BREAKFAST AT THE FAIRMONT, BARBADOS

The Fairmont Royal Pavilion was originally built in the 1940’s and was the first hotel to be constructed on the West Coast of Barbados. Although it has expanded in size over the years, the overall architecture of the hotel is Mediterranean, the buildings enhanced by tropical gardens originally designed by the renowned South American landscape architect Fernando Tabora.

The sweeping drive of majestic palms lit from the coast road had always held a fascination for me so I booked myself in for breakfast and a tour of the gardens with head gardener, Winslow Greaves, who has spent the last 25 years of his working life tending the plants around the 11 acre site and knows each plant intimately.

Open air atriums, pathways and courtyards are all lushly planted with a huge array of plants ranging from Crotons through to Ixoras and Philodendrons with plenty of treasures in between - a scented white Gardenia had reached shrub-like proportions in one shady courtyard and a yellow chalice vine scrambled up and through a trellis in another more sunny spot.

 

 

The native bearded fig after which Barbados was named by the Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos (meaning  ‘the bearded ones’ in Portuguese) towered over a pathway and a banana was fruiting above an understorey of star jasmine. 

 

 

 

Bushy Acalypha dripping with its red tail-like flowers made our own very British summer bedding offerings seem pathetic in comparison.

Away from the hotel buildings there are more botanical treasures to be found within the grounds –over 50 different varieties of palm to be discovered and one in particular, the silver fan palm, was shown off well by some brilliant textural plantings.

 

 

 

The gardens were full interesting plants but, for me, some parts of the grounds were a tad too neat.  I have a personal preference for plants to spill naturally rather than be clipped into hedge-like uniformity.  In some areas (but not all) of the gardens, this particular style of maintenance made some parts of the garden feel a bit clinical, less relaxed and thus detracted from the atmosphere.

But onto the gastronomical element of my visit which, in this case, was breakfast.  Every variety of fresh fruit, breads and pastries were the continental offering along with a selection of hot dishes and eggs cooked to order.  But you could have a bit of everything and eating al fresco with an exceptional sea view was a perfect excuse to linger over as many breakfast courses that it was possible to have and for as long as possible, although 8am to 10am is the norm.  Garden tours are every Wednesday from 10am to 11.30am and can assist in working off the calories once overindulgence has taken place.

NOTE: Fernando Tabora was involved in designing the Parque Del Este in Caracas, Venezuela, and the Aterro Do Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 1968, Tabora and his partner, John Stoddart, received the National Venezuelan Award for Landscape Architecture. Tabora is still consulted on landscape design at The Fairmont Royal Pavilion.

You can also book for Sunday buffet lunch and the special evenings here –the Tuesday night Gala dinner and the Thursday night West Indian cookout.

www.fairmont.com

Fairmont Royal Pavilion, Porters, St James

LUNCH AT THE COLONY CLUB, BARBADOS

FOOD AND GARDENS

For people with a hankering for a bit of luxury in their life and with pockets deep enough to accommodate it, the west coast of Barbados is the place to be.  Hotels here hog the seafront and can seem a bit ‘over exclusive’ for the everyday visitor.  But not a bit of it.  A little known fact is that there are no private beaches in Barbados.  Beaches are for everyone to enjoy and access paths can be found all along the coast road.  With a bit of research though, you can add a bit of luxury to the experience.  Many hotels are open for breakfast, lunch or dinner – and with just a little advance booking you can combine a garden visit with great food and relaxing on the beach.

LUNCH AT THE COLONY CLUB

There’s a wonderful Bajan tradition called the buffet lunch.  It’s an ‘all you can eat’ affair and for the equivalent of between £20 and £40, the food is plentiful and delicious.  I’ve indulged in (or pigged out on) quite a few over the years, but this year I decided that The Colony Club was worth a try and booked ahead.  I can say, without reservation, that this buffet was particularly exceptional.  Fresh fish, salads, beef, ham, lamb stew, vegetables, grilled fish to order followed by a selection of deserts stacked up to at least five courses.  The elegant surroundings ,brilliant service and the steel band added to the ambiance of the occasion and after eating to a standstill, there was little else I could do but stagger a  few yards to the beach for a lie down.  Beach-bedside drinks service until sunset made the afternoon complete or, should I say, replete.

