Above and Beyond, We Are Improving

The saplings in this photo are the lot of forty we purchased and potted up. Back in Indiana I would have had plenty of nursery buckets for the transplanting but in St. Lucia large nursery buckets are at a premium. We purchased the ten plastic ones, I managed to get 50, 3 gallon pots and we cut laundry barrels in half to complete the task.

One last task in the Botanical Garden was the completion of the steps. We recycled some concrete steppers and buttered them onto the existing stone steps. Bartholomew installed and Shawn tended the concrete. We put four stone steps in to reduce the ramp effect but my instructions lost something in the translation as the men nearly buried the stones with the road base. I dug the steps but I think we should have used bigger rocks.

The location for the new "sun" greenhouse is being excavated and perhaps installed by now. The length of the 16 x 40' house will face east. It is being professionally installed, I am back in the states (FL currently) and sure wish I could have overseen some of the greenhouse construction. It will be a stellar addition to the gardens of Ladera.

As part of the new construction at Paradise Ridge they pumped concrete from a truck for the foundation of Unit 3 and some other flat work. I have never seen such a long pipe for pumping.

The men often "chain" materials up the hill, mostly rocks or buckets of cement. The work is very labor intensive as stones are individually chipped by skilled masons.

Tree Stalking

The main reason we are stepping up the nursery production is the six showcase villas currently under construction. As they are completed landscaping will be installed, the famous Ladera look does not come easy, the "jungle look" means lots of plants per square foot and instant coverage as possible.

I was off to Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with Stan this week to pick out trees. We got twenty 4-6' mahogany trees for 5 ec each which is about $ 1.87 US we will buying more as part of reforestation. The other 20 trees I purchased were about $ 15.00 US, they are all ornamental, flowering and mostly evergreen; cassia, black pearl, flamboyant, bauhinia, neem, cordia and powi. They were very root bound so we potted them up in an assortment of containers, Ray will pump them with fertilizer and hopefully we will gain a couple of feet by early summer. I am hot to buy an assortment of the Christmas tree palms at the Ag station, we will pot them up and treat them well by using assorted sizes we can get a lot of bang for our buck. They will be planted both singularly and in groups for greater impact.

I rode with Stan to the nursery and we stopped at Spring's Bakery in Cannaries for a loaf of Springs famous bread hot out of the oven, my oh my but it was fine. While waiting by the river I spotted this egret hunting and two local women doing their laundry which is still a common practice in some of the smaller villages.

Stan took the north road to the nursery, one I was not familiar with he jokingly called it the Babonneau Bypass, it was a scenic route and afforded a stellar view of the cruise ships in the harbor.

Getting Into The Pot

We are nearing completion for the botanical garden renovation the men have worked hard, there is no use of machinery for these men unlike my Indiana crews who are mechanized whenever possible. Logistics are tough here in order to get the large rocks we needed for edging the garden path Ray opened a hole in the fence and the men first passed them hand to hand up the hill then into a wheelbarrow pushed uphill to the desired location.

Installing the roadbase gravel meant using the old Suzuki jeep shoveling stone from a pile in the road into the jeep bed, shoveling off into a second pile which was then loaded into the wheelbarrow and dumped into place. If we had we two wheelbarrows it would have been more productive, we still need another load of stone to finish the path but it has certainly come along way.

Much of my time has been spent in plant production; sowing seeds & taking cuttings, reviewing nursery stock sources, purchasing plants for seasonal change out of our large old sugar pots and clay "face" pots, plus putting together a few new pots for our restaurant, Dashene. The sugar pots are so large and the plants so rooted that I have to stand in the pot to remove the plant.

Several hundred cuttings have been taken; red, pink and white ginger, crotons, begonias, baby blue eyes, and firecrackers plus we now have seedlings from the Mexican daisies which will soon need to be potted up. Between production and shopping for new stock I have visited several nurseries some old friends and a couple of new spots.

The government nursery at Meyers Bridge is also where Damien packs his cut flowers for shipment to the various hotels on the island. Each of the blooms more beautiful than the next, he lovingly places the flowers meticulously lining the box with paper shavings. Wow the colors, shapes and quality are amazing.

