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Bermuda's Gardens

Some are public, open every day including public holidays

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer by e-mail to this file use "bermuda-online.org/gardens" as your Subject

Introduction

Bermuda’s native flora and fauna originates from south-eastern North America and the Caribbean, supplied by wind-borne dispersal and via the Gulf Stream. Yet despite this isolation, and small size, over 8,000 species have been recorded from the island and its surrounding waters. Due in great part to human colonization and development resulting in one of the world’s most densely populated islands (1,500 people per square kilometre); major threats to the native flora and fauna have been identified as habitat loss or deterioration, and competition with invasive species. This has resulted in the known extinction of 25 endemic species, the decimation of an estimated 200 native species and naturalization of at least 1,200 exotic terrestrial species. Even more frightening is the fact that Bermuda’s undeveloped land area is now dominated by 22 plant species considered invasive, out-competing and overshadowing the native flora. Population numbers are continuing to decline for several species, and without active intervention, further extinction may occur. A most critical example of this is the case of the endemic Governor Laffan’s fern (Diplazium laffanianum); only one mature specimen of this fern species remains in Bermuda, maintained in a nursery environment by the Department of Parks. Although not as dire a case, the yellow wood tree, prized for its timber value by early settlers and exported to England for cabinet wood, also suffered a dramatic decline leading to a present day total population of 23 mature trees. Belonging to the citrus family, the yellow wood tree is an asset to one’s backyard, recorded to have a pleasant aroma when in bloom.

Photo above: Bermuda Passion Flower

Visitors to Bermuda may visit public (local taxpayers) gardens without making any special arrangements. But visits to private gardens should always be made well in advance, either directly or through local organizations (see below) such as the Bermuda Botanical Society or Garden Club of Bermuda.

Books about Bermuda flora include

• Bermuda - a floral sampler. Elizabeth W. Curtis. 1978. Illustrations by Diana Amos.

• Bermuda: A Gardner's Guide. 2002. Garden Club of Bermuda. Many illustrations and color photographs. $45.

• Bermuda's Botanical Wonderland. Christine Phillips-Watlington. 1996. Bermudian Publishing Company Ltd. The most valuable resource for botanists and gardeners since Britton's "Flora of Bermuda" in 1918. Illustrated.

• Bermuda, Her Plants and Gardens. Jill Collett.

• Bermuda's Seashore Plants and Seaweeds. Wolfgang Sterrer and A. Ralph Cavaliere. 1998. Published by Bermuda Natural History Museum and Bermuda Zoological Society. 269 pages. About $15.

• Bulletin of Marine Science. Bermuda Natural History Museum. The issue prior to July 14, 2000 had an inventory by Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer on the number of species (at least 8,299) of flora and fauna in Bermuda, of which 4,597 are marine and 3,702 are terrestrial.

• Flora of Bermuda. Nathanial Lord Britton. New York, Scribners. 1st edition, 1918.

• Flowering Trees of the Caribbean. 1951. 125 pages. Illustrated.

• Flowers in Bermuda. Cunninghame, Judy. 1969. Longtail Publishers. 12 plates of artwork on Bermuda's flowers.

• Flowers of Bermuda. Hannau. No date. 64 pages and illustrated.

• Flowers of Bermuda. Middleton. c. 1927. E & C. Tucker, Bermuda. 18 pages, illustrated.

• Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer. 1986. Wiley Interscience, New York. Out of print.

• Plants of the Bermudas or Somers Isles. 1883. By Oswald Reade, a British pharmacist then working at the Royal Navy Hospital, Dockyard, Bermuda.

• The Bermuda Garden. Whitney (editor). 1955. Garden Club of Bermuda, 231 pages. Illustrated.

• The Bermuda Jubilee Garden. Edited by Elfrida L. Wardman. 1971. Published by The Garden Club of Bermuda, to mark its 50th anniversary. Printed in Scotland by Robert MacLehose and Company Limited. The University Press, Glasgow. 349 pages. Illustrated.

