By Vanessa Cort

THE well-appointed and landscaped Herdmanston Lodge was host to riotous blooms and plants of all descriptions last weekend. The two-day show saw the ‘plant ladies’ turn out in their numbers, some representing botanical nurseries, to show off and sell their flowering shrubs and house plants.
The plants – from bougainvillea to cactuses – many with exotic names, but known by the more familiar names we Guyanese use, like the ‘snake plant’, took pride of place beneath the Lodge and on the lawns.

Joann Joseph, whose nursery I visited earlier in the week and her friend and colleague, Carlotta Ann Chan, had a large stand displaying Joann’s homemade wines, jams, jellies and marmalades, along with a variety of house plants
And Peggy Chin, whose stand featured mini bamboo plants, known as lucky bamboo, and individual mini cactuses, spoke of the benefits of house plants.

She told me that certain plants, like the snake plant and ‘peace lily’ are air purifiers. They take the carbon dioxide out of the air and so are good for homes and offices.
Ms. Chin, who runs Gardenland Nursery in Brickdam, has a wealth of experience going back 25 years. Her interest in plants was fuelled at the age of 16 when she visited the famous Kew Gardens – created in 1759 and housing botanical collections and documents- in the UK.
“I was always interested in plants”, she said, explaining how she began as a “hobbyist”, but eventually studied Horticulture at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and started her own nursery.

She has trained all her staff and also held workshops on the rearing of plants and their benefits for the environment, particularly in this age of climate change.
Luxanne Nelson of ‘Seeds to Fruit Gardens’, only got involved in the business end of plant rearing about a year ago. Before that her love for plants led her to cultivate them, often giving them away to friends and family.

Now, she has a thriving business in Sophia, selling seeds, cuttings, plants and fruits. Their card reads ‘Coriolis – unique seaglaaa designs.’ And Zoya and Annalise Samaroo, certainly live up to that claim.
They have turned discarded glass, washing up along the seashore and polished by ” the erosive action of sand and water”, into wonderful jewellery.
Their assortment of colours and styles was quite awesome. Having spent all my money on plants, wines and jellies I resorted to borrowing money from a friend just to buy a ring with the colour of the peridot, my zodiac sign stone.

Patrons strolled from stand to stand in the balmy afternoon, admiring everything and making their purchases with delighted enthusiasm.