Diving Fairylland, Soufriere, St. Lucia

I had intended to set this video to "Cool Change" by Little River Band but my computer seems to be fighting the choice so once again Jimmy Buffett to the rescue.

Leo, Marcy and I went out into Soufriere Harbor, I kept Marcy and baby Bean company while Leo enjoyed his first drift dive at a site called Fairyland, he thought it was amazing. Marcy and I watched as first mate Bones pulled in seven trigger fish on a hand line. The end of the photo's were shot at Choisel when the fishing fleet pulled in for the night.

The Magic Castle

If Soufriere is St. Lucia's Disneyland then Ladera Resort is its Magic Castle riding the ridge 1,100 feet above Anse des Pitons looking down upon all she sees. Nearly indescribable beauty with all the eye absorbs, flora, fauna and ocean in a combination that is monumental and I am privileged to once again live and work here.
The harbor is ever changing with yachts, dingies, day-sailors and water taxis dropping the hook; it sparkles with their mooring lights at night. Tankers, cargo ships and cruise ships push north and south on the horizon delivering goods and tourists. The Pitons themselves guard the entrance of the bay as they have for centuries, Gros Piton to the left and Petit Piton on the right as I look out to the Caribbean Sea.

Hummingbirds flit and hang wings pumping furiously as they drink from cat's whiskers and firecracker blooms in the mountainside garden that serves as my forth room wall. The intimacy with nature is amazing. Saturday is my day for relaxing, I think I will spend much of it in my room appreciating the view and looking forward to the night when Venus, the moon and stars will dance before me as I close my eyes.

And It Stoned Me

It is hard to describe a Ladera Sunset unless you have seen it and I have witnessed many. Be sure to click and enlarge this for full viewing pleasure. And crank it up, Van Morrison rules.

Awesome Job

Vacation is over and it is back to work for me, having just finished my first week at Ladera Resort helping Ray (the head gardener) with some landscaping projects. We have a mighty list to accomplish this year as Ladera is ever changing. The addition of six new units on Paradise Ridge means we need to get growing. The new units will require lots of plants so propagation is on the agenda and we are beefing up the shade greenhouse to accomplish that goal.

Ray and his helper are busy installing new block walls to the terraced greenhouse while I start the renovation of the existing botanical garden. We tore out a rather outdated arbor and vines replanting the hillside with freshly cut ginger plantlets which will eventually be used in floral decorations through out the resort in addition to their sustained beauty in the gardens.

One of my tasks this week was to plant seeds in cell trays, I had forgotten how tedious it is to use tweezers and drop those tiny seeds (impatiens, everlasting daisy, Mexican sunflower and strawflower) one by one into each cell. Average sprouting time for these seeds is 14 days but I suspect with the great weather down here we will beat that time.

We are also busy spraying the lower gardens for pests and performing general clean-up. With our new help these tasks are going exceedingly well. What a awesome way to spend a month over winter.

Leo Dreams

It was sad to be taking Leo to the airport but the waves were big and the patrons diverse at The Reef where we stopped for a final chat and a bite to eat. I recommend go to Sandy Beach either immediately after arrival or go to the airport, check-in and then take a long, beautiful look before you head home.

"Hotwire" Zipline Soufriere

Morne Coubarill completes the Disneyland theme that Soufriere, St. Lucia has to offer. Previously one had to drive nearly an hour to experience the thrill of a zipline but now you can be zipping right in front of the world famous Pitons, overlooking the ocean and Soufriere harbor.

The recently opened line is conveniently located just before the world famous "Drive-In" volcano. There are eight platforms, four in and four back with plans to double the fun in the near future.

The well informed staff offered us a pre-zip preview as my friend Linda wanted to look before she leaped. Her fears quickly subsided once guides Emery and Anderson explained the double line, trolley and safety features as they suited us up. My previous experience zipping includes Rainforest Adventures in St. Lucia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe across the Zambezi River some 355' over the gorge, that was awesome but hanging in front of the Piton is a true Caribbean adventure.