• The Conspicuous Flora and Fauna of Bermuda. Dr. Ralph Cavaliere, Ph.D.

• The Story of Bermuda. Strode, Hudson. 1932. New York, Random House. Fish scale cover, 374 pages, with illustrations by Walter Rutherford. Strode spent three years in Bermuda then returned to the University of Alabama where he was Professor of English. He also describes Bermuda's fishes, flora, open spaces and trees of the period.

• Trees and Plants of the Bermudas. Zuill, 1933. Published by Bermuda Book Store, Hamilton.

Aberfeldy Nurseries

Pomander Road, Paget PG 05. Open Monday-Saturday (except public holidays) 8 am to 6pm. Telephone 236-2927. Fax 236-7853. Privately owned commercial nursery for trees & shrubs, scented plants, Bermuda Roses, herbs, special orders, seeds, fertilizers, etc. Plants of every description for sale.   Will Onions started the business from scratch with manager David Gill in 1950 as a hobby at first, but that passion soon grew into a fully-fledged operation when Sir Jeffrey Astwood stepped in to take charge. He became chairman of the board. He ran the nursery growing and selling hedge plants like Oleander and Hibiscus from his back garden at Aberfeldy in Somerset to begin with, before setting up the retail and wholesale side of the business at its current site in Pomander Road, Paget, while continuing to produce stock at its greenhouses in Somerset.  On his death, it was taken over by his son J.C. (Kit) Astwood who ran the business for about 20 years. In February 2009 it was acquired by businessman and owner of Bermuda General Agency and The Phoenix Stores, Wendell Brown. The nursery owns the land on which it sits, which is made up of three acres. 

Bermuda Easter lilies. Photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online

Arboretum

In Devonshire Parish. A Bermuda National Park. Public. Enjoy a picnic here, no organized flower beds or formal gardens but a great walking area, with shade trees. It is accessible by the route 3 bus and a short walk.  Go via Montpelier Road, off Middle Road. There is scooter and car parking.  It is open from sunrise to sunset, free to the public. A serene inland setting of 22 acres of open space with a gazebo, tall trees, open meadows,  pathways, shrubs, collections of conifers, palms and genus ficus. There are interesting plants and shrubs on walkways and paths. An ornamental bridge has small pools underneath.  The property has an interesting history. From the mid 19th century, like most of the Parish at the time, it was part of British Army lands at "Montpelier" nearby - the private house now owned by the Bermuda Government and now lived in by the Deputy Governor. In 1962, some years after the British Army left Bermuda, the lands were planted as an arboretum.

Bermuda Botanical Gardens

169 South Road in Paget Parish DV 04. Or P. O. Box HM 834, Paget HM CX. Phone (441) 236-4201. Fax (441) 236- 7582. Since April 2002 part of the Department of Conservation Services of the Bermuda Government's Ministry of the Environment. On Main Island. The largest local public garden by far, with over 100,000 visitors and locals each year. One mile from the City of Hamilton, they are open daily from sunrise to sunset, via Berry Hill Road, Point Finger Road and South Road. Bus routes 1, 2 and 7 go to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital  nearby. Open 365 days a year. Free for 362 days (except during the Agricultural Exhibition every April). A mix of park, woodland, greenhouses, agricultural buildings and horticultural collections. A Bermuda National Park under the Bermuda National Parks Act 1986. Chiefly of interest for its trees, orchard, collection of orchids and Camden. Visitors should expect a fair amount of walking. The Bermuda Botanical Society - a Bermuda Registered Charity # 249 - provides them from its Visitor Centre (9:30 am to 3:30 pm) in the Gardens, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Fridays 10:30 am year-round, weather permitting

A Board of Agriculture was formed after the Board of Agriculture Act 1875 during the governorship of Sir John Henry Lefroy. The Public Garden Act 1896 provided funds for the acquisition of land for experimental gardens and the appointment of a full-time superintendent. The Gardens began officially in 1898 as the Public Garden with 10 acres (which became the Agricultural Station in 1912), with the arrival of Ga. A. Bishop, a professional horticulturalist trained at the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, near London, England. 

