Leon Kluge knew from an early age that his life would be tied to plants.

While other children might have spent their weekends at shopping malls, Kluge was more likely to be found exploring mountains with an orchid society or helping at flower shows in botanical gardens.
His father was curator of the Nelspruit Botanical Garden, his grandfather curated the Betty’s Bay Botanical Garden and his mother ran a nursery. “I knew from a very early age I was going to play with plants, whether creating gardens, growing plants, or flower installations,” said Kluge.

He considers himself fortunate to turn that passion into a career. Kluge was invited by Auckland Park Preparatory School to take part in its 105th birthday celebrations on October 2, bringing that lifelong passion to the school and its community.

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He spoke to pupils earlier in the day before sharing his experiences of preparing for the 2026 RHS Chelsea Flower Show – where he won gold – with the public during the afternoon programme.
For Kluge, the fascination with plants has never been simply about how beautiful they look. “It is their stories. They each have a story of survival,” he said.
He described plants as part of an intricate network in which bees, butterflies, birds, wind and other creatures help them reproduce and survive. “The deeper you delve into it, the deeper you realise how every single thing is interconnected,” he said.

That sense of connection also drives his efforts to showcase South African plants internationally. Kluge said he takes pride in introducing international audiences to the country’s extraordinary floral heritage, particularly its indigenous proteas and fynbos. He believes South Africans sometimes lose sight of the significance of their natural heritage, while other countries have embraced and commercially grown many South African species. “That is why I drive for an indigenous love of flowers at my shows,” he said.

His career has taken that message far beyond South Africa. One of the major turning points came when he won the Gardening World Cup in Japan, an achievement he said helped establish him on the international stage and led to invitations to participate in shows in different countries. Another memorable project was designing a garden for Disney’s film Maleficent.

Despite the international recognition, Kluge remains passionate about encouraging ordinary people to discover plants for themselves.

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His advice to aspiring gardeners is straightforward: start small, get your hands dirty and learn from people around you. “Just join a garden club. Go to the talks and listen,” he said.

Kluge hopes his talks, including his session at the school, will spark curiosity. “I hope to trigger a newfound love of plants,” he said.

For someone who has spent a lifetime surrounded by flowers, that may be the most important thing of all – encouraging the next generation to stop, look a little closer and discover the stories growing all around them.

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