In 1937 Jamaican Horticulturist Hedley Edwards founded his beloved Ardastra Gardens in The Bahamas. The Ardastra Gardens include an extensive array of exotic flowers and birds. Mr. Edwards named the garden Ardastra, which is the Spanish word for “Striving towards the stars,” because he felt it depicted a utopia where one could restore one’s spirit with peace, beauty and tranquility.

The garden includes “The Tree of Life”, The Lignum Vitae, which is also the national flower of Jamaica and Banyans which are the national trees of the Bahamas. Ardastra Gardens Zoo and Conservation Center is a place where pink flamingos can be found and gnarled vines abound. It is an oasis of coconut trees, surrounded by wild orchids, hibiscus and bougainvillea blooms.

Thanks to the creative horticultural endeavors of Hedley Edwards the world has Ardastra Gardens to enjoy.

Ardastra Gardens Zoo and Conservation Center is located at Chippenham Street, near Fort Charlotte in The Bahamas.