Pick Your Own ‘Bread & Cheese’ On Murphy’s Garden Walk

To paraphrase the author James A. Michener, there are few more beautiful places in the world than Marigot Bay, whose natural gifts are obvious to every visitor. So how is it possible to enhance the lush green surroundings of Marigot Bay Resort, nestled on the southern hillside overlooking the emerald lagoon?

Landscaping is the icing on the cake or diamond jewellery on Oscar night. The exquisite gardens surrounding the resort have taken more than fifteen years to evolve since originally designed by Saint Lucia’s most prominent horticulturist, Veronica Shingleton-Smith. Murphy was at her side then and is in charge of the Marigot Bay Resort gardens today. Every Wednesday, our head gardener takes guests on a complimentary guided tour of the property, pointing out a fascinating array of tropical flowers, shrubs and trees.

His vast knowledge of the island’s flora has been learnt from childhood and honed professionally in this unique location under the guidance of Mrs. Shingleton-Smith, who came to Saint Lucia in 1951 and still oversees her many garden projects at the age of ninety. Identifying dozens of plants along the winding route of the resort’s pathways, Murphy is an encyclopaedia of local patois names and traditional uses, from medicines and tonics to seasonings and garnishes.

Bring your camera as there are photo ops galore on the Marigot Bay Resort Garden Walk. Taste the humble, edible begonia or ‘bread and cheese plant’ and admire the many strains of hibiscus in vivid colours - plus there’s an opportunity to go behind the scenes to the herb garden and see where they pick the mint for your Brut Bar mojito.

So be sure to take the Wednesday walk with Murphy. You’ll learn a lot about Saint Lucian flora and come away feeling inspired by Marigot Bay Resort’s very own guru of gardens