Government House also a landmark garden

Story and photos Tricia Walters

Created: Mar 19, 2009 11:00 AM

Bluebird sanctuary: 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 host bluebird workshops on the grounds every year. Every year between 60 and 80 new bluebird boxes are produced.

As official residence of the Governor of Bermuda, Government House stands on Langton Hill overlooking the North Shore. Built in the Italianate style, the house was designed by architect William Cardy Hallet and built in 1892.

More than just the official residence of the Governor, Government House is also a working office for over 29 people employed as executive, secretarial and domestic staff for the Governor and the Deputy Governor, who resides elsewhere.

The residence has more than 30 rooms, including a large drawing room and dining room for formal entertaining, both of which open onto a long enclosed glass sun terrace overlooking the pool. But it's the surrounding grounds which are the property's most impressive feature.

The Royal Gazette recently took a stroll through the 33 acres of open space — one of the largest open spaces left in Bermuda — and found some unique plants and garden features.

The biodiversity of the gardens is evident in the sweep of palms and cedars, the herbaceous borders, the rose gardens, citrus grove and wild narcissi and freesias blossoming around property.

In fact, the gardens boast every endemic and native species of vegetation that existed before the colonisation of Bermuda.

These are crucial to ward off erosion and wind damage from hurricanes. Unfortunately the grounds were severely damaged by Hurricane Fabian on September 5, 2004 and major clear-ups, re-landscaping and planting has been underway since.

With so many plants and features, it takes five gardeners from the Parks Department of the Bermuda Government to maintain this impressive property.

Scents of Spring: Every Spring, wild narcissi and fressias flower across the lawns of Government House, tranforming the solid green lawns into a tapestry of colour and smell.

Tradition lives on: A Kiskadee finds a perch on a beautiful old Bermuda Cedar fence leading to the kitchen gardens.

Landmark home: On the terrace leading to the gardens is a Bermuda Cedar planted by Winston Churchill in 1942 as well as a Princess Palm planted in 1963 by Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, a Roystonea regia (Royal Palm) planted by Princess Margaret in 1975 and a Thrinax parviflora (Thatch Palm) planted by Margaret Thatcher in 1981. On the terrace below, on either side of the path, are a pair of Queen Palms planted by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in 1994. Near to the next flight of steps is another Podocarpus macrophyllus planted by The Queen in November 1953. Down the steps there is an avenue of Bermuda Cedars, the first on the left planted by Sir Edwards Richards, the first black Bermudian to head the Government of the Island. Two others bear the names of Princess Alexandra and Princess Margaret. Just to the left of the bottom of the path there is a Royal Poinciana planted by the Duke of Windsor on in 1940, and 25 yards (23 m) back towards the House a Royal Palm planted by the Duke of Kent in 1928.

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Government House also a landmark garden