It is with pleasure that we learn that five acres of land at King's House will be planted with citrus.

According to a story in yesterday's STAR, the fruit trees that will be planted are resistant to a particular virus and Governor-General Kenneth Hall would be "delighted to have an experimental farm in all its stages on the grounds of King's House".

King's House rests on one of the larger green spaces in the capital, along the Hope Road corridor which also hosts other large green areas in a concrete mass. The others are, of course, Hope Gardens, Devon House and Jamaica House, with the two universities in the Papine and Mona area having significant acreage of greenery as well.

Human traffic

However, Kings House is the only one which is essentially a private dwelling for a single family.

This allows room for the green area to be utilised, as it is not subject to significant human traffic, save for the odd concert and of course the National Honours and Awards function annually. Planting fruit trees is a welcome way of putting the space to use without spoiling its natural beauty.

And adding something tasty and nutritious, to boot.

It must be noted that former Governor-General Howard Cooke was not a farmer of lawns, as there was a significant kitchen garden at King's House during his tenure. It can only be hoped that the trend will be followed in the years to come, making even a little of one of Kingston's few large green spaces bear fruit.