A Priceless Heritage*

The St. George Village Botanical Garden


 By Austin W. Fisher

 "God owns all the land and we are only responsible
 for taking care of it. This is a priceless heritage."
 Robert W. Moon


 Abandoned in the 1930s when the island's rum and sugar
operation turned to centralized facilities, St. George Village was a
group of ruins overgrown with brush and vines and covered with
accumulated rubbish until ten years ago. Today on that site is a
thriving botanical garden.

 Back in 1971 the St. Croix Garden Club envisioned a true
botanical garden comparable to others in the Caribbean and the
States. Through the generous foresightedness of the Robert W.
Moons and the DeChabert family, seventeen acres were set aside,
fenced and cleared. Money was raised and borrowed to restore
some of the ruins and to build the "Great Hall" which has become
a favorite site for Cruzan weddings, receptions, concerts and other
social events in addition to functions carried on by members of
the Garden for fund-raising and fun.

 The major purpose -- a botanical garden through collection
and display of tropical and semi-tropical plants and trees -- is in
a continuing state of development. At this point, most of the
trees and plants have been identified and labeled. Exciting displays
of many island favorites hibiscus, poinsettia, cactus, bougain-
villea -- have been planted. A "Path of Gold" of a variety of yellow
flowering trees fronted by a row of the lovely lilac lignum vitae
is ,being developed, and palms and orchids of many kinds are in
place. Many of these displays (or individual trees or plants) have
been given to the Garden as gifts or memorials.


 Ornamentals are only one aspect of the Garden. A tropical
and sub-tropical fruit orchard, planted in the walled corral of the
old plantation, is successfully producing oranges, grapefruit,
tangerines, limes, guavas, varieties of cherries, bananas and other
fruits. Here irrigation is essential and is provided by an under-
ground system. Local fruits such as soursop, sugar apple, genip,
etc. have been planted throughout the Garden among the stabilized
ruins.
 Members are experimenting with several types of vegetables,
both tropical and temperate, in another walled area. In previous
years, these efforts were quite successful; some of this year's
planting should be coming to harvest about the time of the Agri-
culture and Food Fair.

 While the Garden maintains a paid staff of three, the super-
vision and much of the actual work on the grounds and buildings
is done by volunteer members -- several giving many hours of work
each week. Thursday and Saturday are "member workdays";
however, the Garden is open to the public seven days a week from
9-3. Admission is free.

 The St. George Village Botanical Garden is financed by dues
and donations plus the proceeds of a variety of fund-raising events,
including Christmas Spoken Here, the annual Plant Sale, the ever-
popular rug concert, and the Old English Fair. There is no govern-
ment support. Membership and participation in its activities is
open to all.

*Priceless Heritage by Ben Kesler tells the story of St. George
Village from the time of the Arawak Indians to the Botanical
Garden. Because it delineates particularly our botanical heritage,
it is fascinating reading for anyone interested in growing things
on the island today.


The Great Hall at the St. George Village Botanical Garden has become a popular site for weddings, concerts and receptions.