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Reunion Island

In Reunion Island, most of the time, the term “cour” designates the space situated in front of the house. It is a special place for socialization, a place between the street and the house (“la kaz” in Creole), a place bordered by quickset hedges or delimited by a fence and a gate (“baro” in Creole).

In the past, it was made of beaten earth and it was used as a playing field by children. Girls used to play hopscotch and boys whirligig.
Nowadays, the "cour" is essentially meant for the passion of ornemental plants. This hobby is quite common in the island. As a matter of fact, the tropical climate enables the diversity, the adaption and the exuberance which qualify Creole gardens.

The garden and the “cour” merge

The “cour” is the place where one comes to enjoy the freshness and serenity provided by the plants.
One needs to distinguish between two types of “cour” : the “cour” of the "maison de maître" which is inspired by the French or English architecture, is geometric in shape and very often decorated with a fountain ; and the cour of the humble house.
In the latter, the cultural diversity of Reunion Island expresses itself better since it consists of many different spaces, each having a very specific function.

It is also a place of social conventions with definite rules. Nobody would enter a “cour” without calling out “na kelkin?”, meaning “Anybody there?”.
Once done, one will enter without even waiting for a reply. The first impression one would get is that of an inextricable mess. This word is indeed commonly used to designate Creole gardens.

The species planted at the entry fulfill the fonction of protecting the occupants. For instance, one can find varieties of prickly shrubs, such as the “couronnes de jésus”, a variety supposed to evict the evil spirit.
Thanks to their ability to reproduce, the perennials constitute the highlights of the “cour créole”. There are also ferns, a few fruit trees and a space dedicated to aromatic and medecinal plants. This type of rustic garden is also called a “kitchen garden”.
Every garden has its own personality and atmosphere. One applies oneself to keeping many varieties as possible, in order to have one’s garden in bloom all year long.
In Reunion Island, gardening is a real way of life. The profusion of species in the gardens is the expression of the density of Reunion’s forests. The garden is a miniature Reunion Island. According to Isabelle Hoarau, an anthropologist: “A visitor in search of the island’s spirit would find it in the beauty of the flowers that surrounds the most humble of houses.”

Abundance in shapes and colours

Although times have changed and the garden is looked after by men mostly, the “cour créole” remains a space dedicated to women. Yves Colette, a landscape architect and botanic addict concedes willingly. Their garden, situated in the upland, in Saint-Denis à la Bretagne is the fruit of his wife’s labour. The Creole garden can also be the work of the “gramoune” (ederly persons).

The landscape structuration of the “cour” can vary: there isn’t a unique pattern. However, the main characteristics remain: an abundance in, an accumulation and a blend of shapes and colours.
Today, lawn grass has replaced beaten earth and the flower beds are quite abundant.

The most common varieties found in a Creole garden are the anthuriums, the creeping bougainvilleas, the white or pink frangipanis, the dahlias, the French marigolds, the fushias, the hibiscus, the roses, the crotons…But the most noble of all species remains the orchis. It is commonly found in gardens and a greenhouse is set aside for this particular species. Since the first “floralies” in 1973 and the appearance of the first tree nurseries, the gardens have been enriched with new varieties. The Creole gardens bring happiness to collectors and botanists.

The real traditional gardens are situated in the south and south-east of the island, in the area of the “côte au vent”, where the humidity level is higher.
Should the creole garden be described in one word, it would be: Eden. When alive, it lasts because it is given the most thoughful of care.

Reunion island has more than 120 varieties of tropical fruits. One can find gavas, grenadines, hog plums, carambolas, and of course mangoes, lychees and a few citrus fruits. Many books have been written about the island’s medicinal plants. Plants as medicine is a common practice. The garden constitutes the place where one finds the first medicines to many illnesses.

 

Pascale Kouassigan-Jubin
based on Isabelle Hoarau and Yves Colette