The Public Gardens continued to be under the Board of Agriculture until the Department of Agriculture Act 1912 went into effect. They nearly doubled in 1921 after the Montrose estate was acquired. An outbreak of oleander scale in Bermuda (in 1917) led to legislation that in 1923 provided for a plant pathology section of the Bermuda Government, still there today. In 1958, the Bermuda Botanical Gardens were established instead of the Agricultural Station.  In 1958, remaining experimental plots at the Gardens were moved to other Government properties such as "Avocado Lodge" and "Clifton." Three acres were lost in 1962 when King Edward VII Memorial Hospital was expanded. The Gardens expanded again in 1965 when Camden House and its garden were acquired from the Tucker family. They now occupy 36 acres. The 72nd Agricultural Exhibition was here in April, 2009. 

Facilities include, in a particularly serene area, a lovely Sensory Garden for the Blind, well worth sensing by the blind and disabled and also of great interest to those who help them professionally. The Librarian at Bermuda's Department of Environmental Protection, Botanical Gardens, 169 South Road, Paget Bermuda DV 04, phone 441-236-4201, fax 441 236-7582, kindly sent good information about the Sensory Garden, from which the following is extracted.  

‘Garden for the Blind’ is from the Monthly Bulletin Vol. XXX No. 6.  June 1960. "The actual design is based upon a Garden for the Blind constructed in Queen's Park, Harborne, Birmingham, England. Credit for bringing this Garden to the attention of Bermuda's Department of Agriculture (as it was then) and supplying the original working drawings went to Mr. Don Wellington, then with Bermuda's Public Works Department. Geographically, the site chosen  was formerly known as the Banana Patch . A map of the Garden made in Braille was placed in the stone pillars framing the entrance."

“A Garden for Those who are not Blessed with Sight’ is taken from The Bermuda Botanical Garden guide to the collection of plants, 1970. "Enclosed by a Bermuda stone wall, it was made in 1960 for the benefit of those unfortunate persons not blessed with sight. While it may appear a little unusual to those who can see, the idea on the designer's mind  was the make the Garden easy for the sightless to use and enjoy. In the paths made of Bermuda stone chippings will be noticed a large cement stone at each path junction. This is to indicate a change of direction. The sightless person is soon able to pick his or her way round the garden by the aid of these stones. The raised beds on the eastern side are to enable the plants to be touched without the person having to stoop. Running water is an essential feature of a garden of this type, hence the small pool and fountain. The fountain centerpiece is a replica of one by Verrochio to be found in the Vatican Gardens, Rome. The choice of planting material used in this Garden is limited to plants which have a pleasant odor when handled or which have a pleasant texture. Most of the herbs such as sage, thyme, lavender, rosemary and many others have been used freely. The large tree in the center of the lawn is the Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) the natural source of camphor and a native of Formosa and China. Growing over the shelter in the north east corner is coralita, a slender but vigorous vine which bears masses of small pink flowers in summer. The Garden is bounded on the western and eastern sides by a hedge of the Martinique laurel (Murraya exotica), related to the citrus family. This attractive evergreen shrub bears fragrant white flowers which are followed by red berries. Its fragrance makes it an ideal choice as a hedge to this garden."

Beyond the Sensory Garden, for details of what other plants grow in Bermuda, see Bermuda Flora.

A new Cactus House was completed in 2003. A Master Plan for the Gardens was published in March 2003 and went on public display.  In September 2003, the Gardens, Grandstand and buildings were so badly damaged by Hurricane Fabian that it forced the cancellation of the 2004 Annual Exhibition normally held here every late April. They have since been repaired.

Morning Glory. Photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online

In April 2008, a five-year project transforming the Botanical Gardens by introducing historical designs came to fruition. The new Formal Gardens feature a new exhibit featuring a Japanese Zen Garden, 17th Century-style English Parterre Garden, 12th Century-style Persian Garden and Tudor-style children's Maze Garden. The development increases the Botanical Gardens' aesthetic appeal, and will help the location serve as an attraction for tourists and locals alike. Each of the four gardens is about 90-square feet and has themed plants, and they are all separated by a central viewing gazebo. Working locals can sit there on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the summer and de-stress. The gardens give further appeal to the locale for wedding photographs.

