Community
The West Indian Club Nursery- Where Beautiful, Wild Things Grow
Speciallytrained nurseryman maintain the plants
22-year-old Monique Bodden quietly worksat her desk and occasionally gazes out at the Koi pond just outsideher window. Each morning a little bird visits the pond to takea sip from the refreshing sweet water. "The view is justone of the reasons why I love this job," she says.
Monique works at the West Indian Club Nurserydiscreetly tucked behind the Harquail By-Pass. Mid morning, ManuelDeqioto brings in a fresh bouquet of flowers. He arranged punciagranatum and spathphyllum floribunda, glorious pink and whiteflowers which he accented with a purple and green palm frond.They are among the many plants grown by Dequito, a horticulturistwith the company for four years. Though his job keeps him quitebusy, he routinely brings office workers a bit of his pride andjoy.
The Harquail By-Pass location is one oftwo private nurseries belonging to West Indian Club's owners;the other is located in West Bay. With more than 26 acres of plantmaterial, the West Indian Club's operation is one of the largestnurseries of its kind in the world. They have more than 180 speciesof palms, and 500 species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.They propagate a large quantity and diversity of plants to landscapetheir developments. The plants are not sold commercially.
The nursery's main mission is to sustainthe local environment by growing indigenous Caymanian plants alongwith some other tropicals. "We're like a plant museum here,"says Sandy Urquhart, manager of nursery and landscape operations,"we grow some exotic and rare plants, but it is the nativeones that are of utmost importance."
And lest he sound evangelical, Sandy isquick to add that native plants and the method by which they growthem are also extremely economical. Indigenous plants are obviouslysuited to the environment and hence require less water than othertropicals.
Water, being such a precious commodity,is very carefully controlled. The Nursery uses state-of-the-artcomputer technology for its drip irrigation systems both at theHarquail site and the West Bay location. In areas where thereis no electricity, they use a small light-powered computer deviceto operate the system. Each plant type has specific watering needs too much and the plant's roots can rot, too little it candie of thirst.
So what happens when it rains? Sensors turnoff the drip system when the moisture reaches the optimum level."The idea," explains irrigation technician Don Grimsely,"is to save as much water as possible." Don, who hasbeen with the nursery for several years can hardly contain hisexcitement about the work being done here. "This is the onlyplace in the world," he says, "where plants are grownto maturity in pots."
Growing plants from seedling to adulthoodin containers makes sense because it is easier to transport aplant to its ultimate destination. The plant also enters its newhome with the same soil from which it was grown; this is comfortingto the plant and helps it take root in its new environment.
Not only is the nursery the world's largestcontainer operation, the containers themselves are also unique.They use a bottomless perforated plastic sheet, which preventsroot wrap, saves money and compared to traditional pots, it isfar easier to handle during plant transplantation. They just unwrapthe sheet and place the plant into the earth.
Science, ingenuity, environmental responsibilityand as Sandy calls it "fiscal practically" meet andmingle throughout the nursery operation. All plants are meticulouslycatalogued and entered into a database. This enables the nurseryto track the plant throughout its lifespan. Workers capture adigital image and record many details including where the seedlingcame from, when it spouted, and when it flowered. This kind ofinformation is especially important for the rare plants becausethe Nursery will know how to better care for future generations."We want to know if the plant had any teething problems," Sandy explains, "and what kind of aspirin we gaveit."
The office staff maintains the huge databaseof information and according to Sandy they are happy to sharewhat they know with anyone. Landscapers with horticultural problemshave often called them for advice. This kind of sharing is notuncommon amongst industry professsionals. In fact, the Nurseryand National Trust members routinely compare notes on plants.
In addition to propagating for their landscapingdesigns, the Nursery is also actively involved with the communitythrough school programs and special projects. Students tour thenursery and get the chance to get a plant to take home. It's allpart of Sandy's long term commitment to the local environment a mission, if you will, to seed the future.
He believes if children care for plantsthemselves, they'll be more likely to respect and appreciate thenatural environment when they become adults. It is, in fact, howSandy himself came to be a plant and landscape lover.
Sandy grew up on the tiny South Pacific island of Taraw, whichmeasures a mere 13 x 1 mile. About three thousand people populatethe small space of sandy soil. Until he was 8 years of age, theisland had neither electricity nor water.
He spent much of his childhood in the gardenwith his mother. These early experiences shaped his passion forgrowing things and islands, which is why he so loves his Caymanlife. By connecting with young school children, he hopes to instillthe same respect and passion for nature that he has.
His workday begins early. He arrives atthe Nursery at 5:00 a.m. with a steaming cup of Jamaican BlueMountain coffee and strolls through the Eden of plants where afragrant bouquet hangs in air like fog. A couple of hours later,his staff trickles in for another demanding day. 28-year-old AdministrativeManager, Caymanian Elke Feur, says she's most impressed by thenursery's focus on indigenous plants. "I feel like I am contributingto my country," says Elke, "by being part of a companythat really cares for the local environment."
The incredibly lush Harquail By-Pass isjust one of the West Indian Club Nursery's community projects.They have also given plant materials to the Rotary Club, are workingwith the Lighthouse School and are planning a large public parkthat will be complete with jogging paths, exercise stations, gazebos,domino tables and educational garden plots. "But what we'rethinking about," adds Sandy, "may not be what is created,we want to work with the local community to make sure that wedevelop a park system that Caymanians want to use and enjoy."
Between the propagation and community/educationalprojects, the West Indian Club Nursery is one busy and demandingwork environment.
To help her stay level-headed, 25-year-oldOdette Campbell keeps a book of inspirational quotes at her desk.But she also gets plenty of inspiration from her boss, Sandy,who she says will push you to the limit when he sees the potentialin you. "He can be a stern boss," says Campbell, "buthe motivates us to do our best."
Given this organization's passion for growingthings Caymanian, it seems only natural that the
nurturing of local staff is also part of the West Indian Club'splan.