Beyond the gates of the upper St Andrew residence of retired accountant Angella Distant and her husband, Lloyd — a retired banker — lies a garden rooted in perseverance. Angella may have been modest about its current progress, but Style Observer Gardening (SOG) found a space brimming with life — a sanctuary where every bloom tells a story.

Ascending the driveway, the eye is immediately drawn to an expansive water feature, where koi glide gracefully amidst a vibrant border of bromeliads. Venturing further in front, a spectacular array of orchids awaits — from vandas and mokaras to dendrobiums — alongside local Jamaican varieties. This botanical haven is further enriched by desert roses, coleus, and potted bougainvilleas. In the backyard, the journey continues with delicate wonders, where cattleyas, phalaenopsises and crinum lilies offer quiet moments of joy.

While Distant’s love for gardening began in a childhood spent between Kingston and Manchester, it wasn’t until 2001 that this inspiration truly blossomed into a passion.

“I lived in New York for 15 years and when I returned to live in Jamaica in 2001, Lloyd and I bought a new house. We were in the process of renovating and we also did some landscaping as there was no defined garden,” she shared with SOG. “We started with simple plants which provided colour and ambiance. The most exotic plant we started with was some roses. However, whenever anyone visited, they would express joy at just being around the plants and sitting in our garden.”

After health issues sidelined her in 2006, she returned to her garden a year later with fresh energy and new additions. This progress was undone when her gardener mistakenly applied weedkiller to the entire garden rather than just the invasive love bush and vines. Undeterred by the loss, she rebuilt her garden with help from nurseries and a close friend, the latter of whom gifted her the first pieces of her orchid collection.

“My big break came when my friend, Betty Ashley, gave me about a dozen orchids and told me, ‘Try your hand with these.’ At the time, I knew nothing about orchids beyond simply admiring them,” Angella explained. “A few months later, Betty asked if I wanted to go in on a shipment of bare-root orchids she was importing. I took her up on the offer, and my garden moved to an entirely different level. Within two years, it had blossomed into a masterpiece.”

Through health challenges and the heartbreak of losing her original collection, Distant discovered the true weight of resilience — refusing to let any setback halt her progress.

“I was made stronger when I decided not to be a victim of what happened to the plants or my body during my illness, but to get up and start climbing again,” she explained.

Join SOG next week for more from Angella Distant’s garden.

Vanda (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Vanda denisoniana (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Bromecanthe Jamaica Fire (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Solandra grandiflora (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Epidendrum (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Dendrobium (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Mokara (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Myrmecophila tibicinis(Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Phalaenopsis (Photo: Garfield Robinson)