Bermuda Plant Nursery

Pitts Bay Road, Pembroke. Telephone 295-5157. E-mail bdaplant@ibl.bm. A small outside but very nice privately owned commercial facility for residents and visitors, with local and imported plants for sale year-round and imported Christmas trees in December. Commercial. 

Double poppy. May 2002 photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online

Brighton Hill Nursery

14 Brighton Hill, Devonshire. Phone 236-5862. Fax 236-8779. Very good privately owned commercial nursery for trees & shrubs, scented plants, Bermuda Roses, herbs, special orders, seeds, fertilizers, etc. Plants of every description for sale. Nice to admire and walk around to see what is available. Owned by the same Dill family owning the Ariel Sands Beach Club a short distance away. 

Camden

Bermuda Botanical Gardens, Paget Parish. Not for the disabled in a wheelchair or who have difficulty walking. Owned by the Bermuda Government. Public property, open 365 days a year. Free at most times. Chiefly of interest for its house, front garden, including roses and vegetable garden behind it. With a panoramic view of the South Shore. The house itself is open to the public on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12 noon to 2 pm. An historic house in typical Bermudian architecture, the official residence of the Premier of Bermuda, although not lived in by her (the Bermuda Government pays for her to live elsewhere)

City Hall Garden

City Hall, City of Hamilton. This small but choice garden in the City of Hamilton, owned by the city, has been gorgeous. It is well worth a stop to admire the plants and flowers to the left, middle and right of the City Hall. They give beauty, peace and tranquility.

Corporation of Hamilton's Plant Nursery

"The Willows, " Laffan Street, Hamilton HM 09. How the City of Hamilton grows its plants for its parks and public spaces.

Elbow Beach Hotel Garden

A leading local hotel with 50 acres of lush, year-round flowers, shrubs, bushes trees, leading down to the South Shore Ocean and spectacular beach. Freely available for guests to enjoy. By special arrangement through the hotel for others.

Fort Hamilton Garden

Pembroke Parish. A lovely surprise for those agile enough to descend. Owned and operated by the Corporation of Hamilton, the administrator of the City of Hamilton. It is a botanist's paradise. The moat garden in particular is superb. But alas, not for the disabled.

Gardens of Woodlands

9 Middle Road. Mr. and Mrs. George Peterich. Private garden, one of the loveliest in Bermuda.  Once known for its cedar stands, Woodlands is recognized today for its beautiful gardens which extend from the ridge of a hill, with vistas of Hamilton Harbour, to a valley where citrus grow beside the tennis courts. Woodlands House is a historic property.

Agapanthus. Photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online

Government House Gardens

Pembroke Parish, Bermuda. The largest Bermuda Government-owned property and gardens in Bermuda by far but not usually open to the public. However, the house and gardens were featured in 'Open Houses and Gardens" by the Garden Club of Bermuda at various times.

