“Five-Year-Old Makes His First Plant Sale”
By L.A. Nicholson
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15
When DJ turned two years old in 2020, a Julie mango tree that had been planted by his father, Linton Neil (an agronomist and owner of a plant nursery), began flowering. It was its third time doing so from its home in a 17-inch pot.
DJ was able to watch the blossoms as they moved through the various growth stages, and the first occasion he had a whole mango by himself, he ate it directly from that tree, much to the amusement of the family.
As DJ grew, his parents began taking him out into the nursery, cognizant of the fact that while he was playing in the yard amongst the flowering and fruiting plants, he was learning much more besides gardening. He was also learning to identify colours, shapes, textures, scents…
Around November last year, knowing the power of a single seed, DJ decided to plant some from a naseberry fruit he had eaten.
“It was his own initiative,” his father said. “He came and told me that he had planted them, along with an ackee and apple seed his mom had given him. We guided him along, showing him how to change the pots as the plants outgrew them and were tumbling over, and on the eve of the first day of school for him this year, a gentleman, who was starting a family farm in the country, came and bought all three plants for $5000.”
GARDENING MAKES SENSE AND CENTS
Linton Neil was extremely pleased with his son’s accomplishment. “DJ has set a new record for the family,” he beamed. “At age 5 years and 4 months, he is already getting paid for the ‘fruit’ of his labour.”
He explained that when he and his twin brother, Glendon (owner of Lilly Creek Farm in St. Mary), were around seven and a half years old, they were given two plantain suckers by their dad as their first farming project, and they all had a good time eating the fruit eight months later!
“Right now, I have a contract to deliver one hundred cucumber and corn seedlings to a customer twice per month, and it’s DJ and his older brother, who is age 11, who are responsible for planting the seeds and maintaining them. And they get that money. I don’t keep any of it,” he added. “Gardening makes sense. It also makes cents.”
Readers, if you, like DJ, run into problems with your “back-yard, front-yard, no-yard container garden,” please contact Mr. Linton Neil for free advice at 876-559-6093/316-7538. His nursery, Plant Depot, is in Old Harbour, St. Catherine. Just tell him “Freedom Come Rain” newspaper sent you. A teacher at heart, he also offers group gardening classes!