Creole garden

The Creole garden or jardin de case (hut garden) is a multi-strata, multi-use agroforestry system common in French Guiana, the West Indies and Réunion, intended for the production of fruit and vegetables and characterised by the association of a large diversity of different plant species, forming several vegetation layers, from herbaceous plants to trees.

[1] It blends Amerindian civilisation with the history of European colonisation; of plots given to enslaved people to support themselves, self-sufficient Maroon settlements and of Chinese and Indian immigration to the West Indies, all of which contribute to the form and purpose of the garden.

This cropping system continues to make an important contribution to small-scale farming in mountain areas, as the country experiences significant ecological, economic and social pressure.

The front of the garden may be planted with pineapple flowers, anthuriums, hibiscus, bougainvillea, Aloe Vera, Rose Geranium, Basil, Curry tree and Kaffir lime.

Although this type of garden is tending to disappear with the increasing urbanisation of Réunion, it continues to be echoed in urban homes, in the organisation of terraces, and smaller front and back yards, using potted plants.