However, gastronomy aside, the gardens here were a real surprise.  Winding paths through lush tropical planting made the grounds feel more like a garden than a hotel so, needless to say, I wanted to find out more and booked myself onto one of the weekly garden tours.  

After setting the scene with a bit of history about the hotel, head gardener Sandra showed us round.  Within minutes it was obvious that her plant knowledge was exceptional and she was pleased to answer all my questions on familiar and less familiar tropical plants. 

The gardens are a horticulturalist’s dream from the trees, some of which had been there for decades and set the scene for the planting, to the myriad of palms, shrubs and ground cover plants which were all planted sympathetically and informally around the various guest buildings and pools dotted around and through the gardens.

 

 

Highlights for me were the mass planting of Philodendron under an ancient evergreen tree which gave it bags of atmosphere.

 

 

Travellers Palms planted either side of a path forming an archway of architectural foliage.

 

 

Some wonderfully unusual ginger lilies.

 

 

The waterfall surrounded by ferns.

 

 

 And, finally, the most incredible blue water lily in a formal pond.

 

I came away with a comprehensive plant list, an increased knowledge of tropical plants and a burning envy of Sandra who comes here to work every day.

You can also book for breakfast and dinner but come before sunset to enjoy the gardens – look out for jazz nights too.

www.colonyclubhotel.com

Colony Club Hotel, Folkestone, St James

EARTH MOTHER BOTANICALS, BARBADOS

One of the downsides of the tropics is mosquitoes and mosquito bites (more in Trials and Tributes on this), both of which are unpleasant.  At the time of day when you are just beginning to enjoy the sunset that they come out in force to find their victims. The smell of proprietary insect repellents is, quite frankly, disgusting and I hate using them (see Trials and Tributes post).

A couple of years ago on a small stand in a shopping mall, I came across Earth Mother Botanicals, a company based in Barbados, who were selling of gorgeous herbal products from salves to soaps and I decided to give their organic ‘Bug Be Gone’ insect repellent a go having nothing to lose at this stage.  To my surprise it smelled gorgeous, of lemongrass, with the bonus that it did actually repel mosquitoes so I was interested to find out more about their lotions and potions.

 
Heading off one morning up Gun Hill towards Four Cross Roads in St John, I was met by Amy LeMay, one of the founders of the company, in a small and very fragrant front garden. What I didn’t expect was that the whole business was run from a house on the side of the road and that most of the herbs used in the products were grown on the premises in the yard at the back. 

 

In the surprisingly small backyard most of the herbs, trees and flowers used in their products are grown in raised beds which are packed to the gunnels and cropped extensively.  Like most herbs, the more you pick the more you get so space is not necessarily an issue.  Amy was keen to impart some of her incredible knowledge of the healing properties of tropical herbs and some of their amazing stories of which one was the Morinda tree.

 

Used extensively by cane field workers who toiled for hours under the hot sun,  a glossy Morinda leaf plucked from the tree and put under their hats would gently infuse its healing properties into their bodies and stop headaches, back, joint and muscle pain.  Their Morinda Leaf muscle and joint rub has a massive following.

 

 

 

The Neem tree was another.  Neem is fast being recognized worldwide for its healing properties and its wonder leaves are added here to oil which is fast becoming the main treatment by a leading podiatrist on the island for nail fungus.

 

 

 

The Green Earth salve cures a myriad of skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, rashes, insect bites and with ingredients including Wonder World (or Tree of Life), Cure for All and Cerasee it’s not surprising that this salve is used by doctors and dermatologists.  I can also attest to its effectiveness as I am allergic to plasters and, having used one, had an itchy rash.  After one day’s application of Green Earth, the rash had all but disappeared.



Wonder World or Tree of Life
 

Cerasee



Cure for All

All the remedies, of which the ones above are just a few, are made in a converted outbuilding in the yard where outside, large jars of herbs infuse within their oils in the sun.

 

Amy is very proud of being as environmentally friendly as she can be by composting plant waste and using local people to make her packaging from the hand-made paper for the soaps to the mahogany boxes for the gift packs.  Even the cotton seed oil used in some of the products is grown on the island exclusively for the business.

