Hope Botanical Gardens – A National Treasure

The Hope Royal Botanical Gardens in St. Andrew, commonly called Hope Gardens, is being hailed as a natural treasure that should be protected and preserved for the benefit of generations to come.

The over 200-acre property, which was part of a sugar plantation and the original water supply source for Kingston, is an important historical site, with buildings and artefacts dating back to the 1800s.

It houses some of Jamaica and the Caribbean’s endemic and exotic botanical collections and is the largest public green space in the Kingston Metropolitan Area.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., says the Government is committed to the continued development and maintenance of the site as an important part of the nation’s history and heritage.

“The rich history of this space must be well known, and today these botanical gardens have even greater significance,” he says.

“[For] children, this is a safe space and it is very important for us to invest in protecting, nurturing, and upgrading it as a feature of Jamaica,” he adds, noting that all citizens have a role to play in its upkeep and development.

Hope Gardens has a rich history, dating back more than 300 years, and was part of a large parcel of land granted to English officer, Major Richard Elletson Hope, who helped capture Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Hope was a sugar estate, and water from the Hope River was used to turn estate mills. The Hope Aqueduct was built for that purpose.

In 1766, Richard Hope arranged for Kingston to be supplied with water from the estate.

In the 1840s, the 234 acres of the estate bordering on the Hope River was sold to the city of Kingston, and the city’s water was eventually drawn from this land as part of a publicly owned system.

The Hope Estate land that eventually became Hope Gardens in the late 1870s was a central botanical establishment in the island used as an experiment and teaching station, and was later expanded to become a public park, where several plants, historical structures and trees are currently being preserved.

Among the features are the Cassia siamea grove by the main entrance that was planted in 1907; a Palm Avenue, where sago palms are among the oldest living trees; a cacti garden with rare varieties; the annual gardens with numerous species of exotic flowers; a bougainvillea walk; an orchid house; a maze; a forest; the sunken gardens; and the lily pond.

Other attractions include a zoo, a lake, and a fountain.

The Gardens were officially renamed the Royal Botanical Gardens when Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II visited Jamaica in 1953.

The property, which has important historical structures, is a preserved site under the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT).

Over the years, the facility has become a popular site for picnics, exercise, concerts and learning about nature, providing a heaven for persons living in the capital city. Jamaicans are also able to access the space for wedding photos, yoga sessions, corporate events, and meetings.

Hope Gardens is being managed by the Nature Preservation Foundation (NPF), which has responsibility to improve the aesthetics of the facility and the biological content of the Gardens.

Recently, the NPF opened the new eastern entrance to the property, which forms part of the development works under way. The project was financed by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund.

Minister Charles Jr. says the Ministry, through its Public Gardens Division, has provided $600 million in subvention to the NPF since it began operations in 2005.

In addition to serving as an attraction, he says that the green space is “an essential repository of endemic plants and animals”, which opens prospects to drive academic research.

“The Ministry of Education and Youth could give support to the nursery to offer, in a very specific and deliberate way, opportunities for students and others to become more involved,” he suggests.

Chairman of the Nature Preservation Foundation, Alfred Thomas, notes that more than one million people visit the Gardens every year to experience calm outside of their busy lives and embrace family bonding.

He says that with the plans to develop the green space, the Foundation is aiming to increase the number of annual visitors to approximately three million.

He welcomes private- sector support for the development projects, which are being undertaken in two phases, and aim to restore the property to its “former glory”.

“Projects under phase one include the resurfacing of the roads, building an elevated lookout garden, so that persons can enjoy the beauty of the flora, a signature playground and to install more lights, restaurants, and Wi-Fi,” Mr. Thomas says.

Phase two will feature mainly infrastructure works, such as addressing drainage, for which funding is currently being sourced.

Mr. Thomas notes that already “we have expanded our nursery where many people come on a daily basis to buy plants, and the maze is on its way back so the children can enjoy it”.

Meanwhile, a wide variety of unique trees from several countries are also available for viewing on the property.

Among them is the ‘Shaving Brush Tree,’ which Cultural Heritage Officer, Christopher Creary, says is among the rarest of the Gardens’ collections.

“The tree blooms between January and May where you only see pink flowers. On the sixth month, you’ll see cotton pods…; it only lasts for the month because in July you’ll only see leaves on the tree,” he notes.

During the month of November, the leaves turn yellow and eventually fall, leaving the tree bare for December.

Mr. Creary is encouraging Jamaicans to visit the Gardens and view all the beauty that nature offers.

“I think Jamaicans should come because it’s an educational process we’re embarking on, and we would like to teach a lot of students as well. We should invite the entire Jamaica to experience the Gardens because we have trees that would amaze you,” he says.