The attractive garden is the site of the Garden Party hosted by the Governor every Queen's Birthday public holiday in June. The more than 300 trees at Government House are a living tapestry of historical events, offering an unlikely insight into periods of political upheaval and change. Two palms, planted by President John F. Kennedy and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan during their visit in 1961, recall the dangers of the Cold War and the impending Cuban Missile Crisis while a sturdy Bermuda cedar planted by Sir Winston Churchill commemorates his wartime visit in 1942 to thank Bermudians for supporting the establishment of American bases on the island. Committed to a reforestation programme, Lady Vereker, wife of former Governor Sir John Vereker, supervised the planting of hundreds of cedar, palmetto, Bermuda olivewood, palms, snowberry and southern hackberry. The gardens and their adjacent endemic and native forests are home to a large number of birds and monarch butterflies. A year after she and Sir John arrived in Bermuda, more than 900 trees and shrubs were lost in Hurricane Fabian. They included many shrubs, just about every citrus tree, the entire banana plantation and hundreds of Chinese palms, fiddlewood, spice trees, all the frangipani, most rose bushes, young cedars and all that was anywhere near a casuarina. Some 60 trees were propped up in an effort to save them. But Fabian also helped remove the invasive casuarinas lining the North Shore boundary, that up to that point had been encroaching on the endemic trees. A mango tree planted by the future George V in 1880 remained unscathed, as did over 200 trees planted by distinguished guests including a cedar planted by Churchill’s daughter Lady Soames in 2003 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Churchill, Eisenhower and Laniel Summit: There was no shortage of guests after Fabian to contribute to the replanting effort with Prince Edward planting a Bermuda olivewood, as well as former British Cabinet Minister Lord Heseltine, who planted a calabash tree. Other trees include two Bermuda palmettos planted by Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife in the palm grove. While clearing invasive species, staff uncovered several treasures, including a hooded and smiling bronze monk’s face set into a stone wall in a charming stone quarry garden. Featuring Bermuda limestone, several of these walled gardens have since been discovered, including a “secret” citrus grove. A palm was planted by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and for a while the garden was opened by appointment to Rastafarians who wish to worship his memory at this tree. A stone bench was placed in the spot for this. Various organizations also have connections to Government House and its gardens, including the Bermuda Girl Guides who hold camps on the grounds every year and recently buried a time capsule near the slat house. The Audubon Society, who helped replant more than 80 trees to mark the 50th anniversary of the society, also help maintain the bluebird trail in the grounds. The society also hosts bluebird workshops on the grounds every year. It became a yearly tradition. In addition to bluebirds, cardinals, chicks-of-the-village, European goldfinches and warblers all visit the gardens. A night heron makes itself at home near the swimming pool.

Heron's Nest

Southampton Parish. Home of Mr. & Mrs. MacGillivray. Magnificent private gardens open on special occasions to groups such as the Bermuda National Trust for fund-raising dinners and special functions.

Louise Outerbridge Memorial Garden

Bermuda High School, Pembroke Parish. Opened in spring 2003, owned by the school. Maintained by a teacher who studied Horticulture at the University of London. Created for students as a Butterfly and organic vegetable garden, with plants that create a sheltered habitat for butterflies. No pesticides are used! The garden has two raised beds in the shape of butterfly wings and a slat house. Plantings vary by season. Also see a small pond and butterfly garden. The monarch butterfly lays its eggs on milkweed, a good nectar plant for butterflies. Also a good host plant for caterpillars and their butterflies (Monarch). Two types in Bermuda, the red and orange blood flower or wild ipecac (Asclepias currasavica) which grows about three feet high; and the taller, white-flowered tennis ball plant (Asclepias physocarpa) which grows to five to 6 feet tall. The garden is maintained by Bermuda High School primary students from year 6 and year 5. Year 1 students study the monarch butterfly and giant toad cycle. Year 3 students use the butterfly garden for their mini-beast studies.

Mitchell Green Garden

Waterville, Bermuda National Trust. Established August 1999. Dedicated to the memory of Mary-Jean Mitchell Green, a keen amateur gardener who died in 1990. Her widowed husband Peter Green and family were present and funded the garden. Includes a Victorian-style gazebo.

Monte Cristo Gardens

Phone 234-4125. Square foot gardens for seniors, destroyed by Hurricane Fabian in September 2003 but since restored under the Ministry of the Environment's Environmental Grants Scheme to continue their work of using gardening to enhance the lives of seniors living here.

Mount Pleasant

Orange Grove

Roses are in many types, sizes, names, all over Bermuda, in many public and private gardens. Not indigenous to Bermuda, all were originally imported. 

