The botanical garden, which was known also as an exotic jungle, provided a scenic backdrop for countless “I dos” and supplied the perfect picture for numerous photos and video clips.
Once considered an ideal place for the avid bird-watcher, and the horticulturalist, the “botanical paradise” located on 12 acres, boasted thriving vegetation, waterfalls, flowering trees, and beautiful gardens, amid a variety of birds and animals.
But the garden was no match for the fury unleashed by Hurricane Frances, when in September 2004, 36 hours of non-stop winds toppled trees, dismembered branches, and uprooted its flowering plants, leaving it extensively devastated.
Since its demise, former manager, Carmel Churchill, told The Bahama Journal that the management company, Bahamas Wildlife Ltd., which had reportedly been losing money, opted not to revive it.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority has since taken over responsibility.
Speaking of the unfortunate deterioration of the “wonderful showpiece”, CEO Sir Albert Miller said there have been discussions with potential investors.
“We have an obligation to the lot owners in that area [since] we said that there would be a botanical garden,” he said.
Sir Albert noted that the Port “has to do something with the Garden of the Groves” however expensive it would be.
“Cruise passengers love to go to the Garden of the Groves; taxi drivers love the long trip out there [because] itﾒs a good fare, and we are conscious of all of these things,” Sir Albert said.
He added that the president of the Grand Bahama Development Company is actively looking at what could be done to revive the botanical garden, adding that it would complement other projects planned for the area.
Honouring its founder, Wallace Groves, and his wife, Georgette, Garden of the Groves is located seven miles east of another major attraction, the International Bazaar.
By: Daphne McIntosh, The Bahama Journal
