Tamika Williams’ garden in the hills of Camrose, St James, was a gift from her husband, so beautiful that her family have opened their home to the public and have dubbed the eco-friendly grounds “Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden”. Celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year, Tamika (Mrs Ian “Ras Natango” Williams) says that in the same spirit in which the Taj Mahal was made for a woman, “this Jamaican woman had this cliff transformed into a world-renowned garden for her by her husband”. And the couple are both of the view that their home, garden and business are testament to their dedication, perseverance and belief that all things are possible.

Feeding the spirit

It’s been anonymously said that “the human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man”. If you’ve visited any hillside in this country, you can attest to the fact that the works of God’s hands cannot be rearranged in the true sense due to their overwhelming beauty and all-encompassing grandeur. In such places the garden- and nature-loving man or woman may only attempt to enhance what’s already within the foliage.

Says Tamika, “It is very difficult to separate the garden from me or me from the garden. All life lessons are taught by the garden in nature. There is a natural order to everything. The sun rises and sets every day and I look at the flora and fauna in my garden as integral to life in its entirety. I have learned that plants recover quickly after a dry spell and reward the keeper of the garden with great bounty. I watch and learn the interaction between species of birds making the garden their home. The garden has taught me to be at peace, to lower my vibrations and renew a bond of trust between human beings and, especially birds, with our national bird feeding from my hand using my finger as a perch.”

Being part of the whole

Tamika says, “No two flowers are ever alike, and plants do not have to disguise persona as humans do. A rose cannot pass for a hibiscus. The garden teaches me the importance of being part of a whole… [For] every garden, no matter its location in the world, there is always one constant. Taller plants to the back and ground covers to the front. Shade-dwelling plants thrive under the branches of the sun lovers. It would be remiss of me to speak about my garden and focus only on the flora and fauna…”

The science of observation

Golden Age orator Robert Ingersoll wrote that reason, observation and experience were the holy trinity of science. Interestingly, Ingersoll was also called the great agnostic since his thought matrix omitted the detail that science is a product of God’s creation. Tamika, putting forward her “science of observation”, thinks similarly. She reasons, “All the elements are integral for the survival of the garden. The sunrise, the rain, the earth, roots of trees, rocks, leaves, are all a part of a successful garden… removing any of the elements is courting disaster. Imagine a well-hydrated garden with no sunlight or a garden in the sun with no hydration. Go a step further and provide both water and an area with lots of natural light from the sun but arid or clayey soil; though plants will grow they will never reach their true potential. So, gardening is knowing about the soil, when to water, what plants require the shade, and when to plant.”

Tamika, an avid subscriber to the science of observation, explains that she’s learned invaluable life lessons throughout her garden journey. “It’s taught me the value of time, space, and most importantly, patience. I also learned that every animal is important to the life of the garden. The mosquito feeds the frogs who in turn control the mosquito population. I have learned that the same seeds sown in a pot will prove every time that we mature at our own pace, and patience is indeed a virtue.”

There’s a view that in the garden we have either found our realest selves or are desperately searching for our true essence by digging for it, adorning it, accepting it, being at peace with it and/or nurturing it. It is a process of deep spiritual connection and introspection.

According to Tamika, the garden “appeals to our senses”, engages “the sense of spirituality… the sense of creativity… the sense of possibilities and dreams”.

Find a moment today or over this long weekend, sit outside with nature, get your hands dirty in some soil, connect to that sixth sense, employ the science of observation. In Tamika’s words, let the garden reassure you that “there is always hope and renewal”.