Though the new governor general hails from Portland - the parish that made jerk pork a Jamaican favourite - his wife will be ensuring that he sticks to his greens.

When Patrick and Patricia Allen settle in at King's House, parish-hopping from their home in Manchester to St Andrew, the rookie vegetarians will be plucking up roots - literally. Aside from adding redecorating touches of her own to the hallowed halls, Mrs Allen said she would be getting her green thumb busy.

Mrs Allen, whose backyard garden at her Mandeville home is abloom with bananas and other fruit trees, has said she believes she can grow enough vegetables to feed the King's House household and even has plans for a rose garden.

She'll be following in the footsteps of Lady Cooke, wife of former GG Sir Howard, who launched a green revolution of her own in the 1990s. Lady Cooke, who prides herself on being a 'country bumpkin', said her rural background - from catching fish in the river to planting crops - made the farming transition to King's House a natural fit.

"I used to sell The Pegasus (hotel) vegetables, used up the cisterns and turned them into fish tanks," Lady Cooke told The Gleaner Tuesday. "There were huge fishes such as tilapia. When the staff drew the fish, it was like a picnic for them."

Her King's House harvest included sweet peppers, pak choi, tomatoes and corn, she said.

Bit of advice

While Lady Cooke, 92, who has been married to Sir Howard for 70 years, was coy about giving advice to the new lady of the house, The Gleaner was able to squeeze out a tip.

"Try not to make anybody feel inferior, I made everybody feel important, going into the kitchen, into the field and established relationships (with staff)," she said.

That lesson won't be lost on 57-year-old Mrs Allen, who has enjoyed the roller-coaster ride from her unglamorously named hometown hamlet of Roadside in St Mary to the pomp of King's House - retaining its tradition of extraordinary personalities from ordinary backgrounds.

The Allens, like former GGs Sir Howard Cooke and Sir Kenneth Hall, as well as Lady Hall, have strong experience in teaching, and have pledged to make education a key focus during their tenure.