Visit Barbados for the sun, sand, sea...and beautiful plants and gardens
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| Andromeda Botanic Garden
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| Treasure Beach Hotel
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'Parts looked like a giant rock garden, so Iris named it after Andromeda, the maid of Greek legend, who was chained to a boulder near the sea.'
'According to Barbadian legend, the grapefruit emerged from the Welchman Hall Gully in St Thomas in the 18th century as a natural cross between a shaddock and sweet orange.'
The most easterly of the Caribbean Islands, Barbados is an almost pear-shaped island just 21 miles long and 14 miles wide. There are several thousand plants species on the island but nearly all of these have been introduced from neighbouring islands, or further afield by settlers or keen plant collectors. In geographical terms, the island is flat and young mostly consisting of a coral limestone cap, so the soil is shallow and water is at a premium. This has not stopped the creation of many lovely gardens, both public and private, and there is a thriving horticultural society. As befits its Anglican roots, the island is divided into parishes named after saints, so once you have a map and know the parish of the place you want to visit, it is easy to find your way around.
Orchid World - St George
Orchid World in St George is the most well-known plant stop on the tourist route, not surprisingly as it succeeds in having plenty of interest for orchid enthusiasts, gardeners and non-gardeners alike. At 841 ft (256m) above sea level there is a fair breeze at the top of the garden and some fine views. It is in an area of high rainfall, so water is collected from roofs and stored in a large tank to water the orchids. A gentle walk round introduces you to different groups of orchids, each displayed in their most favoured environment. The epiphytes are outside on wire frames or in trees, while others nestle among ferns in natural coral limestone grottos. Further on there is a series of simple, walk-through orchid houses. One with 40 per cent shade netting suits the Ascocendas, while the sun-loving Vandas are basking in the courtyard where it is sheltered, but very sunny. An enclosed orchid house with a waterproof roof looked a bit dingy but, on entering, a lovely sweet vanilla scent filled the air courtesy of
Oncidium 'Sharry Baby'. Towards the end of the tour there is a wonderful display of
Dendrobium. While there, I chatted to three young Bajans working in the orchid houses; two of them had been there for seven years and they obviously enjoyed their jobs propagating and watering the orchids.
Andromeda Botanic Garden - St Joseph
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| Heliconia stricta 'Iris Bannochie', named after one of the island's leading horticulturalists
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The Andromeda Botanic Garden near Bathsheba, St Joseph, was once the weekend retreat of a highly respected horticulturalist, the late Iris Bannochie. In 1954, she started the garden on land inherited from her mother. On this steep, hilly site overlooking the rugged east coast, Iris planned the garden around a naturally cascading stream, rocky outcrops and large coral-stone boulders - parts looked like a giant rock garden, so she named it after Andromeda, the maid of Greek legend who was chained to a boulder near the sea. Iris died in 1988 and left her garden to the Barbados National Trust (BNT) as a botanic garden. They are now working with the University of West Indies to develop the research and conservation side of the garden, based around Iris' collections of orchids, water plants and heliconias. My first impression wasn't favourable. Taking the longer of two trails mentioned in their leaflet, I headed off up the hilly bits where it was weedy, plants had seen better days and paths were in need of maintenance, but later on found I found much more of interest nearer the house that I then hadn't time to explore. So, if you go, visit the areas near the house first, such as the waterlily pond, swimming pool and terrace and the orchid house, then move on to the palm area where some of the paths made are from bricks brought over as ballast in the holds of ships sent from England to collect the sugar. While in the area, take a drive around the rugged east coast, the Atlantic waves are impressive, although it's too dangerous to swim.
Flower Forest, St Joseph
The Flower Forest in St Joseph was well maintained and I found many tourists, particularly those with children, enjoying their visit. Once a sugar plantation, it opened as a public garden 23 years ago. It's not so much a 'flower forest', as the name might suggest, but a series of trails and paths through mature landscaped grounds with impressive palms, green lawns, some great viewing points of the Atlantic coast and plenty of seats. There's an easy-to-follow map with various options, including paths for wheelchairs users or those with buggies, and the plants were labelled.
Welchman Hall Gully - Thomas
The gullies on the island were originally underground rivers. When the coral limestone cap eroded, the roofs fell in leaving valleys with moist, sheltered environments where plants can thrive. One open to the public is Welchman Hall Gully in Thomas, which takes its name from General Williams, a settler of Welsh descent who developed a grove of exotic fruit trees there. According to Barbadian legend, the grapefruit emerged here in the 18th century as a natural cross between a shaddock and sweet orange. To visit, the driver drops you at one end of the gully and picks you up at the other, allowing you a flat walk of nearly a mile through. The start is quiet and still and it gives you a glimpse of how the island must have appeared to early settlers. There is a handy leaflet that names the plants and birds you might come across. Take in the geographical formations at the sides and plants, such as nutmeg trees, introduced into the gully over 100 years ago. I went an hour before closing time when it was deserted and eerily quiet. Although this gave me the chance to observe a troop of monkeys, if you are as easily spooked as I was, go a bit earlier!
Private gardens
Apart from gardens open to the public, there are many fascinating private gardens ranging from simple plantings around chattel houses, to grand plantation houses and landscaped modern houses (there is currently a lot of housing development and landscaping in Barbados). It is harder to track these down on a short visit, but if you go in January or February, the Barbados Horticultural Society has an Open Garden, a bit like our Yellow Book scheme, so do look in local papers and online when you're out there to see what's available.
Verge planting - St Johns
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| Marlene's verge
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| Marlene in her garden
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A drive further into the island will give you a taste of what the average Bajan gardener grows. Just in front of the ruined Moravian Church in St Johns lives a passionate gardener, Marlene, who finds gardening fits in with her shift work as a prison officer very well. She started planting out the verge of the sugar-cane field opposite her house, has now extended planting around the corner, and just keeps going planting up. All this planting has cost virtually nothing as it has come about from taking cuttings and broadcast sowing seeds into the verge. It is a wonderful tapestry of colour and inspiring to think one keen gardener has created this. And it is becoming a local talking point. If you find the planted-up sugar-cane verge, then by the bridge is also a lovely, neat little vegetable garden too, growing under a breadfruit tree.
While you're in the area, it's also worth taking a drive around the rugged east coast. The cliffs face out to the choppy Atlantic, where the sea is rougher and only braved by experienced surfers. The waves are impressive, although it's too dangerous to swim. But the west coast has calm, gentle waves and white sandy beaches, and this is where most of the beach hotels are located.
Treasure Beach Hotel - St James
I stayed at
Treasure Beach Hotel in St James. This is a small, intimate hotel with lovely landscaped gardens and helpful staff. It provides a quiet tranquil atmosphere near a white sandy beach by a beautiful mahogany tree. Ground-floor rooms are more like a suite with separate lounge and patio area. It is on the west coast on the main road between Bridgetown and Holetown, so there are plenty of buses and taxis and you are within easy reach of restaurants, nightlife and shops. The hotel was closed for renovation from May 2006, but reopened in November. Many of the guests are regulars and have been coming to Barbados for years, either to this particular hotel or others managed by Hamish Watson. If you take a taxi tour, I recommend Archie, an informative and reliable taxi guide, who will take you around the island to areas off the tourist trail, while filling you in on the history and people of the island.
When to visit
November to February seem to be the best time to visit as this avoids the wet season, but it also depends on what your (or your travelling partners) other interests are. There is a golf event in early December, finals of the world cricket in March 2007 and a 60-day arts festival starting March 5.
Look further
To plan your trip to Barbados visit either
Barbados.org or
Visit Barbados, both good sources of information.
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