Flora, Fauna, Inspiration…

Joseph Murphy is credited as the founder of the Botanical Gardens of Nevis; working with Martha Murphy, he helped transform the Montpelier area into a landscaped garden rather than a private residence, creating a lasting space that blended natural beauty, heritage and visitor appeal. Their vision laid the groundwork for what became one of Nevis’s signature attractions. The Gardens sits on part of Montpelier Estate, near the site where Horatio Nelson married Fanny Nisbet in 1797.

The land was secured and terraced more than twenty years ago, and the original “Bunker House,” now known as the Garden House, was built there. In 2008, Nik and Christi Douglas purchased the property to preserve it as a botanical sanctuary, renovating the watercourses, buildings, and plantings to restore and enhance the Gardens.

From dry coastal vegetation and tropical forests to lush mountain habitats on Nevis Peak. Its native and cultivated flora includes orchids, ferns, palms, fruit trees, and many species important to local ecology and traditional life.