As I have recounted before, the breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis, which used to be A communis) came to the West Indies in 1793 on the good ship Providence, actually to Jamaica and St Vincent, both of which had well established botanical gardens. Every child of school age throughout the West Indies must have been told about Captain Bligh’s unsuccessful attempt on HMS Bounty to bring the fruit home because of the infamous mutiny led by Fletcher Christian who dumped the first trees overboard along with its captain. The seedless fruit really never caught on in the West Indies. The female variety produces seeds (called breadnuts) embedded in the pulp of the fruit which are absolutely delicious when boiled or roasted and then eaten.
To me, however, the main beauty of the tree is its leaves, and its stature when it is mature.
Large dark green and glossy they can be up to two feet long and a foot wide, and they have undoubted value in the landscape. As they grow they need to be looked after. Branches break, and the remaining snags need to be trimmed and treated with pitch quickly, otherwise rot sets in.
Believe me, the rotting process can lead to some spectacular accidents as rot spreads quickly, and whole trees can suddenly keel over in heavy rains, and there’s little or no warning. Trees therefore need to be kept well balanced by careful pruning to make sure this doesn’t happen, and well maintained. To cut out branches don’t use a cutlass or machete. Use a proper saw, and I repeat, don’t forget to paint over wounds to prevent the entry of fungus spores.
Ladybirds are among the most valuable of beneficial insects we find in our garden. They are not only easy to recognise and rather nice to look at. They eat enormous quantities of greenfly as well. Alas if you are using chemicals to control the more intransigent pests such as mealy bug and scale you are likely to cause the death of many beneficial insects including the ladybird. If you can therefore please try and rub off, or cut off and burn parts of your plants which are infected with the worst pests in order to save those insects we want to keep.
Now, about sowing seed in pots or boxes. Sieves are considered almost an essential of the Gardener’s tools in Europe because they enable you to sift compost so that the seeds you sow land on a fine surface and are then covered with a fine surface of compost. Using a sieve removes stones and lumpy soil from the compost. They come with different mesh sizes. The most useful are those sieves with a three-eighths size mesh (for sieving potting compost) and with an eighth of an inch mesh (for sieving seed compost). Get your garden sundries supplier to get them in stock.
I would like to ask you whether you have any focal points in your garden or even one focal point. They are points in the garden to which the eye is drawn. It can be a statue, or a garden bench or a really fine specimen plant. They would normally be at the end of a straight avenue or walkway of trees or shrubs. Sometimes, if you’re fortunate in having a good-sized garden there would be ‘branch lines’ leading off at right angles to take you to other interesting features in the garden with its own focal point or special feature. Always work on the principal that small or large walkways should lead to somewhere of special interest.
I like statues or small temples, or even interesting water features that you come across almost by chance. Places of peace and tranquillity where you can sit and contemplate your own little bit of heaven on earth. Do enjoy your garden. It’s probably more important than you think. May your God go with you wherever you may be.
