Lots of Bush and Flowers by Host Cerni

As a former international civil servant, I certainly do not want to comment on the politics or politicians of the host country. So my little article is not about the two US presidents - father and son Bush, - but about the plants that grow wildly in our jungle garden.

Just before retirement at the end of 1994 we were able tp buy a piece of land on a slope overlooking Christiansted harbor on St.Croix. We bought it sight unseen, although we knew the area. It was almost an acre and subdivided into three plots. I almost bought the bad one, but then, fortunately, decided to buy the entire parcel. It was quite overgrown and had to be cleared. We even had to cut into the hill to build the platform where the house could be built.

We never regretted it, but keeping up with tropical vegetation is quite a challenge. Bush and vines take over everything, so my regular task is trimming until my shoulders say stop. Nevertheless, parts of the terrain overgrew so badly that one could only get through with a machete or a good cutter. Even then it was a slow process, especially since it is a slope with lots of rolling stones.

We planted and were successful harvesting papayas, bananas and other tropical fruit. Many Christmas palms grew well, but most of our coconut palms died. Instead Divi Divi trees andTan-Tan grew well and took over part of the area, We called it the jungle. Some vines have very pretty flowers, like the Caribbean Orchid, and we planted (from seeds) the Bougainvilleas, and the Flamboyant (Royal Poinciana - Flammenbaum/Flame Tree), which are spectacular flower trees. A big surprise was the African Tulip tree which planted itself and now is the tallest tree in the neighborhood.

There are also wild animals in our “jungle”, although not vicious. We have five feral cats and about a dozen wild chicken plus small chicks. They own the place, of course, but invite us to feed them every afternoon Sometimes, an iguana comes around,and an egret and also a couple of deer.

Recently the patch of land to our North was partially cleared and a ‘For Sale’ sign was put up. I needed to be sure that they didn’t infringe on our property, and so I decided to find the border and to mark it with a rope. There was a fence, (- it was needed to keep our dogs inside and the neighbor’s horses out), but I had used only chicken wire, and vines and cacti had overtaken and even broken parts of the fence. It would be difficult and expensive to repair/ or rebuild it.

My cardiologist told me that hard work is good for my heart, but of course, I shouldn’t overdo it. On average I sit too much, mostly at the computer, but twice daily I do exercises and then in the evening I relax and enjoy the “garden” and activities in the harbor. I also love to remember the good days in UNICEF and the exciting trips and events with our Goodwill Ambassadors.

According to the German novelist Jean Paul (1763 - 1825):
“Remembering is the only paradise from which we cannot be expelled.”