J.R. O’Neal Botanical Gardens, Tortola BVI
A trip to Tortola is not complete without a visit to the J.R.O’Neal Botanical Gardens. In 1979, the British Virgin Islands National Trust, created this huge garden with the aim of preserving nature and providing home to the various tropical birds that visit Tortola. The site on which this garden currently stands was, once upon a time, an Agricultural Experiment station where various types of plants were grown for experimental purposes for nearly a century. The botanical garden is named after J.R. O’Neal who was a leading conservationist at Tortola.
This garden plays host to a variety of flora and fauna all through the year. Nature lovers are bound to be captivated by the exotic collection of flowers and plants in this huge four acre garden. You can find species of plants not only found in Tortola but various parts of the world. They are artfully preserved and well taken care of all through the year by the trust in collaboration with the local volunteers.
Gardeners, florists, botanists…anyone who steps into this botanical garden will have something to take away from here. The “walk of the Royal Palms” is the walkway that leads you straight to the fountain located at the center of the garden. There are various pathways that one can take from the fountain to explore the various sections. The miniature rain forest, a cactus garden, palm grove, a turtle pond and a tropical bird house are various parts of this vast garden. The enamoring perfume emitted by the beautiful flowers of this garden is appealing to the senses and urges you to explore the entire place.
This botanical garden in Tortola is smaller in size as compared to the many others in the Caribbean region; however, the collection of plants and birds in this garden is unparalleled. Over 62 species of palm trees can be seen in the Palm gardens. The Cacti garden also has an impressive collection of cactus that grows in various parts of the world.
A tropical rainforest has been specially created in a particular section of the garden in order to attract tropical birds and grow tropical plants. Special variants of heliconias, anthuriums and ginger can be found in this tropical rain forest section.
The J.R. O’Neal Botanical gardens are a favorite of the visitors and the local people alike. While visitors like the park because of the large collection of plants and birds, the locals prefer this place because of the relief it offers from the din and chaos of daily life. Locals frequent this garden during lunch time to sit under the soothing shade of the trees and empty their packed lunch.
The lovely locale of this garden also provides a fantastic backdrop for weddings. Innumerable couples have exchanged marriage vows standing at the fountain, in the presence of their family and friends. While the yard in the garden is well suited for large weddings, the area near the fountain is perfect for an intimate wedding.
There is a small fee of just $3 that is collected from every visitor to this garden in Tortola to help in its upkeep. Donations, small or large, are gratefully accepted. There is also a nursery in the garden from where you can purchase plants or seedlings that can help beautify your lawn back home.
If you truly want to see nature at its best, don’t miss visiting the J.R. O’Neal Botanical Garden in Tortola which is located at Station Avenue, Road Town. The garden is open all through the week (Monday to Saturday) from 9am to 4.30pm. You can call 494-3904 for further details.