PRIDE OF BARBADOS

GARDENING HIGHLIGHTS

Besides Hunte’s Gardens (huntesgardensbarbados. com), several other gardens in Barbados are worth visiting. Andromeda (andromedabarbados. com) has a dramatic setting above the Atlantic coast in Bathsheba, with “rooms” devoted to varieties of plants – heliconia (such as bird of paradise and torch ginger), amaryllis, bougainvillea, succulents and medicinal plants. Orchid World (orchidworldbarbados. com) displays a range of tropical flowers in addition to orchids in myriad colours in its several green houses. The Flower Forest (flowerforestbarbados. com) offers a leisurely walk around a hillside with excellent heliconia and mature trees such as cocoa and sandbox with its thorny trunk.

Hotel garden tours

It’s always worth asking your hotel gardener about plants and trees under their care and most are delighted to chat and take you on an informal tour, including the Sugar Cane Club. Other hotels offering tours include Cobbler’s Cove (cobblerscove.com, Thursdays) and Coral Reef (coralreefbarbados.com, Wednesdays). They are happy to admit outside guests if you ring a couple of days in advance.

Open gardens programme

The Barbados Horticultural Society (horticulturebarbados. com) opens several private gardens on Sundays early in the year, when the dry season and flowering season coincide with the high tourism season. The 2017 programme runs from January 15 till midMarch. The BHS also exhibits each year at the Chelsea Flower Show and has won a gold medal for the past several years.