The Casuarina is a good barrier against salt-laden wind

By John Warrington

When the rain is bucketing down and everything is awash and bedraggled it can often be enchanting. Both you and I know that there is an enormous amount of work to be done, but in conditions like this we are likely to do more harm than good, especially to the grass on the lawn. So just sit down and be patient.

Gardening demands lots of patience and most of us do not have enough of it. However, there are some compensations in enforced idleness, and high on the list come the flowers and plants which we use to beautify the house, and which makes it a home. At these moments your senses of sight and smell are often stunned by a bowl of roses on your desk just a few inches away, which were perhaps cut when the buds were showing colour and just about to open a few days ago. By the look of them and in the shade we would be disappointed if they did not last for quite a few days yet. Cut flowers do need to have their water changed every day, and the base of their stems cut a little to allow water to be taken up. If  I had space enough and time I would devote a large part of my life to creating a collection of this most beautiful of all flowers. Roses are the most popular flowers in the world today.

In Guyana we are very fortunate, as given a source of water we can grow plants the year round, but having this year-round climatic bonus we cannot hide from gardening work for very long. Not least because pests and diseases grow all the year round as well! When deluge-type weather prevents outside work it gives us a chance for houseplant maintenance. They have to be looked at daily and watered carefully. They will not want, nor do they need much water in dull weather. Grown in the house, plants with shiny leaves should be cleaned of dust, and dead or dying leaves removed to get the plant looking like a flower show exhibit.

Fertilizer should be given sparingly, no more than every few weeks. In dull weather most house plants will need to be moved towards the window for extra light.

Meanwhile the roses left on the bushes outside have been battered and broken by the inches of heavy rain we can get in just a few days, and when the chance comes will have to be cut off to encourage new growth.

This does not just mean removing the flower. It means cutting further back along the stem to encourage new growth. Many people are frightened by the thought of carrying out this surgery, but it is important for the continued healthy existence of many of your plants. Recently a few days in Barbados reminded me just how many plants thrive in their Mediterranean type climates and are tolerant of a salt-laden atmosphere.

Most of the coastline of the island is littered with hotels and guest houses right by the seaside, all with their gardens full of a very wide variety of trees and shrubs growing with little evidence of salt scorch.

Throughout the tropics the most widely planted tree must be the coconut, which has an extremely high tolerance to salt-laden air as well as to brackish soil, but there are many more plants having similar tolerance. Three others which are worth mentioning and worth growing close by the sea are the Casuarina, the Frangipani, and the Neem, the latter seeming to be particularly tolerant of brackish water. The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) seems to have quite a few other recommendations apart from preventing the erosion of beaches. Chief among these are its soap, toothpaste and skin preparations, and as source of insecticide.

There are quite a few Neem trees about Georgetown and they usually produce seed in the June and July period. Once these are ripe and have fallen they will germinate very quickly, and will grow well near to the sea and even on the seashore and help in the stabilisation process. The Casuarina will develop into a fine tall tree, but it can be a nuisance. Its roots are invasive in their search for water, growing close to the surface and often producing shoots in the middle of your nice green lawn. It can also cause problems to the house structure if planted too close to the building. For those gardening by the sea with plenty of space available the Casuarina will be a fine barrier against salt-laden wind, and gives a lot of protection to those other plants you have which are not so tolerant. The Frangipani on the other hand has few drawbacks apart from not really being too happy in our wet climate.

In Barbados with their Mediterranean climate they thrive. They are propagated very easily by just breaking off some of the short shoots which ought then to be left in a dry place until the milky sap has dried up.

(Have a care. If you’re not careful this can irritate your eyes.) These shoots can be kept in a state of suspended animation for several weeks without harm. I have kept them for over a month without harm. The pieces should then be planted into their permanent quarters in a sunny and very well-drained position where they will establish fairly quickly and will reward you with thousands of sweetly scented flowers. There are many different colours available, which is an additional bonus.

Don’t you find that the time is just flying by? Meanwhile take care of yourselves, and may your God go with you.