My garden in Fiji

Gardening in Vuda Point Marina

Vuda Marina says in their brochure that they are committed to “foodscaping”, landscaping with fruiting trees and bushes that are available for cruisers to pick.  In return, cruisers are invited to help with the gardening..  This sounded delightful.  After long days at sea one of the things we look forward to is fresh fruits and vegetables.  Paradise Village in Mexico was full of fruit trees but guests were not encouraged to help themselves.  I used to go sneaking out at night to pick papaya or limes.

Once we settled in to the marina and had a chance to explore, I started looking for the garden with all of the edible fruit and could not find it.  Eventually I realized that it was limited to several rows of pineapple plants, just starting to ripen, a few papaya trees that were actually on the property next door but hung over far enough to pick and a fence covered in passion vines that had no fruit.  Later I discovered a mango tree.  Not much, although the pineapples were delicious once they got ripe.    Eventually I sought out the marina manager to find out what could be done to expand the offerings.  After some discussion, we decided that I should start a kitchen herb garden. So we piled into his truck one afternoon and came home loadedwith pots and pots of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, cilantro, parsley, mint, chives.  All of this was deposited in a derelict planting area behind the kitchen and I was left to get on with it.   

First job was to clean up and clean out the planting area.  A framework had been constructed from large pilings with green netting stretched over the top.  Several rotting planter boxes were staked out on the ground or raised and fastened to the pilings.  Off in the corner was a pile of “top soil” and another pile of pig manure.  The only thing growing was some sad chili plants, covered with whiteflies and loosing their leaves.

Little by little I cleaned up the mess, put fresh dirt in the beds, and divided and planted all the herbs.  Twice a day I watered and sprayed with soapy water to drive off the whiteflies and thing began to thrive.   Within 2-3 weeks I had enough herbs to add to our pizzas on half-price pizza night.  The biggest challenge was finding a hose.   There are only a few long hoses and the staff are always moving them from place to place.  As fast as I would bring one to my garden it would disappear.  At first I asked politely for a hose.  Then I just began searching and taking.   Added to the problem is the fact that the hoses do not fit the faucets.  You need at least one, sometimes two adaptors.  None of them are quite the same size.  I can understand that our American hose might not fit but you would think that the country would get it together and figure out one universal gage for their faucets and hoses.  Instead, every hose and every faucet needs an adaptor and they are always getting lost or “borrowed”

Things were going so well that I decided to branch out.  In addition to the garden behind the kitchen, there is a nursery close to the boats in the marina.  This is full of overgrown ornamental plants waiting to be planted into the landscape.  Like the kitchen garden it is very neglected with most of the plants bursting through the plastic sacks that they were planted in.  Once more I cleaned out junk, watered and sprayed.  Soon I had several pots of herbs growing here, just a few steps from the boat where I can dash over and get them for dinner.  Little by little I began to add more seeds and pots that I found on trips to town.  Long beans are the most successful.  They sprout in just a few days and climb right up the posts. 

Time to expand again.  The chili plants in the kitchen garden are growing like wild and dozens are coming up from seed, way too many for the space.  In the nursery there are about 25 sacks of a lovely anise scented plant that I have always called mexican tarragon.  I don’t know it’s real name but it is lovely salads, pasts, seafood.  Both need a new home.  Along the the edge of the water there is a cement walk, behind that a grassy hill and then a hedgerow separating the boats from the cars and trucks on the delivery road.  This looked to me like prime garden area.  It would get watered when the staff watered the grass and if the plants were tucked in among the other hedge plants they would be at least somewhat protected from mowing and trampling.  I had long since given up asking the marina management for permission.  They had other things on their mind.  But the garden and security staff were very interested in my progress and very supportive.  So little by little I carried over bags of compost and filled in all the spaces.  The beans were especially happy and climbed tight up the hedges, giving me a hand full of long beans every few days. 

Some things grow and some don’t.  My theory of gardening is, “give them a good start and they should be able to make it on their own”  If they don’t try something else.  Bok choy, lettuce and radishes come up quickly but the soil is so filled with bits of coral that they never get very big.  Nonetheless, the shoots are great in sandwiches.  Mint tucked under the bottom shelf in the nursery does nicely.  Strawberries in the same place grow but never fruit.  Ginger does well.  Thyme, basil, rosemary and oregano hold their own, not growing much but not dying either.  Cilantro all dies, except for one little plant.  Meanwhile back in the kitchen garden, almost everything is flourishing.

In January I head back to Los Angeles for a six week visit.  I asked people to look after my garden but no one is very interested.  It is the rainy season so it should be fine.  On my return i find that my “hedgerow garden” is doing just fine.   The kitchen garden is another story.   Absolutely everything, except for the original chili plants has dies.  Large pots of basil, rosemary and oregano and just brown sticks.  Even the mint is just a few shriveled stems.  I have no idea what the problem is.  Too much sun?   Not enough sun?   Too much water or humidity?  Not enough water?  It is under several large trees which drop leaves onto the shade cloth which makes it very dark and keeps the rain off.  Anyway, given the lack of interest on the part of management or the kitchen staff, I decide to just let it be. With the new sailing season now on us, I need to hand my garden off to others.  Several of the cruisers who expect to be around have said they will keep an eye on it.  If I have done it right, it will take care of itself and be just fine when we come back from our cruising.  Then I can start on a new round of planting.