Celebrating the Caribbean’s Botanical Heritage through Patterns, Prints and Products

Photo: The hand-drawn monstera print

It all started when Covid lockdowns drove me to start gardening.

As the world slowed down and I found myself grounded at home, I turned my attention to nurturing life in my backyard. There, I discovered the joy and tranquility that Caribbean plants and flowers bring.

I researched and read about our Caribbean ethnobotanical heritage and the significance of our gullies. I reminisced on trips to Welchman Gully in Barbados, Andromeda Gardens, Hunts Gardens and other favourite garden spots in my island, along with my previous travels to Bassin Bleu in Guadeloupe. There were fond memories.

Unfortunately, for many years, illegal disposal of waste, deforestation and other changes have threatened the ecological well-being of our gullies. Our gullies hold both cultural and historical significance and are the home of both rare and common Caribbean flora and fauna. Here, amidst the heliconias and ginger lilies of my garden, the seeds of creativity took root.

I designed a line of premium gift papers that celebrate the beauty of our gullies and produced them locally with an eco-friendly printery on recyclable paper.

Gully Flora has since grown to include made-to-order goods that celebrate the beauty of endangered Caribbean gullies and bring awareness to the significance of these ecological treasures

 

See more on Gully Flora’s Instagram