Colourful cakes. Photo by Brenda Daniels.
Orchid. Photo by Brenda Daniels.
Lynn Easton recently invited me to attend the 16th anniversary celebration of her family business, Afscot Financial Services. What a delightful occasion the day turned out to be. Colourful eats, a soothing foot massage, an intimate home environment, cheerful conversation and the strains of live banjo music all made for a lovely experience. But what really made my time at this Durban venue special was a tour around Lynn’s gorgeous garden. Full of roses, orchids, bonsais and bromeliads, this sanctuary is the handiwork of Lynn’s very talented and hardworking son, James.
Bonsais on stands. Photo by Brenda Daniels.
James is a recovering drug addict and a fine example of a young person who has since channelled his energies into the creation of a masterpiece. James puts in hours and hours of work a week and enters the garden into gardening competitions. He is so painstaking with his efforts that he even cuts the verge grass with scissors! While mum, Lynn, hovers over him with a light, James prostrates himself into all hours of the night, trimming the lawn at the base of the rose bushes into perfection.
Rockery. Photo by Brenda Daniels.
This particular lawn is the only one on the premises. The rest of the garden is made up of beds, landscaped into unique areas. I was delighted by the beautiful and varied orchids attached to trees, the bonsais displayed on wooden stands at different heights, the rose bushes planted in honour of special people, and the creative rockeries planted with rare bromeliads.
By Lynn’s own account, she is a “slave” to both her husband (in their hospitality industry insurance business) and her son (in the garden)! But she does it gladly. With the couple’s daughter also involved in Afscot Financial Services, this is a true family business. This business and its garden is a beacon of beauty in the Durban community.
a feast of tales 