Xoghol ta' "Landscaping" f'Bugibba, San Pawl il-Bahar

Reðentament, xi punti íew imqanqla dwar l-istat tal-'Promenade' ta' Buíibba.

Sa fejn jirrigwardja lid-Dipartiment ta' l-Agrikoltura, sezzjoni "Urban and Rural landscaping", ix-xoæol kuntrattwali kollu tlesta u barra minn dan, xoæol ieóor ta' manutenzzjoni matul il-'Promenade' kien ukoll inkluú.

Æat-tisqija ntuúaw regolarment tlett 'bowsers' kull jum æal ódax il-íurnata bejn April u nofs Mejju.

Xi membri tal-Pubbliku óassewhom konðernati dwar l-istat tal-Palm 'Washingtonia'. Hawn irid jiíi spjegat li normalment il-palm iúomm ðertu numru ta' frieghi óajjin, skond l-ispeði u l-ambjent tal-post fejn ikun qieæed jitkabbar. Is-siíar tal-palm f'postijiet pubbliði jinótieíu úbir ta' spiss biex jirrendihom sbieó u ta' ebda periklu æal pubbliku, ma dan kollu fil-waqt li ú-úbir jista' jsir regolarment mhux il-proðedura tad-Dipartiment li jneóói frieæi nexfin jew xi ósara ikkawúata mir-rió qabel l-aóóar ta' Mejju.

Jekk jiíi kkonsidrat ir-rió qawwi li ta' spiss jaókem il-gúejjer Maltin ma tul l-istaíun tar-Rebbieæa, dan il-weraq niexef iservi ta' protezzjoni æal rimiet íodda mis-siíar biex anqas issirilhom ósara.

Hawn ta' min jæid li jekk issir ósara fil-qalba tal-Palma, min fejn joóoríu l-frieæi íodda, is-siíra tmut.

L-effett tar-rió jaóraq u mielaó li jonfoó fuq il-kosta huwa evidenti meta wiehed jara weraq f'kundizzjoni xejn tajba ta' pjanti li jifilóu óafna æal elementi, bóal l-"Oleander". Fil-kaú ta' palm viðin il-'Fra Ben', dawn jinstabu f'kundizzjoni aæar, l-aktar æax, sfortunatament, inqalæu u tóawwlu darbtejn, fil-bidu tax-xoælijiet li kienu qed jiíu esegwiti taót id-direzzjoni tal-"Buíibba Action Committee".

L-ittra mehmuúa turi l-apprezzament æal dan ix-xoæol mill-Kunsill Lokali ta' San Pawl il-Baóar.

Landscaping works at Bugibba in St. Paul's Bay

Recently a number of issues have been raised on the status of the Buíibba Promenade. As far as the Department of Agriculture (Urban and Rural Landscaping Section) is concerned, all contractual works in the area have been carried out, however, over and above to such work, maintenance of the promenade areas was also included.

This work consisted of weeding, pruning, hoeing, hedging and grass-cutting of the promenade area and other soft areas. Watering, utilising up to three bowsers per day, was carried out on eleven occasions between April and Mid-May.

Nevertheless, some members of the public expressed concern on the state of the Washingtonia Palms. It should be explained that palms normally maintain only a certain number of life fronds, depending on the species and growing conditions. In public landscape, palms need frequent pruning so as to retain them safe and attractive, however, while this pruning can be carried out regularly, it is not the policy of the department to remove brown dry or wind-damaged fronds before the end of May. Given the incidence of wind in the Maltese Islands during the Spring Season, these same leaves serve to protect the younger tender leaves from further damage.

It should be pointed out that should the terminal growing point be damaged, the palms would die.

The extent of scorching salt-laden winds along this exposed coastal area, is evidenced by the poor leaf conditions of the hardy oleander shrubs. In the case of the palms near the "Fra Ben" area, these are looking in an even poorer condition, given that they were unfortunately transplanted twice during the initial works carried out under the direction of the Buíibba Action Committee and thus these could not establish themselves at the same rate as other palms. A letter showing that this work was appreciated by the St. Paul's Bay Local Council follows.