On a very wet, cold and miserable Spring day we visited Point House, owned by Wendy and Mark Rutherfoord. The 2.5 hectare property’s sprawling lawns, wide flower beds, water features and quirky chicken coop give this property an air of the grandeur of yesteryear. The beautifully restored house was built in the late nineteen twenties and completed in 1930.
The property nestles into the hillside on the edge of the Knysna Lagoon. Fortunately the original owner had the foresight to retain the ancient yellowwoods and ironwood trees which formed part of the coastal forest which stretched along the lagoon, bits are still left in Paradise, but most of the forest is now gone.
Despite the rain that come misting down, we had a fun morning listening to Carol Kennedy talking about historical homes and their nostalgic gardens. She took us all back to our childhood when Hollyhocks, Violets, Mignonette were they flowers of the day. Mark and Wendy told us a bit about the history of Point House and how it has changed over the years.
Photo: Dirk van der Zeyden
I’m hoping to go back to take some pictures of the garden when the sun is out to do justice to the glorious setting. The intention is to do a write up for our section “Knysna Gardens”.