Jersey: a pretty little island from across the pond

story by Ian leatt, photos by Jim leatt

In the Channel Islands, just north of France’s Brittany and west of Normandy, lies Jersey, where I am from. Being governed by Her Majesty, the citizens speak English, but also many speak French. They do have their own language, Jerriais Francais, which you would hear mostly on the farms.

The island is surrounded with so many beautiful walks from the headlands of the north, with their steep cliffs some 470 feet in elevation, to the south where you lay on the white sand catching some warm summer rays. I have come to learn that you never truly appreciate the place you live until you leave it and return for a visit.

Jersey clearly has four seasons, unlike Canada where some would argue there are only two: winter and summer. You can travel to Jersey any time of the year and find spectacular gardens; the everchanging seasons leave your eyes wide open if you know where to go and what to look for.

Let me explain.

Spring arrives and blooms abound. The island comes to life with wallflowers, night-scented stock, tulips, crocus and fields and fields of daffodils. A visually stunning sight befalls your eyes no matter the direction you look.

Fields and fields of potatoes in early spring are covered in plastic which, once removed, reveals the dark green leaf and the colour of life. When the potatoes are ready for picking in March, the island goes a little crazy. Everyone talks about their first batch of the year. I know it sounds a little odd to the uninitiated, but, until you experience the true joy of a ‘Jersey Royal’ potato you cannot imagine what it is like. The potato itself has a very white flesh. The “mids” (young potatoes) are typically the best, being small at one inch in size. Washed (no need to peel), boiled in salted water with heaps of mint and served with melted butter, they taste like heaven. The locals make a big thing about their potatoes and are very protective. They bear, after all, the royal stamp of approval.

A field of the famous 'Jersey Royal' potatoes. Walkway dripping with wisteria.

Field of poppies. Cherries ripening in summer.

Daffodils in February.

At the end of April beginning of May, the summer starts to show its true signs. Azaleas bloom, the large rhododendrons exploding with colour and a sweet lily-like scent. Magnolias fill some roads their long reaching branches decorated and characterised by large fragrant flowers which may be bowl-shaped or star-shaped, in shades of white, pink, purple, green or yellow.

Throughout the headlands, wild heather perks up and carpets the landscape with its dark pinks and purples, contrasted with the green bushy stalks of gorse (also called Scottish broom). Their spiny prickly thorns are covered with a vibrant yellow flower. Wild crab-apples, elderberries and blackberries spring to life, producing a bounty of fruit when ripe. If you are ever there in late June or early July, take a drive down Hydrangea Avenue (Route du Marais), filled from start to end for over a mile on both sides of the road with huge hydrangeas in pinks, whites and blues; a visual feast for all garden lovers.

With many local garden centres on the island the opportunity for the locals to dress their home gardens with beautiful displays is endless. Many locals divide their gardens into vegetable growing and displays of colour. No matter the size, pride is always very important.

There are many beautiful parks to visit, from Coronation Park, to Howard Davis Park, all elegantly designed and maintained. A very famous garden is that of Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Park, cut into the hillside with water falls, rose beds and many, many trees. The lush, springlike lawns are there for all to use, from taking a nap to having a picnic.

In the summer Jersey is like no other, with palm trees along the beaches, and promenades made beautiful by annual plants in full bloom: geraniums, impatiens, phlox and dracaena, to name but a few. One real beauty is that you can have breakfast and watch the sunrise on one side of the island then have dinner and watch the sunset on the other. Sometimes being small does have its advantages.

Camellias thrive on Jersey.

Scan me

Watch a video to find out more about Jersey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsAZ7UG0wDo

The second Thursday of August, the island comes to life even more with the annual celebration, The Battle of Flowers. The island is made up of 12 parishes that all compete for coveted trophies like Prix d’Honneur, Prix d’Excellence, and Prix D’Honneur de Papie. Two events take place: the day show and the night show. The average attendance at the event is 20,000 people with the largest gathering in 1969 of 69,000. Not bad for an island with a population of just under 100,000.

As fall starts to loom its inevitable head the island starts to gather its bountiful harvest. Name the vegetable and it probably grows there.

Winter is a time of rain. The cold breeze from the Atlantic Ocean blows in and the island rests. The deciduous trees lose their leaves and the tall fir trees slumber. In early January, many local farmers and gardening enthusiasts go to the beach to gather vraic, a type of seaweed and a truly organic fertilizer that is spread over the soil in the fields and vegetable gardens. I am told that it is what makes the potatoes so perfect.

Jersey is a beautiful island; it is where I am from. My heart, though, belongs to Canada.