UDC Gardening Workshop a hit with participants

The recently held Urban Development Commission(UDC) Garden Beautification Workshop at the University of the West Indies in the Department of Biology and Chemical Sciences was a powerful insight for persons with an interest in gardening.

 

Key speaker, Jeff Chandler, Senior Laboratory Technician (Horticulture), Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, touched on key issues pertaining to gardening such as; Architecture, design component, climate, pest control as it relates to plants amongst others. 

 

They are important topics which will benefit the general public and those persons taking part in the Urban Development Commission Garden Beautification Competition which started April 18th until November 18th, 2016, in lieu of UDC’s Green Day initiative.

 

Chandler told The Barbados Advocate, “The workshop is about good gardening and different concepts as we focus on the present drought conditions.  The kind of plants that can be planted during this time and how best to take care of these plants so they would not die.”

 

“In the drought season such as this I would recommend persons plant certain plants such as; cactus, crotons or succulent plants. Plants which can withstand drought conditions.”

 

Chandler stressed, “It is important when planting plants to use mulch and a good irrigation system. The drip irrigation system is best because it uses less water. The use of a windbreak is also important to reduce the wind. We have dry conditions, high wind, no rainfall so plants will suffer and using a windbreaker reduces wind effects on plants. Hence it is important to pay keen attention to those three key areas when gardening especially in this drought condition.”

 

For those persons transplanting plants, Chandler recommends planting plants late in the evening. This will allow plants to catch themselves in the night period rather than in the full heat of the sun. 

 

Paula Gall, Project Officer at the Urban Development Commission and for the programme said, “This is our first workshop throughout the competition period as we seek to educate all applicants and the general public on accurate gardening techniques.”

 

“This year we are embracing the theme ‘Greening growing for all generation’ and the competition is opened to all persons associated with or who may have received assistance or been touched by the UDC in any way. We want to get all household participants involved… from the youngest to the oldest. Persons interested in the competition can enter with either a flower garden or a vegetable garden demonstrating good gardening techniques and skills.”