A flower garden is a lovable thing. Sitting on a garden seat, purchased when the train service was being disbanded. I seek out my favourites – the Chinese lantern and fire-crackers. They are delicate flowers. The Chinese lantern was difficult to find but now it has settled down and is spreading among the purple morning glory which fold up at midday. Another favourite is the brown shrimp plant, but it does not flourish in my soil so I have contented myself with the white shrimp. There is also a yellow shrimp.
Cultivating gardens is for every consumer. When you visit Port of Spain you are struck with the flowering plants that meet your eye. The Poinsettia is flowering over the fences of many a householder. There I first saw the beauty of the white frangipani tree, which is now seen in so many yards. Chile is another country where consumers make the most of gardens and flowering window plants. On the parapet outside the Police Headquarters there are two flamboyant trees. Nothing can be more beautiful than the flamboyant tree in full bloom.
Do not think that because your land is covered with concrete you can escape the responsibility to enhance your neighbourhood. You may purchase large containers when extra cash is available. If not, you can make use of old buckets, pots and basins. These, however, are better for vegetable gardening.
In 1968 I purchased a small book entitled Tropical Blossoms of the Caribbean by Dorothy and Bob Hargreaves. It contains over 100 full colour pictures with the colour of the actual plant being reproduced faithfully.
The plants are listed alphabetically, so they are easily located. There is need for caution when choosing. The Oleander, which is fairly common, is said to be poisonous. I knew someone who could not pass near it without a reaction. Food cooked with the wood could also be poisonous.
On one occasion I was delighted to find a poui tree sprouting in my back yard uninvited. This tree blossoms late in the year and several trees on Vlissengen Road make a beautiful sight. However my tree did not blossom and it is now used to accommodate a passion fruit vine.
Preparation of the soil is important. If you have been collecting your compost then you are halfway there. Otherwise you may need assistance and you will be lucky to find someone who loves the soil and who will work diligently. There was a gardener I once had who brought his watch and placed it in a prominent place. He was a clock watcher and not too interested in seeing a beautiful garden develop.
In modern times you may wish to turn to a website. The Gardening Guide by Susan Jan promises that you will find peace and happiness through gardening. It gives notes on the preparation of soil and explains organic gardening. Keith Kirkpatrick when he was Postmaster General described his activities in gardening. He mixed organic with fertilizer and was pleased with the resulting vegetables.
Guyana Power & Light is preparing the railway embankment that has been vacated for a garden. I do hope that they have a section or sections for rose plants. To have a flower garden from Cowan Street to Vlissengen Road would be a wonderful tourist attraction.
Sewage
There has been a sewage overflow at premises in Werk-en-Rust for over a month. Calls are made to GWI and promises to visit the premises are made but not kept. Wake up, GWI.
