A Blooming Affair is a yearly garden and craft market day organised by the South African Old Roedeanian Association.  Held in Roedean’s beautiful gardens, the school turns into a beautiful craft market where you can enjoy scrumptious food, treat yourself to bespoke quality goods and walk through the gardens.  A great day out for families and friends alike, do not miss our yearly event on the first Saturday of October each year.

For over 35 years, the late Anne Lorentz created a magnificent garden of botanical interest at Roedean, a garden that ‘intertwines’ with the school’s +120-year history. Fiorina and Selwyn Jansen were entrusted with the care and development of the Roedean’s gardens for 12 years until 2021, during which time they built on Anne’s legacy. Martine de la Harpe was the landscaper overseeing the care of the Roedean gardens until September 2023. The gardens are currently in the care of landscaper Heather Mansour who is also the owner of Styleview Gardens. A Blooming Affair is part of Gardens of the Golden City, a wonderful initiative that invites the public to get behind our walls and fences to explore Jozi’s best kept gardening secrets while raising funds for various charities.

Beneficiaries of the event are chosen on an annual basis in terms of our policy on funding of charitable organisations. The proceeds of our 2019 event were donated to The Roedean Academy, The Roedean School Access Awards Fund, The Link Literacy Project, 1st Things 1st and Gardens of the Golden City.  All unsold books were donated to the Society for Animals in Distress. The proceeds from our online shop were donated to The Roedean Academy in 2020 and 2021. The proceeds from our 2022 and 2023 events were donated to The Roedean Academy, The Link Literacy Project and Life Spheres.

The South African Old Roedeanian Association appeals to the public and our Roedean community to help us raise funds for our beneficiaries by making a donation.  We hope that through your generous donations on this platform, we will be able to raise sufficient funds to support our beneficiaries!

You are most welcome to make a donation at any time!  Any donation, no matter how big or small, will be most appreciated.

Our 14th annual A Blooming Affair Garden & Craft Market Day is scheduled to take place on the first Saturday of October – Saturday 4 October 2025.

Please contact us via our Contact Us page or by sending an email to info@abloomingaffair.co.za, should you wish to apply for a stall!  Note: Stalls are usually fully booked by April.