October is the start of the rose season in Bermuda. Roses should not be pruned in the hot months of June to September unless there is a storm and branches get broken. The summer is the forced dormant period during which roses should not be removed or disturbed. At the appropriate time, any branch that goes into the bush should be removed and any branch rubbing against another, likewise. They were exported by special license from the USDA many years ago. Old Garden and Heritage Roses - those of the China, Tea, Noisette and Polyantha varieties - are lovely. See the list below for many growing in Bermuda.

	Anna Oliver. Tea rose, a vigorous, 1872, achieves a height of six feet. Archduke Charles. 1840 china rose. Once known incorrectly as the Seven Sisters Rose but renamed. Buds are a dark red and flowers open up to a rose pink with dark red outer petals. Like most China roses, flowers darken with age. Bush has flowers of two different colors. Archduke Joseph. A tea rose of 1872. Austrian Briar. Introduced to Bermuda from Cambridge, MA in 1874. One of the roses that according to Governor John Henry Lefroy grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1874-77. Baltimore Belle. Because it came from Baltimore, MD. From the 1840s for many years, young Bermuda ladies trimmed their bonnets with fresh flowers specifically including this one. Fragrant clusters of pink to white double flowers, appears to be a hybrid descendant of the wild Prairie Rose, R. setigera, of southern USA. Banksia. R. banksiae. A rose known to have been growing in Bermuda in the time of Governor Lefroy. Bon Silene. First introduced to Bermuda in the mid 1980s. An old tea rose.
	Bourbon Rose. R. borboniana. It grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1873-77.Bridal Rose. See "Souvenir de la Malmaison." Cabbage Rose. Or Provence. R. centifolia. A Bermuda Mystery rose at the Bermuda National Trust garden at Waterville. Once of the oldest roses anywhere. It grew in the gardens of ancient Rome.  Catherine Mermet. A mystery pink rose. Cherokee Rose. Once found growing in the Walsingham and Pembroke March areas. Conyers. A Bermuda Mystery rose at Bermuda National Trust garden at Waterville. Damask Rose. R. damascena. One of the roses that according to Governor John Henry Lefroy grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1873-77. It was brought to Bermuda from England sometime earlier, where it was said to have been brought to England by the Crusaders. Long known in England as the source for attar of roses.
	Dr. Grill. A tea rose of 1886. Duchesse de Brabant. A shell or fragrant tea of 1857. With a strong tea scent. Introduced to Bermuda by Mr. Phies who lived at Lemon Grove in St. George's and was mayor of the Old Town from 1863-1880. Emmie Gray (pictured). A Bermuda Mystery china rose. The bush can grow eight feet high. Fairy Rose. Or Lawrenceana. R. chinensis var. minima). Known to have been growing in Bermuda in the time of Governor Lefroy.  Febvier. A china rose of 1832. Gen. Schablikine. A tea rose of 1878.  Green Rose. R. chinensis viridiflora. Frequently seen in Bermuda gardens in 1918 and noted in   "Flora of Bermuda"  by botanist Nathanial Lord Britten.
	Homere. A tea rose of 1858. Hume's Bush. A tea rose of 1760. Isabella Sprunt. Deep yellow. One of the two roses introduced to Bermuda in about 1880 by General and Mrs. Russell Hastings, who lived at Soncy, in Pembroke Parish. Le Vesuve. A china rose of 1825. Little White Pet. This polyanthus has a low spreading bush no more than two feet in height. Macartney Rose (Rosa bracteata). Locally, the fried egg rose. Introduced to the USA from China in 1793. Came to Bermuda from the USA. A rampant grower, it climbs over hedges, has white fragrant flowers with heart-shaped petals surrounding bright yellow stamens. Madame Joseph Schwartz. A tea rose of 1880.
	Madame Lombard. A tea rose of 1878. Maitland White. A Bermuda Mystery rose seen in the Bermuda National Trust garden at Waterville. Miss Atwood. A Bermuda Mystery rose. Mlle. Francesca Kruger. A tea rose of 1880. Mrs. B. R. Cant. A tea rose of 1901. Mrs. Dudley Cross. A tea rose of 1907. Mutabalis (rosa chinensis mutabalis). A favorite, a china rose of 1952 with an upper bush form that reaches five feet.
	Niles Cochet. A tea rose of 1903. Noisette. R. noisettiana. A rose known to have been growing in Bermuda in the time of Governor Lefroy.  Pacific Rose. Locally-named variant of the Cabbage Rose. Introduced to Bermuda in the 1800s when Captain Samuel Nelmes from Bermuda, on a voyage in the Pacific Ocean, met a French ship in distress. After he gave water and provisions, the French ship's captain gave him a prized rose bush from his garden in Normandy. Nelmes brought the rose bush to Bermuda and planted it at "Grasmere, Riddell's Bay, then the home of his daughter Mrs. Joseph C. Lightbourne. The family called it the "Pacific Rose." Papa Gontier. A tea rose of 1883. Parson's Pink. Or "Old Bush.' A favorite china rose for its lovely coloring. A compact bush of 1752 that grows up to four feet.
	Pasture. R. carolina. One of the roses that according to Governor John Henry Lefroy grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1873-77. Perle des jardins. A tea rose of 1874. Pink Mamam Chochet. A climbing tea rose of 1893. R. Chin. Semperflorens. (Bermuda Mystery rose, Belfield residence). R. Ch. Veridiflora. A china rose of 1883. Rosette Delizy. A tea rose of 1922 with a vigorous growth. It can reach six feet as an open bush. Safrano. Or Saffron rose. A slow growing lemon yellow tea rose up to five feet high. It was well-known in rose catalogues in the American South in 1843. It was introduced to Bermuda in about 1880 by General and Mrs. Russell Hastings, who lived at Soncy, in Pembroke Parish. Slater's Crimson China. Until 1956, it was thought to have been lost from cultivation. Its rediscovery in the garden of Belfield in Somerset has caused excitement. Smith's Parish. With a lovely old flower. A mystery rose, but referred to by a central parish in Bermuda. With an open bush form growing up to six feet in height. Soncy. A Bermuda Mystery rose seen in the Bermuda National Trust garden at Waterville. Souvenir de la Malmaison. Also called the "bridal" rose. A climbing bourbon rose first brought to Bermuda in 1844 or 1845 via the USA after it was sent to the USA in 1843 by Beluze of France who noticed it. More than 30 years earlier, it had been seen growing in the garden near Paris of Empress Josephine of France, wife of Napoleon 1, a noted lover of roses. Locally, it can grow into a compact bush usually three to four feet in height, with double white flowers faintly flushed with pink. It became an established favorite of Bermuda brides. Souvenir de St. Anne. A bourbon rose of 1950. St. David's Rose. A Bermuda Mystery china. It usually grows into a compact bush of about four feet. Named after a former island in the parish of St. George.
	Sweet Briar. R. rubiginosa. One of the roses that according to Governor John Henry Lefroy grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1873-77. Tea Rose. R. odorata. One of the roses that according to Governor John Henry Lefroy grew in Government House (Mount Langton) 1873-77. Trinity. Another vigorous Bermuda Mystery rose going up to six feet. Vincent Godsiff. A Bermuda Mystery rose seen in the Bermuda National Trust garden at Waterville. William R. Smith. A tea rose of 1903.

