Behind Babylonstoren #8: Tenecia Stevens

You aren’t necessarily born with green fingers; they grow on you.  

It’s coming on pumpkin season at Babylonstoren, and if there’s one person with gourds on the mind, it’s Tenecia Stevens. Tenecia meticulously tends to the young tendrils as they creep and grow from spring through summer. Come autumn, her squash crop is a modern-day Cinderella story with giant gourds, big enough to sit on.  

Tenecia ascribes her gardening roots to her grandpa’s love for green and growing things. “He was a proper vegetable farmer. From a small patch in his Worcester yard, we harvested roses and flowers, fruit from his trees and veggies year-round. He had a knack for gardening, which sparked something in me from a young age,” she recalls.  

A practical education at Boland College confirmed her calling. “I needed to be outside.” Following a few internships on prominent fruit and wine farms in the Boland, she eventually decided to put down roots in the Babylonstoren garden.  

“I love the freedom to experiment with old, new and interesting cultivars. To be guided by a seasonal planting schedule. Babylonstoren was the answer. I started in one of the hottest months – December – and all I did was pick weeds in the blazing sun. But I knew this was where I wanted to be. I fell in love with the veggies. 

“Now, the garden is my kingdom.”  

While guided by the seasons, Tenecia ensures structure with a weekly gardening schedule. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for harvesting and this happens early morning, especially in summer.  

“We aim to be done before 10h00 and have the fresh produce delivered to Didi Brink and her team in the fresh production facility.” 

Mondays are also for cleaning and soil prep in the garden, while Wednesdays and Thursdays are for planting and sowing. On Fridays, everything is prepped for the weekend ahead, with the best possible guest experience as main goal.  

“Many of the cultivars we grow are to enhance our guests’ experience in the garden. We love the weird and wonderful, the colourful and the quirky. I love it when guests are intrigued and have the courage to ask questions …” 

Help, my peas aren’t growing! 

How do you know when a butternut is ready to harvest?’ 

Why are my carrots so bitter?’ 

“I get to impart – and learn – something new with fellow green thumbs every day.” 

In autumn, the Babylonstoren pumpkin collection takes centre stage, culminating in pumpkin workshops and the annual Babylonstoren Pumpkin Fun Day. This year, it takes place from 28 February to 2 March. Young and old are invited to partake in pumpkin shot put, butternut tenpin bowling, pumpkin carving, pit-spitting and more. Pumpkin-flavoured treats will be on offer while the Puff Adder walkway will feature a gourd-geous exhibition of the cucurbit cultivars grown on the farm.  

3 Quick Questions with Tenecia  

Where and how can guests interact with you?  

Look out for me in the main garden. I also host all the Seasonal Grow Your Own Veggies workshops this year. Book online.

What’s your favourite veg?  

Any root veggie. We recently planted a potato trial block in the garden with many interesting – and colourful – spud cultivars. I love chatting to visitors about our purple potatoes!  

What’s your favourite event in the Babylonstoren garden?  

It may be a cliché, but I love Garden Day at Babylonstoren. There is such a lekker vibe in the garden – not only among the many visitors, but also within the team. Everyone is excited to share the year’s work with fellow green thumbs.  

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