NewsLady Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 From: Peter Sterling To: the Boquete Community: Over the past year I have visited various properties to help owners to consider what to plant, how to prune, and so on. For small projects, I may be all you need. But there are larger places with greater possibilities and greater need of attention than I can offer. So I write to introduce Steve Walker who created the original Alouatta Lodge in Chorcha (just off the Interamerican east of David). Steve is a highly experienced designer of tropical gardens. He knows everything about planting, pruning, choosing plants, and so on. He is a fountain of knowledge and enthusiasm. Steve left Chiriqui for a year or so, but now he has returned. He is available for consulting, plantings, pruning at the highest professional level. I write to recommend him. rooikop@fastmail.fm 6204-4109 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 I second Peter's recommendation of Steve. When we built our house nine years ago, the landscaping of the l/2 hectare property had to be from scratch as it formerly had been planted in coffee. I hired Steve and, together, we decided on a botanical garden as opposed to a formal landscape design. Some of my fondest memories are driving all over Chiriqui with Steve in search of plants. He oversaw the building of an orchid casita, an above-ground fish pond with a waterfall, and an overlook on a high part of the property. Steve took a personal interest in the project, which I appreciated because I was so new to the area. He and his family have remained close friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Tyler Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Steve is working at our house, building railings and a 'bench'. All our foundation planting was done by him 8 years ago. There is no one else here with his talent and expertise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyS Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Pruning? In Boquete? I have found that you can hack anything off with abandon, and less then a year later, it will be right back as healthy and lush as ever. All that careful pruning advice I followed in the Pacific NW just doesn't seem to matter here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted April 13, 2016 Share Posted April 13, 2016 Hacking and pruning are two very different things, Judy. The aim of pruning is to make or retain a particular shape and to provide aeration between branches. It must be done with knowledge and care. Hacking means just what it says: cutting back randomly or completely or, as you say, with abandon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyS Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I know that, but it seems to make no difference with what is growing in my yard. I have considered getting a flame thrower to do my pruning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 This discussion started as a thumbs up for the talents of Steven Walker, a good guy with a lot of knowledge about tropical gardening. Flame-thrower not included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.