Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/85/-1/11/;
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Anguilla…paradise dry. With all of its beautiful beaches and blue water and sky one tends to overlook the “bush” or the lack of it. The island is covered with a thick short layer of rough hardy vegetation, able to handle long periods of drought and constant wind. All those beautiful sunny days means no water for the island plant life. But gardeners do cope, either with gallons and gallons of water daily or careful planning.
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Spider Lily
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The Elements
Gardeners on Anguilla face four major factors, the sun, the wind the lack of soil and the lack of rain. But if handled properly these things can be overcome and gardening results quite spectacular.
With enough money all of these problems can be easily overcome. Simply build high walls on the windward side of your garden to stop the breeze, bring in truck loads of dirt to accommodate new plants and irrigate. But working on a budget you can still create a lush shady garden quicker than you think. First, the sun actually works in your favor. It is always warm in Anguilla which means plants grow fast and flower constantly. If you can figure out ways to stop the water from running off your garden the plants will thank you by springing up and bushing out. And don’t look harshly on your new neighbor building next door. The house alone makes an excellent wind block and trees that normally would not grow past 5 feet will spring up to 20 feet in a matter of a few short years.
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White Cedar
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Local Bush
Some of the islands trees and shrubs are drought resistant and don’t mind standing in full sun. In fact they prefer it. Often a property will come with Loblolly and Cedar trees already in residence. This is a bonus in starting your garden as they provide shade for timid plants and since they shed their leaves at least once a year also provide much needed mulch. Smaller shrubs will reveal themselves with a little rain. The Lantana is a low bush that flowers constantly. If pruned regularly and watered selectively the Lantana will form a nicely shaped thick bush full of flowers. There are many local bushes that can withstand drought, never need watering and are resistant to disease. Pruning is the key to keeping these bushes full and thick.
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Anguilla stones
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Island Rocks
All those rocks! The island is full of them and in the garden they often seem to spell disaster. But if you look at the rocks as a beautiful addition to your gardening scheme they suddenly become an asset. First check them out. Some are bolted to the ground by Mother Nature, never to be moved. But many are loose and willing to change location. These stones and boulders make great garden borders and soil retainers. They also look attractive standing alone in the middle of low vegetation. Anguilla rocks come in a variety of beautiful colors and textures. Consider them a sculptural gift. But don’t make the mistake of going in and slicing the small bush off the rocks without careful planning. Once you take the bush off the solid rock, you will be left with a bare patch of stone and the plant will most likely never grow back. If the plan is to make this area into a rock garden then by all means do it. But if trying to replace rock bush with a new tree in a rock hollow is the idea then be prepared to do a lot of watering. Those shallow areas are usually very shallow and function as water collectors for the bush trees around them. There is usually bedrock right below the surface. The local trees have probably already found the best holes for growing in a rock bed.
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Loblolly leaves
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Permanent Residents
There are many trees you won’t find on undeveloped property that are willing to grow if you find them the right spot. The Sweet Almond, Flamboyant and Sea Hibiscus grow all over Anguilla, don’t mind waiting for rain and produce pretty flowers. They grow fast and provide shade areas. The Sea Hibiscus can withstand the most brutal winds and salt blast. These trees along with the Cordia, Tamarind, Sea Grape and Neems will eagerly assist you in creating a jungle in the dessert.
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Christmas Palm
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Newcomers
Recent arrivals to the island are popping up all over the place and out doing many locals. The Ficus is a remarkable tree, super fast grower, drought resistant and a great tree for creating a natural privacy wall. Unfortunately the Ficus is very ambitious and if not properly controlled will overwhelm slower growing local trees. Plant them on the property line for privacy, wind block and shade. The Christmas palm is another tree popping up everywhere. They are very social, provide shade in a short time and placed among the other local trees give the garden a real “jungle feel.”
