Creating a beautiful space was the primary goal when I started a hillside garden many years ago. I visualised meandering beds with copious flowers of every variety. I planted and struggled. Downy mildew covered hybrid roses, the result of hot days, misty afternoons and cool nights. My dream of saucer-sized dahlias, mophead hydrangeas, and gorgeous phalaenopsis sprays didn’t materialise either.

I didn’t have a lot of time to spend on the flower garden and the idea of using chemicals to boost perfection did not appeal. I decided to search the forested areas on our land for plants that grew naturally in our type of soil and climate. There were ferns, ginger lilies, begonias, bromeliads and well-known medicinal ‘bush herbs’. As I filled in the garden with these low-maintenance plants, lines began to blur, front yard and backyard became one. It was less about filling the vases and more about protecting the natural habitats and nesting of our feathered friends and creating a harmonious relationship with the other denizens of the garden. Fruits and vegetables intertwined with herbs and flowers. A grapefruit tree looked incongruous growing amongst the agapanthus lilies in the front garden, but there it remained.

Thirty years later, the blossoms continue to attract bees and the tree provides us with the sweetest fruit. We experienced first-hand how the livelihoods of farmers were directly impacted by climate change. Mountain dwellers didn’t give a thought to having fans to cool rooms 30 years ago; we simply didn’t need them. It was too cool for mosquitoes to live and breed here too. Now we have both! Days are hotter, winter months colder, droughts and floods harsher. We had to find ways to adapt growing methods to climate change. With slopes and deep ravines, hillside gardens require techniques to protect the land. Renewable and quick-growing bamboo is an excellent option for building terraces. Living terraces can also be created by planting hedges of fever grass. Diverting water away from the garden beds must be planned before potential heavy rains. Designating a small section of a garden to trees will protect land slippage, provide natural habitats, feed trees and biodiversity. Water harvesting is crucial. November through March can be extremely dry and windy in the mountains. Mulch is spread on the soil to lock in moisture and preserve nutrients. Lighting fires to clear land for planting is hazardous and unsustainable, but unfortunately, still practised on hillside farms. On windy days, fires can quickly spiral out of control threatening life and property and contributes to the effects of climate change. Instead of burning, the same vegetation can be used to make compost, a simple and inexpensive method that provides rich, natural fertiliser.

As I take photographs for this article, magenta flowers of the poor man’s orchid (Bauhinia Purpurea) punctuate green foliage providing the beauty I wanted while bees hum overhead. A flash of emerald green catches my eye as a streamertail visits wild banana flowers. Nasturtium and jasmine tumble over the herb garden gate. Nasturtiums attract aphids away from other crops, while the edible flowers provide delicious peppery pops in salads. I adore the fragrance of jasmine. It would be a shame to remove them, I mutter. I notice a few eye rolls and head shakes as trails of beauty are left undisturbed and I use the other gate. Food, flowers, birds, insects, micro-organisms in the soil, all these elements help to create a rich natural diverse environment and a garden that delivers sweet smelling blossoms and clean nourishing food. I realise that no method of gardening is maintenance-free, although some varieties are easier to maintain then others. I eventually found hardy roses like this climber with its generous clusters of white blossoms. Another rose stalwart with bright red blossoms presently supports a Jerusalem peas vine which should be ready for the Christmas rice and peas pot if the gungo peas are late.

I am thankful to be at the end of a safe hurricane season. We have the ability, tools, knowledge and very little time to reduce the impact of climate change. With our creations, garden or otherwise, come responsibility for each of us to preserve and protect the planet for here and now and safeguard future generations.

— Donna Noble