Amy LeMay



When asked about how the company began, Amy explained that her love of herbs and healing had led her, from teaching at a retreat in the USA, to Barbados where she had come to initially teach classes about herbs.   The enormous interest in and popularity of the classes led Amy and her business partner Sandra to realise that there was a huge gap in the Barbados market and so 14 years ago they started to build their business. 

 

With an ever increasing demand for environmentally friendly and organic products in Barbados, Earth Mother Botanicals will soon outgrow its production space as demand is rapidly increasing and they now have a presence in supermarkets and spas as well as shopping malls. You can also catch up with them at the various farmers markets that are springing up all over the island too.



 

Amy will send out products worldwide.  Just contact them via their website. www.earthmotherbotanicals.com

 

 

TRIALS AND TRIBUTES - MOSQUITOES

One of the big downsides of the tropics is mosquitoes. Some people suffer more than others – whether it’s to do with sugar levels in the blood or just plain being a tourist – it’s guaranteed that you are going to get bitten at some time.

In the years I’ve been travelling I’ve picked up a few tips and trialled a few products – some of which work and some that don’t. One of the fundamental things that you need to know is that sunset is the worst time of day to get bitten – just when you are enjoying that sun-downer, out they come in force.

My top tip is DON’T WEAR BLACK – in fact avoid all dark colours as they are attracted to them with the result that will be buzzing around you in no time.

It’s been said before but if you are going to hang out in a bar for the evening, cover up a bit. Wear loose trousers and a long-sleeved top or a maxi-dress – both linen and silk look good and are surprisingly cool and apply repellent to your feet and ankles.

Which leads me to my next point – they love to bite ankles and lower legs – probably because when you are sat at a bar or a table, that’s where the darkest place is.

If you are staying at a house or hotel, make sure that either the windows have insect nets or close them altogether at sundown otherwise just as you are in bed that annoying little whine around your head will begin before long and keep you awake for hours until you’ve tracked down the culprit.

Invest in some fly spray and spray your house or room before you go out so that anything lurking will have been dealt with when you get back.

Citronella candles can help as they don’t like the smell but won’t solve the problem altogether.

Citronella oil is good and readily available – add a couple of drops to your suntan or body lotion and that will help keep them away.

PRODUCT REVIEW:

Boots Repel: I’ve tried this in the spray and the cream and the smell is overpowering and quite disgusting – does it work? Not noticeably for me. I tried the yellow bottle deet-free formula with citronella but I’ve noticed they have brought out a blue light fragrance range– maybe worth another try. www.boots.com

Jungle Formula: As above – overpowering. Made me cough – not a good sign. Effective on my daughter who has a bad reaction to bites and kept mosquitoes away from my grandchildren. But who wants to go around smelling awful? Universally available but also atwww.boots.com

Avon Skin So Soft Dry Oil Spray: recommended for travellers and film crews. Very effective HOWEVER does not mix with sun protection during the day very well but good for evening and night application. Very economical, very reasonably priced. www.avonshop.co.uk

Soltan Moisturising Suncare Lotion with Insect Repellent: Excellent all round and effective. All-in-one formula means not carrying around tons of bottles all day. One of the best. www.boots.com

Soltan Aftersun Hydrating Lotion with Insect Repellent is also brilliant and very soothing for sunburn – smells fab. One of my favourites. www.boots.com

Earth Mother Botanicals Bug be Gone: For people who like their skin products organic and with natural ingredients this is the best. Safe for children and deet free. Lovely smell of lemongrass and is also soothing if you have been bitten. Highly recommended. www.earthmotherbotanicals.com

Johnson& Johnson baby Anti-mosquito Lotion: I discovered this quite by chance a couple of years ago in Barbados and, as my grandchildren were coming to stay, bought it. It was altogether extremely effective, smelled fabulous and we all ended up using it. Unfortunately I couldn’t find it anywhere on the island last year but apparently it’s on Amazon and E-Bay.

THE FUSTIC HOUSE, BARBADOS

 

 

The Fustic House is one of the most exclusive properties in which to stay on the island. I managed to track down the current owners, William and Usha Gordon,who were incredibly accommodating after having just arrived from France and invited me round.  Going from my home in St Lucy and heading towards Half Moon Fort, a rutted road felt an unpromising start but, once through Fustic Village, I came to the gates and was ushered through where I found Usha with gardening tools in hand.  With a brief introduction to William, Usha was keen to show me around. 

