St. Vincent Botanic Gardens

My first view of the St. Vincent Botanic gardens was a limited one from a hospital room. I had given birth to my first child at the Botanic Garden Hospital, and could see some of the lovely tropical blooms from my small balcony. I had of course heard about the gardens, but trips to the mainland from Bequia were usually a mad dash to get chores done before ferry time, and roaming through botanic gardens had never been on my “to-do” list!

The history of the gardens is quite interesting. Established by the Governor of the Windward islands in 1765, it’s the oldest botanic garden in the western hemisphere. It was administered by the British war office, the purpose being the cultivation and improvement of wild plants as well as the importation of plants from similar climates. The aim was to improve the island’s resources economically and to provide a steady food supply. Nutmeg and black pepper were imported from French Giana, and fruits such as plum rose and carambola were introduced as well. The most famous importation was that of the breadfruit tree, delivered by none other than Captain Bligh in 1793!

20 acres were allocated for the gardens, although 3 acres were later carved out for the building of what is now Government House. The project was curated by the British, even during the French occupation between 1779 and 1783. It was well understood that St. Vincent offered an important agricultural station for the West Indies, and for many years shared plants offering food sources with other islands. Today the gardens are under the management of the St. Vincent Ministry of Agriculture, a beautiful and peaceful haven enjoyed by tourists and locals alike.

In the late 80’s my Auntie Bea visited Bequia, her first and last venture to the West Indies. Of English descent, my maiden aunt was quite proper, and although she enjoyed her visit with my parents on Bequia it wasn’t really her “cup of tea”. Auntie Bea had worked her entire life as a bank auditor in Toronto and, although not a stranger to travel, the Caribbean was vastly different from what she was used to. We happened to be on the mainland together when my daughter Vanessa got sick, and the poor child was sick enough that I decided to take her to see Dr. Cyrus at his botanic garden clinic.

I dropped Auntie Bea off at the gardens close by, figuring she could take a tour with one of the guides while Vanessa and I saw the doctor. Spotting a young fellow with rasta locks outside the garden’s gate, I asked him to take care of my aunt until I returned.

When I got back to the gardens I longed for a camera, the sight of my prim auntie sitting on the grass with her guide was a real treat. They were chatting with such animation I hated to interrupt, but we had to catch the ferry! My aunt turned to her new-found friend and gratefully gave him a dollar for his time, which to his immense credit he accepted gracefully. I discreetly slipped him a twenty-dollar bill, he had spent nearly two hours with my auntie Bea and certainly deserved more than a dollar! That visit to the St. Vincent Botanic gardens was by far the highlight of my aunt’s visit to the Caribbean – it was more her “cup of tea”.

Before Mac began building our house at Belmont he visited the gardens frequently, buying whatever they were willing to sell. He planted trees and flowers throughout the property, and they sprang to life under his care. Unfortunately, the drought we experienced in 1993-1994 killed off a lot of the citrus trees, and then mealy bug infestation wreaked havoc on his hibiscus plants. The plants and trees that survived are a testament to Mac’s love of gardening, and to the importance of the propagation stations at the St. Vincent Botanic Gardens.