With its warm tropical climate there are many different places open to the public where you can fill your soul with peace, tranquillity and beautiful flora. My two favourite gardens on the island are Andromeda Gardens and Hunte’s Gardens. Both have been developed over a number of years by individuals who fell in love with horticulture and have left a long standing legacy.
Andromeda Gardens;
Developed by Iris Bannochie (1914-1988) who was known as the leading expert on horticulture on the island. Amongst other attributes she was a founding member of the Barbados National Trust and for many years President of the Barbados Orchid Circle and the Barbados Horticultural Society (BHS). She travelled the world collecting exotic and beautiful plants and led the BHS in repeatedly winning gold and silver medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. In 1977, she was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by the RHS for her contribution to tropical horticulture.
Andromeda is the largest and oldest garden in Barbados sited on the East Coast of the island just above Bathsheba. With 8 acres and over 500 species you are literally spoilt from the minute you enter.
It’s always a great start when you are greeted by a smiley face and in this case it is quite often Sharon Cooke. She is always so happy to explain all about the history of the gardens and how they developed before explaining how the on line guide works. They have wifi so it is easily downloadable. I personally love a guide sheet so I can follow it around, understand what we are looking at and hopefully not miss anything en route.
This garden is honestly a little piece of paradise tucked away from the hustle n bustle of the rest of the island which I urge everyone to visit (it is accessible by bus if you don’t drive, call them and they will give you guidance and support). It was originally created by Iris back in 1950 and opened to the public in the 1970”s. Iris was definitely a lady who lived before her time searching the world over for plants, shrubs n trees that she could plant here in order to transform the landscape.
We loved how she had created small gardens within one large garden like the palm tree area, for example, where there are couple of trees that are on the list of possible extinction!
We also enjoyed sitting and just being, absorbing the sounds and smells around us. Listening to the bird song and watching the wildlife including one little fellow who landed on a leaf above us and reminded us of “Harry” from a very long running UK programme filmed in the Caribbean.
There are strategically placed seats throughout so plenty of opportunities just to relax n enjoy this beautiful corner of Barbados.
We are NT members back in the UK which means we could have received a discount but tbh we were happy to pay the full price and support this wonderful cause.
Hunte’s Gardens:
Opened in 2007 we visited Hunte’s Gardens on our most recent trip and were fortunate to actually meet and speak to its creator Anthony Hunte.
Purchased in 1990 and with the assistance of five workers, Anthony has transformed this 2.5 acre space which was originally a “sink hole” or collapsed cave into a beautiful paradise frequented by butterflies and many species of birds including hummingbirds.
At the entrance you are greeted by this lovely statue (below) which exemplifies exactly the world you are about to enter. An area of beautiful tranquillity with strategically placed chairs of all descriptions for you to sit and really take in your surroundings.
Blending nature with art the gardens are a real sanctuary for the soul with an array of tropical plants that Anthony has hand-picked from all around the world which have flourished in the Barbados soil.
This epitome of nature reminds me of Trebah Gardens in Cornwall back in England which I have previously written about:
https://amidlifeadventure.org/2024/05/17/the-amazing-place-that-is-trebah-gardens/
Having experienced the gardens themselves you can also walk back up to the top, where Anthony’s house and the old stables still stand, to partake of a refreshing drink, in my case it was a lovely unsweetened ice tea before heading back out onto your travels around the island.
In my next post you can read about a couple of different experiences I have had on the island, ideal for that special occasion!
If you want any more ideas or information about places to visit on the island by all means comment and get in touch.
A Midlife Adventure 