Gardening in the tropics, including gardening in Guyana, often gets quick results that would take several seasons to achieve in a temperate country. Whilst it’s not quite instant maturity, growth here is so rapid that it’s not all that far removed from it. I have observed over many years that this rapid development can occur throughout the year 5 or 6 degrees either side of the Equator. This is great for gardeners in a hurry who might live in Guyana or Zambia, but remember the more quickly plants grow the more quickly they age, and this is especially true of many of our imported treasures that cannot get used to constant spring and summer. You just have to look at what happens to roses here. Almost without exception their life expectancy is much shorter than when they are grown in temperate countries. Magnificent roses to start with, but after just a few years they are tired from too much growing. They need constant attention. There is only one thing to do if you love roses. Dig them up, throw them away, and plant some more. The next lot will be just as magnificent, but last no longer than their predecessors.
I could not have been a surgeon. The very sight of blood makes me feel weak, especially if it’s my own! When it comes to tree surgery, however, I am a lion. Removing diseased and dangerous tree limbs is food and drink to me. I always feel slightly guilty if I have to prune my own when they are youngsters, because it means that I have planted them and not allowed sufficient space for their development. Many of us are guilty of this in the quest for instant maturity – and not only with trees. Overcrowded shrubberies too are a common enough sight. It is pretty much standard practice when planting shrub borders to plant more than you actually need to obtain a quick ground cover. Later on many are thinned out, and can be thinned fearlessly, for a dense overcrowded mass of shrubs is not a pretty sight. You must thin them out, but only gradually.
It is not standard practice to plant trees thickly and then thin them out – not in gardens anyway, where a lot more care and forethought is required. You have to have a clear idea of the eventual height of any tree, and just how wide it will spread to avoid the need to take to the saw. Nevertheless, you must be prepared at some stage to thin threes.
Know your onions: You can grow really brilliant onions in this country. All you need is a patch of good soil which has been really well enriched by the constant addition of cow mould or compost. And of course a good supply of water. To prepare the ground for sowing, rake it really well to level it and bring it down to a fine ’tilth,’ removing all stones and debris. Onion seed is sown in rows 12 inches apart in drills
