The Edible Garden

A garden fanatic himself, co-founder Bernard has spent countless time and energy creating a tropical paradise! And whilst the gardens at de Charmoy Estate are beautiful on appearance, they are practical too with most being edible!

The de Charmoy Estate is also home to some exquisitely beautiful trees: The Bauhenia, or Orchid Tree flowers multiple times throughout the year revealing beautiful pink Orchid Like Flowers. To see it in full bloom outside the Hilltop House is a site to behold.

Many people have lost time gazing up at our Acacia tree which is full of weaver birds nest. In the springtime it is a flurry of activity as the birds weave their beautiful nests.

A walk around the estate will have you coming across some of these well known trees: Coffee tree - Macadamia - Pecan - Mangoes - Coffee tree - Vanilla vine - Avocado - Curry leaf - Limes - Lemons - Litchi - Bananas.

A few of the unusual and interesting trees you may find whilst adventuring around our garden, include:

Soursop: Soursop is the fruit of Annona muricata, a broadleaf, flowering, evergreen tree. The flesh of the fruit consists of an edible, white pulp, some fiber, and a core of indigestible black seeds. The pulp is also used to make fruit nectar, smoothies, fruit juice drinks, as well as candies, sorbets, and ice cream flavorings.

Jamalac: Syzygium samarangense is a tropical tree growing to 12 m tall, with evergreen leaves. The fruit is a bell-shaped, edible berry, with colors ranging from white, pale green, or green to red. In the cuisine of Indian Ocean islands, the fruit is frequently used in salads, as well as in lightly sautéed dishes and makes a beautiful Jam.

Moringa oleifera: Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Moringa. English common names include: moringa, drumstick tree[(from the appearance of the long, slender, triangular seed-pods), horseradish tree[ (from the taste of the roots, which resembles horseradish), ben oil tree, or benzoil tree[ (from the oil which is derived from the seeds). It is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree, and may be cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas where its young seed pods and leaves are used as vegetables. It can also be used for water purification and hand washing, and is sometimes used in herbal medicine. Moringa leaves have been proposed as an iron-rich food source (31% Daily Value per 100 g consumed).

Custard apple: Custard apple is a common name for a fruit, and the tree which bears it, Annona reticulata. is a small, well-branched tree or shrub that bears edible fruits called sugar-apples or sweetsops.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon is an evergreen tree characterized by oval-shaped leaves, thick bark, and a berry fruit. When harvesting the spice, the bark and leaves are the primary parts of the plant used.

Bigerade : Bigerade derives from an evergreen tree up to 10 metres high with dark green, glossy, oval leaves, paler beneath, with long but not very sharp spines. It has a smooth greyish trunk and branches , and very fragrant white flowers. The fruits are smaller and darker than the sweet orange. It is well known for its resistance to disease and is often used as root stock for other citrus trees, including the sweet orange.

Golden apple: This exciting fruit tree plant will amaze you with its ability to flower and fruit at a young age. It fruits in winter and holds the fruit up to 6-8 months, long after the leaves have dropped. The fruit appears in pairs and will turn a brushed-golden color as it ripens. Its feel and juiciness resembles that of a mango but with completely different flavor. The Golden apple is used both in sweet and savory dishes depending on its ripeness. When green, the fruit is commonly eaten as is (with or without skin just like green mangoes) with salt and other salty/spicy dips, made into salsas, chutneys, and into juices and smoothies. When fully ripe, the Golden Apple will be deep yellowish-orange in color. When yellow, the fruit is eaten just like an apple or stewed with sugar to make an applesauce-like dessert. The fruit has a single sharp, rather large, spiny seed. The young leaves can also be used in salad.

Bilimbi : Averrhoa bilimbi (commonly known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel

In the Philippines, where it is commonly found in backyards, the fruits are eaten either raw or dipped in rock salt. It can be either curried or added as a souring agent.

In Seychelles, it is often used as an ingredient to give a tangy flavor to many Seychellois creole dishes, especially fish dishes.

Pamplemousse: The pomelo, Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis, also called pomello, pummelo, pommelo, pamplemousse, jabong (Hawaii), batabi or jambura (Bengali), zambura (Sylheti) or shaddock,[1] is a natural (non-hybrid) citrus fruit, similar in appearance to a large grapefruit, native to South and Southeast Asia.

In large parts of South East Asia, it is a popular dessert, often eaten raw sprinkled with, or dipped in, a salt mixture. It is also eaten in salads and drinks.

Sapota :

The sapota fruit has its origin in the rain forests of Central America. The unripe fruit has a hard surface and white pulp due to its high content of latex. The latex content reduces as the fruit ripens and its flesh acquires a brown color. It has a smooth and grainy texture with a sweet and musky flavor. It is rich in calories and its sweet flavor can be attributed to the presence of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that replenish energy and revitalize the body.

Tamarind : (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree, The tamarind tree produces pod-like fruit, which contain an edible pulp that is used in cuisines around the world. Other uses of the pulp include traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used for woodworking, and Tamarind seed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Because of the tamarind's many uses, cultivation has spread around the world in tropical and subtropical zones. The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour, but is often used as a component of savory dishes or as a pickling agent.

The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts, as a jam, blended into juices, or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and other snacks. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire Sauce.[

Jackfruit Tree: Artocarpus heterophyllu), also known as jack tree, fenne, jakfruit, or sometimes simply jack or jak. The jackfruit is a multiple fruit, composed of hundreds to thousands of individual flowers, and it is the fleshy petals that are eaten.

The jackfruit tree is a widely cultivated and popular food item throughout the tropical regions of the world.

The gardens not only bring colour but life to de Charmoy Estate and they are a proud showcase of the de Charmoy family to all who visit.