Jameson Park is famous for its magnificent rose gardens which flourish despite Durban's hot and humid climate. The park is perfect for picnics and photos, especially in spring when the roses are at their blooming best. There are some 600 rose bushes, accounting for around 200 species.

Durban's Jameson Park provides colourful evidence in support of the oft-asked question: Do roses really flourish in a humid, sub-tropical climate?

Formerly a fruit plantation, Jameson Park was subsequently transformed into an oasis of stunning roses. Today the small park showcases Durban's roses and boasts around 200 species comprising 600 rose bushes.

The park is situated in the well-established suburb of Morningside which still retains some of its former Victorian architecture.

If you look up from the park, a large home dominates the skyline. This is Elephant House, built in the early 1850s on the highest point on the Berea. It earned its name due to repeated attacks by elephants on their way up a well-worn path (now Florida Road) to drink at the Greyville marsh (today part of the the Royal Durban Golf Course). The house was declared a National Monument in 1978.

Although Jameson Park is open throughout the year, it's at its best when the roses are in bloom between September and November.

Every rose bush is well tended, and neatly manicured soft green lawns separate different displays. Lose yourself in the trails between the rose bushes and abandon your senses to the sight and smell of these special flowers that are an acknowledged symbol of love the world over.

Jameson Park is a wonderful photographic destination for obvious reasons, so don't forget your camera and picnic basket if you're in the mood for an alfresco lunch.

The park is named in honour of Robert Jameson, a councillor, chairman of the sanitary committee and later mayor of Durban from 1895 to 1897.