Many garden enthusiasts dedicate themselves to mastering a single species. But philanthropist Marcia Scott’s upper St Andrew garden tells a different story. Consider a rich assemblage of flora and fauna of which she’s immensely proud. Indeed, the very driveway afforded Style Observer Gardening (SOG) a welcome embrace of orchids, including dendrobiums, vandas, mokaras, and cattleyas, all blooming in a brilliant array of hues. There were too, desert roses, bromeliads and bougainvilleas.

Across the manicured lawn was a swimming pool shaded by yet more orchids.

Additional steps uncovered more treasures, each one adding to the garden’s rich botanical tapestry.

Gardening is a shared heritage for Scott and her six siblings; it’s a love passed down from their mother.

“My mother always loved flowers, and from a young age, she had us out in the garden with her. We all got from her a passion for flowers and fruit trees. You don’t even realise how much of an impact it has until you get your own space, and it continues. It’s almost like a transition from her to us,” Scott shared with SOG. “All of my sisters’ homes are beautifully flowered. It’s a family thing that has even passed down to my son. When he bought his first home overseas, I went to help him with his garden, and it was then I saw that the love of garden was rubbing off on him too.”

While many dedicate themselves to a single variety they love, Marcia’s philosophy is simple: Why favour one when you can have them all? For her, the greatest reward is exploring different varieties and seeing the blooms in her vast space.

“Some persons just have orchids or one type of plant. But in two weeks I would be bored with that. You need something in it, around it, so you get a combination of flowers that give you pleasure,” Scott said.

Right now, however, her passion has a clear focus: Orchids. It’s the wide variety and beautiful blooms that captivate her. “All of them are special to me,” she explains. “But right now I am into orchids. The appeal of orchids, for me, is that each type brings a unique kind of joy.”

Join SOG next week for more from Marcia Scott’s garden.

Photographer: Joseph Wellington

A view of Marcia Scott’s front lawn with various species of plants.Photographer: (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Vanda coerulea (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Dendrobium (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Vanda (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Cattleya (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Mokara (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Amazonian zebra (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Dendrobium (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Cooktown (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Desert rose (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

Frangipani (Photo: Joseph Wellington)