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So says Mr. Fitz H. Ogle, chairman of the popular Evergreen Nature Study Club, which, among other things, seeks to inspire and motivate Guyanese to increase their use of plants in homes, gardens and workplaces.
Mr. Ogle says the Club is at the moment encouraging Guyanese not only to grow flower plants, but fruit trees and vegetables in whatever yard space is available. He disclosed that the Nature Study Club is also working in collaboration with vegetable producer Mc Garrell Farm and Plant Nursery on the East Bank of Essequibo in assisting people who not only want a garden that they can admire, but one that they can also eat from.
Evergreen is handling the promotion of cultivation of fruit trees, particularly the shorter and smaller fruit trees.
Ogle explained: “We know that some fruit trees grow very large; trees like mango trees, plum trees. Those are not the fruit trees we are promoting. We are promoting the smaller trees; trees which are suitable for people with limited yard space.”
He mentioned some of these.
“Cheery trees, sour sop trees, papaw trees, gooseberry trees, carambola, bananas, cherry custards, sugar apples, guava etc; trees of which you can probably grow three or four in a yard.”
He added: “And this is not as much work as people feel. You plant the trees, water them, and they are growing when you leave for work, and while you are at work: and before you know it, you can begin to harvest fresh fruits.”
An added benefit is that these fruits can be processed into delicious products. An example is gooseberry jam.
The Everegreen Nature Study Club has developed a nursery from which plants for these fruit trees can be acquired. Persons interested in cultivating fruit trees that occupy little yard space can contact Mr. Ogle on #664-5947, or via the Club’s website:www.evergreenstudy.org. to obtain plants and seedlings, or to get any other information which they need in order to get some fruit trees going.
An obvious benefit of vegetable gardening is that it results in good things to eat. Fresh vegetables are health foods, in that the vegetables from your garden are the most nutritious, because they contain the vitamins and minerals for healthy bodies. Additionally, fresh vegetables always taste better than any market-bought produce, because market-bought vegetables are transported over long distances and can lose some of their vitamins and minerals along the way.
The exceptional flavour of home-grown foods is one major reason why people grow vegetables.
Mr. Forbes McGarrel is a farmer and gardener who specializes in the production of vegetables and vegetable seedlings. He produces such vegetables as tomatoes, cabbages and pak choy, cucumbers, leaf lettuces and garden peas. His farm and plant nursery is located at 16 Acme Housing Scheme, Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, but he also operates from a stall at the Bourda Market, described as the third stall in Bourda from Alexander and North Road.
The emphasis here again is on the cultivation of vegetables that require little yard space.
His contact number is 643-4057 for seedlings of vegetables you can grow in limited land space.
Cultivating fruit trees and vegetables in limited yard space is not as much work as some people would want you to believe.
A benefit is that you can not only admire the garden, but eat from it as well.
