Grenada’s gardens are set to welcome their first group of green fingered guests this October. They’ll be the first to explore the Caribbean island’s exotic flora with a new seven night guided Garden and Spice Plantation Tour from Golden Caribbean (020 8328 0645) from a tidy £999pp including flights.
Offering insights as the group explores eight private and public gardens, nurseries and plantations will be Grenada-born gardening guru Suzanne Gaywood, whose Grenada exhibit at The Chelsea Flower Show has attracted 12 awards, 7 of them Gold, over 12 years, including Gold at last year’s show. Gaywood sources blooms for her winning pavilions from several of the gardens and nurseries on the tour.
Renowned for its lush landscape and verdant tropical rainforest, Grenada offers enthusiasts rare orchids and palms, exuberant flowering shrubs, trees, and scented spice groves. The Garden and Spice Plantation Tour, designed for just twelve travellers, offers unprecedented access to Grenada’s most colourful and fragrant gardens including Hyde Park Gardens – home to dozens of rare orchid species; The Bay Gardens – populated with over 5,000 plant species across garden and forest; and Smithy’s Garden – studded with mahogany trees and located 1,000ft above sea level.
Garden and Spice Plantation guests will learn about the historic capital of St George’s and the heritage of the island’s indigenous peoples with local historians. They’ll have ample time to join in the festivities in the fishing village of Gouyave and discover the island’s bustling markets, pristine beaches and mouth watering cuisine.
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Notes to editors:
Golden Caribbean offers this new, fully-guided Grenada Garden and Spice Plantation Tour with Suzanne Gaywood from the 6th-13th October from £999 per person including: return economy class flights from Gatwick; taxes; seven nights accommodation including breakfast; and guided access to eight gardens, nurseries and plantations. Based on two adults sharing three star accommodation. Four and five star properties are available and additional activities including a day trip to sister island Carriacou can be arranged. Places are limited and subject to availability.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Fly from Gatwick to Grenada and savour a sunset cocktail at check-in.
Day2 : Discover historic capital St George’s with a local historian and writer then visit Hyde Park Gardens to see rare palms, cycads, crotons, heliconias, bougainvillea and other tropical plants.
Day 3: St Rose Nursery, where many of the flowers and foliage used at Grenada’s Chelsea display are grown, then explore the tropical Grand Etang rainforest before lunch at Belmont estate, producer of organic cocoa, and traditional celebrations at fishing village Gouyave’s Fish Friday festivities.
Day 4: Escorted visits to five-acre Sunnyside Gardens and the lush Smithy’s Garden to meet local Horticulture Society and Orchid Circle members.
Day 5: Optional day visit to Carriacou, sister island of Grenada.
Day 6: The Bay Gardens, home to over 5,000 plant species, and the private Gemrose Eden or Laura Herb & Spice garden not normally open to the public.
Day 7: Free day to explore the island; optional visit to LaSagesse Nature Centre and Restaurant.
Day 8: Overnight flight departs Grenada.
About Suzanne Gaywood
Over the past 12 years Suzanne Gaywood’s Grenada exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show has won 12 awards:
· Gold (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009)
· Silver-Gilt (1999 2000, 2006, 2008)
· Silver ( 1998)
· Click here for details of the 2010 pavilion and Grenada’s gardens.