Where have all the flowers gone?
EVERY yard in town or the countryside filled with, or bordered by, plants and shrubbery bearing flowers of all colours waving gently in the breeze and exuding a soothing fragrance in the atmosphere.
Aaah! ‘Tis a sight that would gladden the heart of many a member of the Horticulture Society of Guyana (HSG).
But will it ever happen?
Members of the Society are worried that even though there are quite a few ardent gardeners around, it may very well not.
An immediate source of concern is the cessation of cultivation of certain species of flowers, to the extent that they may now be regarded, at least locally, as extinct.
“We used to have dahlias growing in yards in the city; you don’t see them now. We used to have zinnias; you don’t see them now… Carnations, Chrysanthemums, Anthurium Lilies, Cockscombs… Why did we stop?”
The words are those of Ms. Coreen Alleyne, Secretary of the Society: Words of  concern about this apparent loss of interest among Guyanese in both town and countryside in the wonder and aesthetic beauty of flowers.
“I can remember the days in the mid-1950s,” she said, “when a Carnation flower was a common sight on the lapels of the jackets of the  more fashionable and well-dressed men in the then B.G. —  particularly at wedding ceremonies.”
“This is now a thing of the past,” Ms. Alleyne added.
The dictionary defines beautification as the process of making visual improvements to a person, place or thing.
Flowers, popular due to their beauty and scent,  are considered the most pleasing form  of  beautifying an area, whether indoors or outdoors.
As gifts, they are about love and fondness, and not necessarily about money.
Presented, they bring joy and positive emotions to both the receiver and the giver.
They are also about biodiversity and the importance of ensuring that species are not lost to future generations.
At Christmastime, there are few who would not agree that beautification of the home and even the yard with flowers helps to increase the holiday atmosphere, making even the grumpiest person happy.
Ms. Alleyne attributes the decline in interest in flower gardening to the ‘Grow More Food’ campaign in the 1960s.
“Quite a few people cut down their flower trees to plant food crops; quite a few people, too, really never grew anything other than weeds.”
The HSG, she said, is concerned about the decline in interest generally, and the apparent disappearance of some of the more beautiful and exotic flowers from our local scene.
“It is very sad,” she said. “We the members of the HSG are looking at this situation; we are  to devise means of regenerating enthusiasm in cultivation of flower plants.
“We need to get all flowers, more-so the lost ones… [like] the Zinnias, the  Carnations, the Cockscombs, the  Chrysanthemums, the Dahlias… all the  other lost ones, back into Guyana,  back into our yards and into our homes. “
Can we do it?