The Belcoua family in the garden of Habitation Saint-Étienne
For the Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026, the Habitation Saint-Étienne is opening its Gros Morne park with a theme that touches on something profoundly universal: view. RICHÈS KARAYIB follows the Belcoua family as they discover the Remarkable Gardens of Martinique.
That day, between giant bamboos, red palms and the riverbank, they discovered together that a garden can also be seen as well as listened to.
At the end of the driveway, a figure emerges from beneath the giant bamboo. Jocelyne Belcoua leads the way, with Émile and Kévin following a few steps behind. Above them, the bamboo canopy rises so high that it barely lets in the golden light. To the right, you can already make out the murmur of the river. Here, it’s not enough to look – you have to listen too…
It is precisely this double attention to what we see and hear that the Habitation Saint-Étienne intends to honor on June 6 and 7, on the occasion of the 2026 edition of the Rendez-vous aux Jardins in Martinique, placed this year under the theme of sight. A theme that particularly resonates with the identity of the site, where the eye is carried away by all that the ear guesses.
Habitation Saint-Étienne, a remarkable garden since 2015
In the heart of Gros Morne, the park extends over a terroir renowned for its richness. “The park is bordered by the Lézarde River all around the home, which provides us with the necessary humidity for the plants to thrive,” explains Cyril Lawson, who has been in charge of developing the HSE brand and the home for almost thirty years.
Labelled a Remarkable Garden since 2015, the site is home to over 200 plant varieties. “We have colors, an absolutely intense green, with absolutely spectacular trees,” he continues. Gigantic cursed fig trees, large flamboyants, zamana, red alpinias, strelitzias and porcelain roses. Jocelyne stops in front of a clump of red palms with scarlet trunks reaching skyward in a bouquet, among the first to be imported and acclimatized in Martinique.
A little further on, a ginger flower catches his eye, a tiny pink sliver at ground level. This heritage was initiated in the mid-90s by José and Florette Hayot, who undertook a major project to structure the gardens when they took over the house.
A free walk between bamboo and the Lézarde River
What sets the place apart is the philosophy behind the visit. “It’s this free-wheeling aspect, where you can wander around and let yourself daydream by the river, or contemplate the alpinias or porcelain roses,” confides Cyril Lawson. The gardens are both maintained and open to the imagination.
It’s here, on the water’s edge, that the heart of the place is revealed.
“At the river’s edge, we’re lucky enough to have both the rustle of bamboo leaves, which makes for quite a lulling sound, and also that of the River Lézarde, which flows alongside the house,” says Cyril Lawson.
It’s his favorite place, where he comes to take his breaks when the days are long – “a place that’s quite emblematic of a moment of calm and a moment of pause”.
As the walk continues, the Belcouas retrace the river’s course. On the way, Kévin stops in front of a bamboo cane: a ladybug has landed on the bark, and he points at it, observing it closely.
Further on, Émile takes advantage of a large rock at the water’s edge to sit, breathe and listen for a moment.
See as you listen in the heart of a Remarkable Garden
It is in this meeting of sight and sound that the promise of the 2026 edition is played out. The Belcouas stop at the edge of the Lézarde river. In front of them, the water slaloms between the rocks, the bamboo bends its canes over the other bank, the ferns frame the scene. No one speaks.
Further on, under a clump of giant bamboos, Jocelyne, a few metres away, brushes her fingertips against the trunks, her gaze focused. Émile raises his head to the top of the canes.
Sight, the sense in the spotlight this year, is enriched here by a particular quality: that of slowness. Eyes glide up and down.
“The eyes will go from the bottom to the top, and from the top to the bottom,” sums up Cyril Lawson.
Everything can be seen on several levels, “at the level of man and above with these great foliage and magnificent trees”.
The Belcoua linger on: an ornamental pineapple erects its scarlet fruit among the variegated leaves. A splash of color you might have missed if you walked too fast, if you didn’t take the time to look.
Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026: the richness of Martinique
At a time when we talk so much about transmission, but don’t always know where to put it,Habitation Saint-Étienne offers a rare setting: a place where grandparents and grandchildren can share not knowledge, but a feeling, listen to the bamboo, follow the water with their eyes, or look up at a red palm tree.
The rain comes in at the end of the visit. The Belcouas take out their umbrellas and slow down again. At the bend in a lawn, they stop in front of a stone arch framing a waterfall at the far end, then cross the garden towards a large sword planted in the ground as a sign.
The park isn’t just plant life: a few works of art, placed like landmarks, punctuate the walk.
If Cyril Lawson had to sum up what we’re going through in one sentence, it would be: “the richness of Martinique”. A wealth of vegetation, culture and heritage.
For Émile, Jocelyne and Kévin Belcoua, the journey continues, with other gardens awaiting them. And we’ll be following them.
📌 IN PRACTICE
Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026 – Habitation Saint-Étienne (HSE)
📅 Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026
📍 Habitation Saint-Étienne, 97213 Le Gros Morne, Martinique
🎟️ Free activities, with reservation (limited places for workshops)
🌿 Botanical tours, cocktail, photo and cosmetotherapy workshops and guided tour of the estate
An exploration by RICHÈS KARAYIB for Rendez-vous aux Jardins 2026, in partnership with the Direction des Affaires Culturelles (DAC) de Martinique.
