to them for photos so it’s perfect.

A Breathtaking Sight to See

To say that you see an incredible array of flowers and other foliage is an understatement; it is absolutely beautiful!

Some of the flowers, like the dahlias, are bigger than your hand. And the vibrancy of the blooms with their different shades, shapes and colours is a wonder.

I also loved looking at the name tags, like ‘American Dream’, located beneath some of the flowers. If you don’t know the flower/plant variety, you can ask the staff but I enjoyed admiring all the flowers, even the ones I hadn’t seen before.

Pop-up Coffee Shop for Open Day Visitors

On open days, there is a pop-up coffee shop open for visitors. Here, you can buy coffee and a selection of savoury and sweet treats; you can pay with cash or card.

I really love that they have set up lovely park benches and picnic spots on the lawn. There is even a nice kiddies’ playground near the coffee shop.

It’s a very pretty setting under the pin oaks, overlooking the hydrangeas and the perfect end to your flower outing. There is ample space for social distancing and the staff really sanitise the tables after each use, something that really impressed me.

Honestly, the chocolate cake, made by a local baker, was one of the best ever (so moist and decadent) and their selection is sorely tempting.

I also think it’s such a thoughtful gesture that each table has a little vase of flowers on it as an extra touch.

Restaurants and Accommodation near Adene’s Farm Flowers

If you need a more substantial meal, there are a selection of lovely restaurants relatively close by between Wolseley and Rawsonville. Among them are BOSJES, Opstal Estate and Restaurant, Rijks and Waverley Hills Restaurant.

There are also plenty of great wineries in the Wolseley and Rawsonville area, each well worth a visit. (Something I still need to do…)

For those who wish to linger longer, there is such wonderful accommodation nearby too. In fact, you can even stay at Platvlei Farm. They have the beautiful, self-catering Orchard Stay, which you can rent out.

To enquire about booking the Orchard Stay, please contact: +27 (071) 105 3121, info@orchardstay.co.za or visit their website.

Order Flowers Online

For those who can’t visit the farm in person, you can still order Adene’s gorgeous flowers online. They are categorised by type, month or colour and it’s lovely browsing her pretty website and seeing the different flowers available for purchase.

Please note: Cut-off times for orders are 06:00 am the day before your selected delivery day. If your order is placed after the cut-off time, it will be added to the next week’s order for that selected day of the week.

Delivery points include: Paarden Eiland, MKem, Klapmuts Butterfly World and CT International Airport, to name a few. For more information on online flower orders, please contact Adene’s team directly via email or visit their website.

Alternatively, you can visit their flower stall at the Oranjezicht City Farm Market and buy some fresh flowers there. They tend to sell out quite quickly though so just keep that in mind.

Contact Information and Open Day Dates

Open Day Dates 2021/2022:

Adene’s Farm Flowers will be open for the summer 2021/2022 season from 18-19 December 2021. They will be open every weekend, except 25 December and 1 January, up until 3 April 2022. The farm is open for viewing and Christmas flower shopping on 23 – 24 December 2021.

If you have any queries regarding the open days, please contact Adene’s Farm Flowers via email: info@adeneflowers.co.za.

In my experience, the team is very responsive and helpful but please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

You can also visit their website: adeneflowers.co.za or find and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

If you would like to visit the farm for their excellent open days, you can find them at Platvlei Fruit Farm, Wolseley, Western Cape, South Africa. (It is pretty easy to find using Google Maps and we had no trouble navigating.)