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Island Orchid
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Tiny Treasures
Very small, very delicate and tough as a boot, these tiny flowers and vines survive the worst droughts and after a rain come forth with dazzling minute spectacles. The tiny island orchids grow among the ground level roots of local trees and wait for a good burst of rain to produce beautiful flowers. Small vines twist among the rather ugly chain link fence (a necessary evil on Anguilla) and turn it into a panel of pink or yellow flowers. All among the rocks small ground cover plants create patterns of color with no special care. Some even have medicinal qualities. Basil and Rosemary grow here with no hardship once they find a spot where they feel comfortable.
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Goats can climb!
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Goats and Fences
Goats have lived on Anguilla long enough to feel they own it and I think they probably have a good case. We will be long gone and the goats will remain. So if you can’t beat em…fence em out! Unfortunately, chain link seems to work the best. These clever creatures will find a way to get over almost anything else and that includes a stone wall 6 feet high. And they work at it. After all you have created for them a virtual paradise. Soft green leaves and lovely tasty flowers. It is just too much to resist. So put up a fence and a gate and keep it closed and you will avoid shedding all those tears. A fence also clearly defines where your garden begins and ends and because the ground is so uneven on Anguilla it is usually necessary to build in a cement foundation under the fence automatically creating a water retaining wall. You can also use it to bank in some extra soil giving your plants an extra boost.
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Potted Palm
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Pots
After you have plotted out your large tree structure and decided on what natural bush to keep, you might decide to buy some exotic plants to add color and variety. Proceed with caution. Although beautiful, these plants are usually extremely susceptible to all sorts of nasty pests and fungus. They will require special care to maintain health and grow. The plants usually arrive in black plastic pots and look fabulous. There is no reason to think that you must immediately plunk them into the ground.
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Spider plant in basket
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The reason they look so good at the nursery is because their moisture level was easy to maintain and control in the pot. Give them a chance to acclimate to their new home by selecting a spot with a little natural shade and keeping them in the pot. If they are root bound you can always repot or dig a hole large enough for the pot with the plant inside. This will help maintain moisture. Using rock borders you can hide the pots completely. Growing plants in pots has another benefit. Anguilla has hurricanes, it’s a fact. Plants in pots can easily be moved to a safe location out of the direct wind blast. The locals have to bear the storm where they stand.
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leaf mulch
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Mulch
Find it, buy it, or collect it anywhere you can. Mulch is gold on an island that gets very little rain. All those leaves that fall off the trees don’t bag them up and throw them in the trash, rather select an area in your garden you are trying to get started and throw in all the mulch items you can find. They will immediately sink into the ground and hold moisture better than anything. Once the trees start feeling that extra moisture they will bush out and hold in even more moisture. The trees grow better and stronger. The roots spread more and are stronger in high wind. If you have bordered off the area with rocks or a short retaining wall better still. The mulch will stay in place and create new soil. It’s a sensible plan and it’s cheap.
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Spanish Sword
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Local Standards
Beautiful local plants you don’t have to buy.
The Spider Lily is a local favorite. Even if you claim to be a terrible gardener this flowering plant will make you feel like an expert. Find a bare spot of ground, shallow soil, rocky, in shade or full sun it simply does not matter, the Spider Lily will grow and multiply. Best part is they are free and all over the island. If you find one already mature you can dig it up, split the bulbs apart and stick them back in the ground and they will grow. Or find a generous gardener and get some seed pods. They will come up in no time and start to flower and never stop. In time you will have so many you will beg people to take some of them off your hands.
Moses in a Boat is another great ground cover that will multiply on its own and doesn’t have to have special treatment. Their purple and green leaves make a nice contrast and they like living on the edge of a rock border. Partial to shade they tend to burn out in full sun.
Pope Head Cactus is a charming little addition to the rock garden area. They are very hardy, prefer not to be watered at all and don’t need much soil. The mature pope will start to create its young on the top of its head and eventually they will roll off the mother plant and begin their own cycle. The Pope also produces a tiny pink fruit that tastes like a strawberry.
Century plants and Spanish Swords grow in the wild all over the island and thrive in very harsh conditions. With a little care the century plant will grow quite large and an unusual shade of blue. The Spanish Sword becomes a giant and then produces a huge spear to it have its young. The seedlings eventually fly off in the breeze to start again and the spear falls over to drop the rest of the babies a distance away from the mother plant.
