St Peter Great House and Botanical Gardens

I love flowers and plants so I'm a sucker for botanical gardens.  In St. Thomas, the botanical gardens are located on 11 lush acres along volcanic peaks 1,000 feet above sea level on Hull Bay.  Perched on a mountain on the northern rim of the island. St. Peters Great House and Botanical Gardens was an 150-acre plantation in the 1800s. More recently, it was owned by the governor of the Virgin Islands.  You can see examples of the antique furniture that fills  the sprawling estate above.

This s-shaped loveseat  was my favorite piece of old-school living. I can imagine a courting couple sitting demurely in it while a chaperone watches closely to see that no body parts touch.

The gardens boast 17 varieties of orchids and 150 species of Caribbean plants.

A self-guided nature trail allows you to stroll through and for awhile, be surrounded by your private Garden of Eden.

This parrot flower with its bold crimson leaves edged in yellow, was my favorite. They really do look like little parrots when you stop back.

This tree towered over the gardens and looks like it grows specifically to grace a postcard or t-shirt.

The one thing that bothered me about the botanical gardens were the caged birds arranged throughout.  According to the staff, they are never let out of their cages, which seems cruel. Sandy, above, is a vibrant macaw that squawked loudly and constantly while I was there. She sounded like she wanted to get out of her cage, at least for a little while.