WHEN Cassetta Belinfante relocated to the newly built Braeton Phase 1 housing scheme in Portmore more than three decades ago, the first thing she noticed was the lack of green areas in the St Catherine community.

However, the young mother and wife was not satisfied with beautifying her yard alone. She immediately set about, single-handedly, planting flowers in all the designated green spaces in the community.

What started as a drive to beautify her own community has spread to her sharing her passion for plants, not only as a qualified horticulturist, but free of cost to anyone who needs her help.

In fact, Belinfanti’s life has been devoted to planting and caring for ornamental plants and flowers for as long as she can remember.

“I tell my boys that when I pass off I would love for them to give out flower seeds at my funeral in memory of me,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “The way I love plants, if I see someone destroying a plant I stop the bus and go out there to stop them because plants are living things too.”

Belinfante said she first started beautifying her community shortly after she moved there in 1977 and realised how dusty the place was. She immediately contacted the developers, Caribbean Building Corporation, to find out what areas could be designated as green areas.

“They sent me to the Titles Office and they gave me a copy of all the green areas to plant flowers,” she explained.

She recalled that as a young mother of three boys she would busy herself planting the areas closest to her home while her husband, at the time an employee of the telephone company, went to work.

Over the years, she has moved to several other areas in the community and has established a park which she continues to maintain.

Belinfante said that each day as soon as she got her husband and children out of the house she would begin to plant.

“I would start by 9:00 am and go back inside by 11:00 o’clock to do housework and then I would come back out in the evening to water the plants,” she recounted of her daily tasks. “People would pass by and say how beautiful it looked, but nobody helped.”

But her beautification project did not stop in the community, as she started taking flowers to plant at churches and schools. First, it was at her place of worship — Church of the Reconciliation in Bridgeport — then she moved to Independence City Church of Christ.

“I started going all about and planting things. One of my sons went to STATHS (St Andrew Technical High School) and I went there to plant. I planted at (the then) Things Jamaica (now Horizon Adult Remand Centre). I started going all about and planting things,” she said.

And when she was not spending her own money to buy plants she was busy trying to grow her own so she could have more to give away.

Today, Belinfante said she has surprised even herself when she looks at some of the big trees in her community which she planted.

“When I look at the poinsettia tree at the front of the scheme that I planted more than 15 years ago and I see how big it is I am just so happy,” she said.

She recalled what it was like when she first decided to establish the park.

“It was just a big open lot and then I started planting all types of plants,” she explained.

Belinfante can still be found in the park every other day watering, pruning and fertilising the plants.

“I go there and water all the plants and put in plant food and wood chips,” she told the Observer.

And although it remains a very expensive venture for the senior citizen, who only gets some help from the member of parliament who assists with providing some of the plants, Belinfante said there is nothing she enjoys more.

“Over the years I have invested a whole lot of money because I buy a lot of the plants and the plant foods and fertiliser,” she said.

But although she is not bursting at the seams with money, Belinfante said she cannot put a price to the satisfaction she gets from beautifying the environment.

And this is what has motivated her throughout all these years to ensure that beautiful plants are all around.

“It is the greatest satisfaction to see the place looking beautiful,” she said passionately.

According to Belinfante, she has had a deep love for plants ever since she was a little girl growing up at the teacher’s cottage where her mother worked as caregiver for the headmaster of Brice School in Manchester, William B Reid. Surrounded by plants, Belinfante recalls picking flowers and creating a bouquet to take to her teacher every morning, without fail.

As fate would have it, Belinfante said it was “Teacher Reid’s” youngest son who sponsored her to do a series of courses in horticulture at Louisiana State University over a four-year period in the late 1980s.

At the end of the courses, Belinfante turned her passion for plants into a horticultural career specialising in landscaping.

But while the Braeton community has been very appreciative of her efforts, not everyone takes good care of the plants.

According to Belinfante, she has had to keep constant watch, both for people who steal the plants and animals that roam wild.

“When people cut the flowers, I tell them I will report it to the police because they steal the plants to take to other places,” she explained.

She told the Observer that before former mayor George Lee died he had promised to fund the construction of a proper fence and gate to keep the animals out of the park, but that did not materialise.

“I don’t live close to the park, so I have to beg the neighbours who are close by to watch out for the stray animals and to keep them away from the plants,” she explained. “This is my life. If I had money and [was] doing my will, that would be on it and my kids would have to maintain the park.”

Belinfante loves plants so much that she became distressed when one of the palms in the park was infested with bees. She did not rest until she got the Rural Agricultural Development Authority to rid the tree of the insects.

At age 69, the senior citizen still goes out three times weekly to do landscaping or maintenance of plants. And for those jobs which are a bit tedious Belinfante said she has people who help with the heavy lifting.

And in-between those paid jobs, Belinfante still continues her social work of beautifying her community and the homes of friends and family, both here and abroad.

However, one of her greatest delights was to do the landscaping at the homes of her three boys — Christopher, Dane, and Omar.

After all these years, does she plan to take a rest?

“I don’t see no slowing down for me,” she said with a laugh. “It keeps me happy and healthy and people are always saying I look younger than my age.”

The job also builds her creativity, as Belinfante said when it comes to landscaping she has to come up with designs to match each individual’s taste.

And now that her husband has retired, Belinfante said he is one of her greatest supporters, assisting her to maintain the park and other areas.

Belinfante said one of her greatest wishes is to be able to attend the Chelsea Flower Show in England and hopes she can fulfil this dream by next year.

Belinfante said there is never an idle moment in her life as she is always finding something to plant and giving of her talent to others for free.

“All I dream about at nights is being in a garden surrounded by flowers,” she said.

Her work has been recognised by the Portmore Municipal Council, as she was given a community award for tireless service to the municipality.

Her portfolio includes work at Our Lady of the Angels Preparatory School, Manchester Square and Bridgeport High School, and others.