I missed a few days on the blog...in case you were wondering. I was down on the beautiful island of Barbados for a food festival. This was lots of fun, but I really loved the gardens and hope to get back soon to see more of them. This island, 166 square miles, is about the size of Rhode Island. Its colonial history can be seen through the architecture, particularly the brightly colored Chattel Houses. Newly freed slaves had no land and so they designed a mobile home that could be folded up and moved in a day. These are frequently brightly painted and have wood shutters known as "jealousy shutters" to keep envious neighbors from seeing their stuff. Some of them still have "ghost chasers" which are white spirals on the tops. Most now have foundations and small gardens surrounding them that are also very colorful.

In contrast to these tiny homes, there are a few plantation manors or homes still on the island. Some of these have been transformed into restaurants, but one amazing place, the St. Nicholas Abbey was recently purchased by a local Bajan architect, Larry Warren, who has refinished and refurbished it so that this Jacobean manor, built between 1650-1660 is intact, down to its English herb garden. This structured garden, replete with a bay laurel tree in the center, is surrounded by thickets of mahogany trees and cabbage palms. These had been planted around plantations so slaves could find their ways home. (Awfully thoughtful.)