Soufriere Shuffle

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Entertaining and touring with family and best friends in St. Lucia, mostly around the Soufriere area. We have visited the "World's Only Drive-In Volcano", four waterfalls including Piton and Diamond, Ladera (twice once for a spectacular dinner and again for sunset), La Haut, Hummingbird and a terrific boat ride with Mystic Man Captain Don and mate De.




After taking Carol to the airport Steve, Linda and I stopped in Choiseul and lucked upon the fishing fleet coming in for the evening. We purchased a lovely 6 pound kingfish which we grilled that evening. It was fun to photograph the men as they straightened their nets and pushed their crafts over the sand into the protected waters of the jetty. While the scene was idyllic hard work was evidenced as faces and muscles strained to pull the weighted net and push the colorful, heavy boats.






We cooked a beautiful red snapper that our landlord John caught prepared on the grill. After Googling various methods we engineered a fish basket with over grates and wire, the snapper was delicious even as our last course since the grilling was trial and error. My pal Victor came over and regaled my guests with many fine stories about local customs as we sipped Chairman's and local wine.
Next week I will return to work at Ladera for a month or so but today we are still out for adventure on the new zip line in town, "Hotwire" Linda and I plan to go while Steve will have a bit of siesta. It is astounding how much adventure can be had in such a small geographic area but St. Lucia and Sourfiere continue to set the excitement bar high.

Crafty Creations Choiseul

Crafty Creations is 100% local made by St. Lucian artisans whether you are looking for place mats, a hat, purse, basket or spirits it is the place to shop for authentic wares. They are located in Choiseul so stop by to or from your trip to the airport.

Soufriere Saturday Market St. Lucia

If you want to buy fish at the Soufriere Saturday morning market you must arrive early before the fish is finished. We purchased two 3-4 pound fresh tuna and prepared them on our new grill for New Year's Eve Feast, yum, yum, yum. Bruce helped make the fire but Leo and Marcy cooked the small steaks to perfection.............life's good on my ship.

Amazing Grace

We heard singing last week so I followed my ears and next door my Lucian neighbors were singing a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace, enjoy.

Fun In St. Lucia

One of the most beautiful spots in St. Lucia is Stonefield Estate and today as I sit posting this blog under their famous Juliee Mango tree I feel on top of the world, how lucky I am to be repeatedly pleasured by this stunning view. I am passing my 18th day on the island, Bruce has already left for home, my sister Cass has arrived, one of our best girlfriends Carol is here now and two other pals arrive Friday. Marcy, Leo and Baby Bean (Marcy is 5 months pregnant) are visiting family in the north of the island.

Our activities were varied and spirited while Bruce was here. Everyday we tried to see something new spending our days at various resorts and our evenings preparing and sharing a meal. At LaHaut we found the gardens bursting with tomato plants and caterpillars getting their share of new foliage.

At Hummingbird Resort we enjoyed a fresh banana split and Cass floated in the pool casually cooling from the 86 degree temperature. The long pods on the tree in the photo are from the Royal Poinciana also known as Flamboyant or Flame Tree this spectacular tree produces huge orange flowers, great shade and the pods are used as maracas or shak-shak (see Christmas music video).

Being the holiday season many islanders have been off work or have had reduced schedules the beach in Soufriere has been filled with exuberant children jumping from the cliffs and jetty; while the younger men have jocular games of soccer in the sand.

We are enjoying all our moments from the LaTille waterfalls to lunch at Ladera.

Walking in Soufriere is newly challenging with the installation of a much needed new bridge, if the drawings are reality it should be very lovely. The other day I saw a mini cruise ship in Soufriere Harbor and of course you still see some pretty fancy yachts.

St. Lucian Christmas Music

We had a special treat after our Christmas feast as Marcy's relatives and friends gathered at her sisters house to make some music. All variety of instrument were used to create a lovely sort of percussion that filled the early evening air. An uncle played a banjo, a Heineken bottle hit with a can opener s gave a tinny ping, from shak-shak trees seeds inside cans made gentle rhythms.

I am sure the evening grew more animated as a wide variety of libations began to control the chanting and song.