Welcome to the August issue of Property Guide  –  The island is in bloom! This morning, after navigating through my berry-splattered patio and bougainvillea-covered steps, I walked down the Ridge Road toward Great Mountain Road and noticed more blossoms and fruit than I’d seen since I’d moved in to my hilltop room in March. I had to pause and mentally photograph the cinnabar flowers of the flamboyant tree contrasting against the powder blue of the early morning sky. Fallen fruit from mango and papaya trees made me wish I, too, could roll down the hill.

This issue of Property Guide takes you out of doors. Yes, it’s hot outside, but it’s also beautiful and fragrant. We’re lucky enough to live in a place where plants bloom year round. Makere House above Cane Garden Bay has several outdoor spaces—decks, patios, a pool and a side yard with a mango tree. The shade beckons. The yard also has that super spongey grass, like the kind outside Pusser’s in town, where you just want to kick off your shoes and wiggle your toes.

This is the most colourful time of year for another reason as well—August Festival! The orange, blue, yellow, pink and green flags ripple over Waterfront Drive, enticing us all to look up as we jump up. Property Guide reveals the history of this time of revelry and the symbolic significance of many of the traditions.

With Arawak Interiors’ Roy Keegan, Property Guide takes you from the BVI to Bali, another location famous for its bright, tropical exteriors. Roy’s off on his next trip to Indonesia to buy and commission furniture made from the reclaimed timbers of old Balinese structures.

Enjoy the outdoors. Enjoy Festival. Enjoy the BVI.

Traci O'Dea