Bermuda Rose garden of author Frances Hodgson Burnett

Born in England on November 24, 1849 and died on October 29, 1924 in the USA, this American naturalized author won international renown in 1886 for her book "Little Lord Fauntleroy" before she emigrated to the USA. In 1911, her "The Secret Garden" was published and also became a global best seller. It has often been claimed, wrongly, that she wrote this book based on a garden she kept in Bailey's Bay, Hamilton Parish, Bermuda. Actually, it was a garden in England - to be specific, the walled garden at Great Maytham Hall at Rolvenden, Cranbrook, Kent - where she wrote it, with its 18 acres of parkland nearby with bluebells, daffodils and flowering trees.  Some time after the book published, she visited Bermuda for the first time - and stayed. After a brief sojourn at the Princess Hotel, she rented the house "Clifton Heights" owned by the Outerbridge family, in Bailey's Bay, on the North Shore Road. Burnett settled in Bermuda to get away from the chronic claustrophobia of an adoring public in the USA and the winter weather of her Long Island New York home. At "Clifton," she indulged in her passion for growing roses, especially after her earlier English times. She once wrote to her friends about her 762 roses: "They will bloom when New York is 70 degrees below zero and London is black with fog and slopped with mud and rain." They did. She loved Bermuda so much she continued to reside here until her death in 1924 at the age of 75. She was buried at Roslyn Cemetery, Roslyn, New York, USA.

