Eric and Dorothy Butler’s “Secret Gardens” – Gleniston Gardens

I began gardening at age 11 years when my chore was to keep the family yard.  In those days there were no lawns; only dirt, rocks and fruit trees.  My job every Saturday was to sweep the yard with a broom made from tree branches.  At that time most yards had  native rose bushes, gardenias, ferns, aralias and croton trees which were planted from cuttings, and I was fascinated to watch them grow.

My garden is divided by hedges into ‘rooms’, hence the name “Secret Gardens” and visitors are often pleasantly surprised when they enter behind the hedges. Gardening is very therapeutic and I enjoy watching the stages of growth and blooming of the various plants. As a member of the Horticultural Society of The Bahamas (HSB) and also having served as a past president of the organization, I have gained invaluable expertise in horticulture through the lectures and demonstrations at meetings in members’ gardens, shows, field trips and attendance at various conferences abroad. My knowledge of horticulture was also enhanced when serving as a clerk at various shows and listening to the judges’ comments and observations, added to which I have often been on the classification team at HSB and other local garden shows.  I am passionate about my lifelong hobby which I turned into a successful lawn care and gardening business.

Eric Butler