Have you ever witnessed a flower bloom for only a morning? That's the fleeting beauty of the discrete and small vanilla orchid flower. Here at Vanilla Paradise Nevis, we're celebrating these magical blossoms, another milestone of progress in our vanilla journey.

Filling the Shade Houses: A Labour of Love

Our shade houses now host 1,500 vibrant vanilla vines. Despite only being in the second year of their growth cycle, we’re fortunate to have around 20 plants currently in bloom. Vanilla plants need to be 3 to 4 years old before they are able to produce beans, so this early flowering is a promising sign.

Witnessing Florescence

It’s hard to describe a newly blossomed vanilla orchid. You have perhaps seen a photo of the discretely beautiful vanilla orchid flower, but nothing can compare to seeing it in real life, bathed in the morning dew, the water drops more beautiful than pearls. To think that this wonderful spectacle will only last half a day!

Dawn Patrol: Hand-Pollinating with Passion

As the sun rises, you'll find me heading to the shade houses armed with my trusty toothpick—the ultimate tool for a vanilla farmer. Hand-pollinating each bloom is a labour of love, a ritual that ensures no blossom goes unnoticed. This year, I’m joined by Jesse, the Plant Whisperer. We are checking each other to see who is the best “Marieuse”. This is the French word for people who pollinate the vanilla orchid; it means “the person who marries” which is effectively what they are doing with this hermaphrodite flower.

Watch how a flower is hand-pollinated and learn how it slowly turns into a bean

Harvest and Pollination: Unusually Close

 Vanilla beans take a full 9 months to ripen, while the flowers appear, one each day over a period of 60 days. The proximity of these two events—harvest and pollination—is unusual but fascinating. It’s a testament to the intricate dance of nature and the seasons within our shade houses.

A Five-Star Treatment for Our VIPs

The early appearance of blooms is a testament to the care we've given our vines that started life high on the slopes of Mount Nevis. We plant them in discarded local “jelly water” coconut husks and dry mango leaves and we have sourced local sustainable hardwood posts for them to grow up on.

But it's not just about physical care. Jesse and I take the extra step of speaking to the vines. It's a gesture of appreciation, a way of acknowledging their role in our journey. After all, they're the real VIPs here!

Continuing the Journey

As we continue this journey, each bloom serves as a reminder of how far we've come and the promise of what lies ahead. As we celebrate every step, every bloom, and every milestone, we invite you to join us on our organic and sustainable vanilla venture at Vanilla Paradise Nevis.

Read about our recent mini-harvest here, vanilla hand pollination here and about our shade houses here