Situated in Red Hills, St Andrew, the garden of Heather Laine Limited Managing Director Zoe Summers is an ode to her native parish of St Elizabeth, with its vast floral treasures.

Summers’ portfolio of plants boasts 50 species, including bougainvilleas, orchids, begonias and impatiens, which she has amassed over the three decades she has lived there. Complementing her impressive collection is an assortment of fruit trees ranging from June plum and mango, to Brazilian cherry and ortanique. Her green thumb was inspired by her mother, Maud-Ann.

Summers’ passion is undeniable! Walking up the driveway, you are greeted by her array of bougainvilleas and begonias on the lawn, the vast array of orchids on the patio and Spanish moss dangling from the naseberry tree. Walking into the backyard, SO Gardening (SOG) was transfixed by her colourful desert roses as well as the mosaic of hues that encompasses her coleuses. Towering above the tapestry of plants is a tree house where, if lucky, you might be blessed by a visit from a woodpecker.

Summers’ childhood is the foundation for her garden, fuelled by her St Elizabeth roots.

“As a St Elizabeth ‘country girl’, my mother always had a flower bed. I can’t remember a time not having flowers around me. Initially, I collected succulents for my apartment patio and haven’t stopped,” Summers recalled. Since moving to Red Hills in 1989, her modest collection of succulents ballooned into the oasis she enjoys today. While she is reluctant to pick out favourites, Summers has a special affinity for her bougainvilleas, which she says are aesthetically pleasing as well as straightforward to maintain.

“Nothing tops the beauty of a blooming bougainvillea. They are very easy to care for. They need sunlight, they can be watered sparingly and are not overly susceptible to diseases,” Summers informed. “I do have a slug issue with them, but we treat for that.”

SOG invites you to join us next week for more highlights from Zoe Summers’ garden.

Photographer: Karl Mclarty

Red desert rose

Purple Doritaenopsis and a white moth

Magenta impatiens

Green and pink coleus

White begonias

Red vanda

Bougainvilleas

Yellow mokara

West Indian lantana

Barkeria

Zoe Summers displays her bougainvilleas. (Karl Mclarty)