 

Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty and mystery of the gardens at the Fustic House.  Every small journey leads to somewhere more magical.  Nothing can be seen all at once and every view is a special one whether it is of the various houses within the grounds, the sea or a focal point. It’s probably one of the most beautiful and atmospheric gardens I have ever been in.

The design of the house and gardens at the Fustic House is attributed to Britain’s leading theatre designer from the 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel, who was brought up at Nymans in Sussex (now a National Trust property).Due to ill health, Messel moved to Barbados in 1966 and soon carved out a new career as an architect and designer in Barbados. The original Great House at Fustic dates from 1740 and was transformed in the 1970s by Messel. His unique style was to create a series of indoor and outdoor spaces that flowed seamlessly together and the distinctive Messel green is one of the trademarks of his work and is evident on all the separate wings of the house discreetly dotted through the gardens. He designed many homes in Barbados and Mustique including Princess Margaret’s Les Jolies Eaux. He died at his home, Maddox, in Barbados in 1978.



 

But the soul of any garden often hinges on the passion of the gardener and despite Fustic having had a couple of previous owners, I was delighted to find that Usha Gordon was a woman who knew every inch of the 11 acres of the garden.  She told me that she had loved gardening since she was a child and had been hooked since she grew her first plant, a Doronicum, from seed.  With a garden in Provence too, gardening in the tropics was, at first, a challenge, but since they purchased the property in 2004 she had gradually learned what plants worked where.

When they first arrived she explained that everything was dark; the tree canopy was closed, the ground beneath bare, the sea views had been lost and the gardens felt stark and masculine – more like a park.  Despite some recent design work by Todd Langstaffe-Gowan the gardens simply ‘weren’t magical enough’.

 

The Gordons set about lifting the canopy of the trees which brought back light into the garden and instantly restored the sea views.  In the mahogany grove at the entrance to the property Usha underplanted the trees with plants like the white Begonia with the result that the starkness of the trees has now gone.  Light bounces off the graceful shape of the trunks and onto the glossy leaves of the Begonia allowing the small white flowers to sparkle in the dappled shade. 

 

 

Cleverly placed large pots draw the eye towards and through the grove making this area less of a park and more of a designed space. The whole garden is too vast and on so many different levels to describe each part individually but walking through the myriad of paths always leads to a destination and each one is a delight. 

 

One destination is the pond – the water clear and sparkling, water lilies and lotus covering the surface and Papyrus and Philodendron planted on the margins. 

 

 

 

Going further away from the house, a path leads to a gazebo and day bed complete with chandelier and from here a flight of steps leads downwards and the ‘lagoon’ is revealed which is as far from clinical and chlorine as you can get. 

 

Blasted out of the coral stone by Oliver Messel the bottom of the pool is lined with a dark grey slate-like colour with the result that the water is almost navy blue in colour. The walls of the pool are lushly planted with overhanging vegetation -ferns and Philodrendrons - and shaded by palms. Going back up from the pool a large deck with a sea view projects out over the gully beneath. 

 

 

But it’s the clever use of plants that adds to the gardens unique atmosphere.  Usha has been faithful to her philosophy to grow what works.  Philodendrons are ‘instant gardening’ to her and these have been used extensively throughout the garden.  Any available light bounces off their big glossy leaves and, planted along margins of paths, they lead you seamlessly through informal jungle pathways to open courtyards.

 

 

Red and white ginger lilies en masse give satellites of colour along with bright orange Heliconias.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thunbergia is another favourite that continues to flower most of the year despite regular pruning.

 

This limited palette of plants gives the garden coherence, leads you round through the various areas of the garden whether open and formal or enclosed and jungle-like and make the gardens at the Fustic House relaxing, magical and unique. It's by far the best tropical garden I have ever seen.



The gardens are occasionally open to the public and when I was on the island they opened for one day for the Barbados National Trust Open House programme. http://trust.funbarbados.com

You can stay at The Fustic House (it's exclusive and wonderful and you may never want to leave!) and you can get more details from their own website:  www.fustichouse.com