TRADITIONALS’GARDENS WITH AN UNUSUAL BEAUTY

TRADITIONALS’GARDENS WITH AN UNUSUAL BEAUTY

A Traditional Garden of Uncommon Beauty

            They lived in a beautiful place but could not enjoy its delights. From he 17^th century onward, that was the lot of thousands of unfortunate Africans who were kidnapped from their homelands and brought to

Guadeloupe

and

Martinique

. Slavery in the sugarcane fields of these

Caribbean

islands would occupy most of their waking hours for the rest of their lives.

            Many plantation owners on the islands made the slaves responsible for feeding themselves, so the slaves planted gardens. More work was the last thing the needed, but at least they could grow foods that they like. The raised manioc, yams, and other foods that tasted better and were more nutritious than anything they might have received from their masters. They also cultivated medicinal herbs as well as spices for cooking.

            In 1848 the French government abolished slavery on the islands, but the newly freed citizens kept planting their gardens. Today the people of

Guadeloupe

and

Martinique

, many of them descendants of those hard-working Africans, continued to cultivate what are known as ‘Creole gardens’.

A Rainforest in Miniature

            The slave households came to have two types of gardens. The vegetable garden was usually set off a distance from the house. The ‘house’ garden or (jardin de case, as it is locally known) grew next to the house, and the typical Creole garden took this from. Such a garden posed an interlocking abundance of flowers, grasses, trees, and bushes that can be as thick as the undergrowth of a rainforest. Since vegetation fills all available space, your first impression might bee one of delightful disorder. But this garden is well organized and divided into sections. Narrow paths allow the gardener to get close to all of his plants.

            The garden extends from the back of the house to the front, where it serves as a spectacular reception area. When visitors call, the family welcomes them amid the iridescent crotons, golden-trumpets, and the brightly coloured leaves of bougainvillea and ixora. Medicinal plants occupy other parts of the Creole garden, often those areas shaded by the house. Basil, cinnamon, goatweed, bay leaf, and jack in the bush are part of the traditional pharmacopoeia of the islands. Lemon grass also grows in the garden, and burning its dried leaves helps keep mosquitoes away.

Many people in the islands treasure their knowledge of medicinal plants. In times past, when someone fell ill or was injured, the doctor was often far away. So the herbs of the Creole garden allowed people to treat their own health problems. These plants are still used medicinally, but self-medication can be dangerous. Instead of curing the patient, an herb applied incorrectly could make him worse. So, modern residents generally entrust their medical care to those trained to administer it.

The main part of the Creole garden, the part located behind the house is set aside for food plants. There you will find yams, eggplants, corn, spleen amaranth, garden lettuce, and other crops, with the spices used in preparing those foods growing close by. Banana plants may grow there, and you might see such trees as breadfruit, avocado, guava, or mango.

Feel the Attraction

When you walk by a Creole garden, you may feel drawn to enjoy its beauty up close. Once inside, you can admire blossoms and leaf arrangements as the sun highlights their colors. Meanwhile, the breeze stirs a mixture of fragrances that bottled perfume cannot imitate. Yes, you take pleasure in the garden you are just visiting. Imagine the enjoyment of the householder who planted that garden and spends time in it everyday!

Will the Creole garden survive? Some islanders lament the lack of interest younger ones show in maintaining such an attractive and beneficial tradition. Still, many young people s well as older ones, treasure the garden’s beauty and its cultural meaning. Each Creole garden is a reminder of how African slaves made the best of bad circumstances.

                                                          Awake,May 2006

                                                          “Guadeloupean author”