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The Garden Club of
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CONTACT US OPEN HOUSES AND GARDENS The Open Houses and Gardens Programme is the major annual fund-raising project of the Club. By courtesy of members and friends, homes and gardens are open to the public. Proceeds go towards horticultural related civic improvements and scholarships. Details of future homes and gardens will be posted in due course. Please enjoy below recordings of most recent events. OPEN HOUSES AND GARDENS 2010 - HUNTLEY MANOR OPEN HOUSES AND GARDENS 2011 - PALM GROVE
2012 CHRISTMAS IN NOVEMBER AT ORANGE VALLEY
Orange Valley In 1802, Captain William Cox returned from a voyage at sea to build a handsome Georgian house for his family. Groves of sweet oranges grew on the rich, fertile land, west of Devonshire Marsh and, befittingly, Captain Cox named the house Orange Valley. Today, Orange Valley is the home of historian and author, John Cox. The house has remained in the Cox family in unbroken descent for six generations, its beautiful antiques and decorative arts handed down and preserved by each. The mahogany grandfather clock standing in the front hallway arrived in 1808 on Captain Cox’s sailing ship. Ticking away the centuries, it still keeps perfect time. Lady Cox, the owner’s grandmother, created the collections of objets de vertu on display, and selected handsome, mahogany furniture to grace the dining and drawing rooms. The fine marine paintings, English landscapes and family portraits were chosen by Anthea Cox and her husband, the late Michael Cox, parents of the present owner. In this generation, John Cox researches and enhances the collection of lovely eighteenth century porcelain which includes rare French Sevres pieces. The Great Cedar Room, a splendid addition to the historic house, designed by Michael Cox in 1981, affirms the the skills of 19th century carpenters and shipwrights by its adherence to traditional methods of construction. The Garden Woodland paths lead down the garden past natural arbors, shaded by guavas, palmetto, black ebony and mahogany trees. The coffee trees were planted in the early 1800s. The Royal Poinciana and Indian rubber tree are among the oldest trees on the island. A slender sapling brought by Captain Cox from Demerara about 1810 and planted at the bottom of the garden has grown into a into a colossal kapok tree; its pale pink and white flowers bloom at night. On the grass croquet lawn, designed by Anthea Cox in 1999, games are played on Thursday afternoon by both ladies and gentlemen, dressed in crisp white linens, mallets in hand, ready to test their skills. The Ghost Mary Robinson, the young first wife of Captain Cox, is an ethereal presence at Orange Valley, wandering the rooms by moonlight. In 1806, while Captain Cox sailed the seas, she succumbed to Yellow Fever with a farewell on her lips, forever unspoken.
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