A Celebration of Vanilla Paradise Nevis's Three Shade Houses

At Vanilla Paradise Nevis, our organic vanilla farm on the picturesque island of Nevis, we have reached a significant milestone. While the official inauguration of our farm is on the horizon, we couldn't resist giving names to our three shade houses, each reflecting the vibrant surroundings and essence of Nevis. Find out the inspiration behind the names, the significance of each, and the role of our dedicated farm workers in bringing this vision to life.

The Stories Behind the Names

We now have 3 shade houses on the farm, each of 5,000 square feet (500 square meters), so it felt natural to name them, it helped me and the Vanilla Crew as we call ourselves, with the logistics and, frankly, it’s just a nice thing to do! It was Shirley Mills, one of the Vanilla Crew, who came up with the names. Shirley can turn her hand to most jobs and can often be seen repairing the nets following a windy storm, or a visit from the famous Nevis feral donkeys.

So, what are their names?

Ginep Shade

We have wonderful mature Ginep groves around on the farm. This tree - Melicoccus bijugatus also known as Bajan ackee, Spanish lime or mamoncillo - is native to the West Indies and produces stone-bearing fruits that have a bittersweet, wine-like flavour, used fresh or canned. The pit is also edible, which when roasted, resembles cashew nuts. We sit in the welcome shade given by the Ginep trees and eat their fruit during breaks in farm work.

Flamboyant Walk

We are lucky to have this spectacularly beautiful tree on the farm. We went to great lengths to clear and prepare the land for the shade houses and leave the trees intact. The Delonix regia, to give it its full name, is originally from Madagascar and Shirley reminded us that it is the national flower of St Kitts & Nevis. It used to be called “royal poinciana” in English, named for Phillippe de Longvilliers de Poincy, the 17th-century governor of St. Kitts. This tree shows off its bright red flowers in the summer. The flowers then become long brown pods that can be used as percussion instruments, known as “shack-shacks”. I remember playing with them as child growing up in Tanzania.

St Kitts & Nevis Coat of Arms

National Symbols

Coconut Grove

Shirley thought this name was a no-brainer. Not only do coconuts abound on Nevis, but the plants on Vanilla Paradise Nevis literally owe their existence thanks to their husks. If you have followed us in recent months, you will know that we use dried coconut husks as organic mulch for our vanilla plants – we need 19,000 husks per shade house! In addition, we recently planted 30 coconut saplings around the farm, to provide more shade to the growing vanilla plants and to add to the biodiversity of our farm. As a reminder, take a look at our recent articles here: Alex Coconut’s Water Stand: Fostering Sustainable Community Practices and Rooted in Nature: Vanilla Paradise Nevis' Biodiversity Day Commitment.

We thank Shirley for coming up with her wonderfully apt names for the shade houses and to the Vanilla Crew who painted the signs and erected them. These skilled farm workers have painted more than just signs; they've painted the essence of Vanilla Paradise Nevis and our commitment to excellence in organic vanilla cultivation.

Anticipation for the Future of Vanilla Paradise Nevis

Now that our precious shade houses have a name, Vanilla paradise Nevis is taking on its identity.  I am very proud of how far we have come and am looking forward to unveiling the shade houses to the public very soon.