Gardening in the Caribbean [Paperback]

I Bannochie (Author), Iris Bannochie (Author), Marilyn Light (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1993

The warm climate and generous rainfall of the Caribbean islands, together with rich soils, provide excellent conditions for growing a great variety of plant life. Columbus discovered that the indigenous peoples of the region were successfully growing an extensive range of plants and crops, and successive settlers of many cultures have introduced their familiar species. There are few places in the world with as great a diversity of plants as found in today's Caribbean. This book tells the reader how to acheive the best results by learning more about the plants and how to grow them in particular situations. It covers all aspects of Caribbean and tropical gardening. It discusses climate, soils, drainage and irrigation, feeding, pruning and propagation. A chapter on landscape introduces the basics of garden design, and shows what to grow where. The section on plant competitors focuses on pest, disease and weed control in a tropical context. Iris Bannochie won the Gold Medal on three occasions at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, and was awarded the Gold Vietch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1977 for her contribution to tropical horticulture.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan; 1 edition (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0333565738
• ISBN-13: 978-0333565735
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenges and Opportunities, March 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Gardening in the Caribbean (Paperback)

Iris Bannochie was one of the most influential horticulturalists in the Caribbean. This book contains vast amounts of information on plantings in general, specific plants, soil maintainence, pests and recommended plants for various settings and purposes.

This book was written toward the end of Mrs. Bannochie's lifetime of gardening in the Caribbean and contains many, many seemingly insignificant details that are gold to the tropical gardener. Upon her death, she bequeathed her home to the Nation of Barbados, and the site is now the famous Andromeda Gardens.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Basic Importance to Gardening in a Tropical Climate., August 11, 2001

By 

Jacqueline W. Mills (Kingshill, VI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gardening in the Caribbean (Paperback)

This book deserves five stars because it is the only gardening book extant that covers issues and concerns important and specific to Caribbean gardening. Had Mrs. Bannochie lived to see her book published, it is quite probable that it would have been far more comprehensive.

Chapter Two is invaluable for providing information on how to propagate specific climate appropriate plants. Chapter Four continues in the same vein, providing a comprehensive listing of tried and true favorites and pointers on how to grow them. My only criticisms are that the photographs (plates) in the center of the book are not of better quality and larger, that the tables at the end of the book fail to evaluate soil type on all the islands, and that there are so few diagrams or illustrations generally. Of course these paltry concerns may be remedied in a future revision. It is apparent that the co-author, Marilyn Light, faced a significant challenge in completing the book, and she is to be complimented for remaining true to Bannochie's vision.

Bannochie's writing style can be compared to having a conversation with an experienced, hands-on gardener while she strolls with you through her garden pointing out her favorite plants. Thus, I believe that one can actually sense which parts of the book were written by Marilyn Light after Bannochie's untimely death.

My copy of this book was lost or water damaged when my home was destroyed by hurricane on two different occasions. That I searched for and purchased it three times, is an indication of how important a reference it is for obtaining a general knowledge of not just Caribbean gardening, but gardening in any similar tropical climate.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Of Basic Importance to Gardening in a Tropical Climate., August 11, 2001

By 

Jacqueline W. Mills (Kingshill, VI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gardening in the Caribbean (Paperback)

This book deserves five stars because it is the only gardening book extant that covers issues and concerns important and specific to Caribbean gardening. Had Mrs. Bannochie lived to see her book published, it is quite probable that it would have been far more comprehensive.

Chapter Two is invaluable for providing information on how to propagate specific climate appropriate plants. Chapter Four continues in the same vein, providing a comprehensive listing of tried and true favorites and pointers on how to grow them. My only criticisms are that the photographs (plates) in the center of the book are not of better quality and larger, that the tables at the end of the book fail to evaluate soil type on all the islands, and that there are so few diagrams or illustrations generally. Of course these paltry concerns may be remedied in a future revision. It is apparent that the co-author, Marilyn Light, faced a significant challenge in completing the book, and she is to be complimented for remaining true to Bannochie's vision.

Bannochie's writing style can be compared to having a conversation with an experienced, hands-on gardener while she strolls with you through her garden pointing out her favorite plants. Thus, I believe that one can actually sense which parts of the book were written by Marilyn Light after Bannochie's untimely death.

My copy of this book was lost or water damaged when my home was destroyed by hurricane on two different occasions. That I searched for and purchased it three times, is an indication of how important a reference it is for obtaining a general knowledge of not just Caribbean gardening, but gardening in any similar tropical climate.