Garden-related Bermuda organizations

Bermuda African Violet Society

No garden of its own. A popular garden club for those who favor this species. Meets fourth Tuesday each month, 7:30 pm, Horticultural Hall, Bermuda Botanical Gardens, Paget, new members welcome. Call  234-0650 or  292-6662.

Bermuda Botanical Society

No garden of its own. A popular garden club. Contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for current information.

Amaryllis. Photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online.

Bermuda in Bloom 

Annual Awards given by The Garden Club of Bermuda in June to homeowners of outstanding gardens. In Bermuda, the only requirement is that their gardens must be visible from a public or estate road. It is possible for homeowners to make arrangements for private tours. 

Bermuda Judges Council for Floral Art

No garden of its own. An organization of local and overseas floral judges. Contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for current information.

Bird of Paradise. Photo by the author, exclusively for Bermuda Online

Bermuda Open House and Garden tours. 

Was annually, April/May.

Bermuda Orchid Society

An affiliate of the American Orchid Society. It meets regularly, usually in one of the buildings of the Bermuda Botanical Gardens. Visitors are welcome. The Annual General Meeting is every late November. 

Bermuda Rose Society (BRS)

P.O. Box PG 162, Paget, PG BX, Bermuda. It began in 1954. Its own garden has been since 1988 the Repository Garden of the Bermuda National Trust at Waterville in Paget (See under Waterville, above). It is an associate of the Royal National Rose Society, an Affiliate member of the American Rose Society and Heritage Roses Group. In 1987, the BRS hosted the World Federation of Rose Societies regional conference. It is a founding member of the Heritage Rose Foundation. A major function is to help with the care of rose gardens, including those at the Bermuda National Trust. Members meet monthly from October to May. Guest speakers are often invited from overseas. Members propagate between 500 and 750 rose bushes annually for sale to members of the public and for donations to various organizations. They welcome new members and visitors from overseas rose societies. They do well in Bermuda. 

Friendship Garden Club

No garden of its own. Contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for current information.

Since 1921. More than 300 members. Telephone (441) 232-1273. It used to organize each year for many years an annual spring (April and/or May) program of fabulous Bermuda Open House and Garden tour, all in that grouping can be visited on the same day, usually a Wednesday. It is affiliated with the National Garden Clubs of the USA, the Garden Club of America, the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies of Great Britain, The Royal Horticultural Society, the World Association of Flower Arrangers and the Garden Clubs of Ontario. Private tours of gardens by members of these associations may be organized by prior arrangement. In 1971 the Garden Club celebrated its 50^th Anniversary by publishing the book “The Bermuda Jubilee Garden.” In 2002 “Bermuda, a Gardener’s Guide” was published (shown below). It has the best source of information in Bermuda on when to plant annuals, what perennials, shrubs and trees will fare well and more. Anyone interested in becoming a member can apply directly to the Club at P. O. Box HM 1141, Hamilton, Bermuda HM EX. The Club organizes the “Bermuda in Bloom” competition for the best private gardens in Bermuda visible from a public or estate road. 

Hibiscus Garden Club

It began in 1959 when members of the St. Mary's Church Guild with a passion for flowers and gardening sought to further their interest by applying for membership in the Garden Club of Bermuda. Their applications were not accepted, it is claimed by outsiders it was because they were all 'coloured' women. If so, no longer applicable. The club is not restricted to growing hibiscus, can grow anything. 

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