As a surgeon, Dr Lucien Tomlinson’s world demands high-stakes precision. When he seeks true calm, however, he retreats to the magnificent garden he spent two decades cultivating in Cherry Gardens.

Drawing inspiration from his mother, Celestine Tomlinson, and her love for the Trelawny soil, Tomlinson has created a breathtaking expanse where flora, fauna, and produce coexist in perfect harmony. Style Observer Gardening (SOG) accepted Tomlinson’s invitation to explore the secrets behind this remarkable oasis.

The well-manicured lawn offers an immediate, vibrant spectacle: A dazzling array of orchids, from vandas to dendrobiums as well as hibiscuses and desert roses. Moving to the backyard, the garden unveils its dual beauty: A collection of bromeliads, anthuriums and other flowers but also by the extensive produce and fruit trees — callaloo, sweet pepper, mint, yams, banana, mango and soursop — all embodying a pure garden-to-table ethos. Add a pond teeming with koi, and the result is an oasis. This deep-seated connection to the land traces back to Tomlinson’s childhood in Trelawny.

“My mother had a passion for roses. We had a walkway leading to the back of the house, where we cultivated all types of flowers. But at the time, roses were the defining feature of most gardens in Trelawny,” Tomlinson shared with
SOG. “When I moved to Kingston, my own gardening passion intensified as I saw what others were growing.”

After years in Hope Pastures, Tomlinson moved to Cherry Gardens in 2004, where he finally found the canvas for his dream garden. Twenty years later, the dedication he poured into building the space from the ground up has yielded beautiful dividends. Though he admits cultivating and maintaining his sun vandas is the biggest challenge, his true affinity lies with bromeliads, which he values for their striking colour and ability to enhance the garden’s overall design.

“For me, bromeliads are what give the garden its vibrant spark. They offer an incredible range of colours to work with, and it’s their energy that truly stands out. While I appreciate the vandas and other orchids, the bromeliads are the ones that really elevate the overall look of the space,” Tomlinson said.

Join SOG next week for more from Dr Lucien Tomlinson’s garden.

Cooktown (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Hibiscus (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Portulaca(Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Dr Lucien Tomlinson inspects a mango.(Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Gerbera (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Bromeliad (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Vanda (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Waling-waling (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

Arizona cypress (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

China rose (Photo: Karl Mclarty)