St Peter Great House and Botanical Gardens

I love flowers and plants so I'm a sucker for botanical gardens.  In St. Thomas, the botanical gardens are located on 11 lush acres along volcanic peaks 1,000 feet above sea level on Hull Bay.  Perched on a mountain on the northern rim of the island. St. Peters Great House and Botanical Gardens was an 150-acre plantation in the 1800s. More recently, it was owned by the governor of the Virgin Islands.  You can see examples of the antique furniture that fills  the sprawling estate above.


This s-shaped loveseat  was my favorite piece of old-school living. I can imagine a courting couple sitting demurely in it while a chaperone watches closely to see that no body parts touch.


The gardens boast 17 varieties of orchids and 150 species of Caribbean plants.

A self-guided nature trail allows you to stroll through and for awhile, be surrounded by your private Garden of Eden.

This parrot flower with its bold crimson leaves edged in yellow, was my favorite. They really do look like little parrots when you stop back.

This tree towered over the gardens and looks like it grows specifically to grace a postcard or t-shirt.

The one thing that bothered me about the botanical gardens were the caged birds arranged throughout.  According to the staff, they are never let out of their cages, which seems cruel. Sandy, above, is a vibrant macaw that squawked loudly and constantly while I was there. She sounded like she wanted to get out of her cage, at least for a little while.

Comments

Lovely flowers, and yea they should let the birds fly around a bit.
Amanda said…
Awesome loveseat. I dig how it's sitting in the middle of the room. You can't go and put that seat up against a wall, now can you?

Sad about the birds :(
Fly Girl said…
Tiffany, Most caged animals are unhappy and it was so frustrating that they were caged in a setting just calling them to fly around and perch on plants.

Amanda,no that loveseat would take over a wall!
Mary and Sean said…
I would love to have that love seat in my house
You love flowers and I love the results of you loving flowers.

Many thanks.

Greetings from Kuala Lumpur.
Fly Girl said…
Mary, so would I!

Cubano, oh suavecito!
Catherine said…
I always enjoy visting the Botanical gardens too - and this lloks full of great stuff to see...
Fly Girl said…
Catherine, there's nothing like being surrounded by lush flowers and plants.
eden said…
Looks like this is a beautiful place. Most of the Botanic Gardens that I have visited here have no caged birds. Those parrot flowers are beautiful. We grow that kind in the Philippines too. Great shots as always. I enjoy this post so much.

Have a nice day always
Fly Girl said…
Eden, thanks. I've never seen caged birds in a botanic gardens either. I'm not surprised parrot flowers grow in the Phillipines, they look like the kind of exotic blooms that country is known for.
Cate said…
I don't like seeing caged birds in places like these. In any place actually. It looks unnatural to see a Macaw caged in a tropical setting. Beautiful setting though.
Fly Girl said…
Cate, I totally agree. Thanks for stopping by.
Anonymous said…
What can be done about these poor birds stuck in cages? St. Thomas does have a humane society. I will look for this when I visit in Jan. This is animal cruelty!
Fly Girl said…
There is a humane society, maybe they can intervene. Thanks for commenting.

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