FRANCIS RACINE Francis.Racine@eap.on.ca
One step in Guiseppe (Joe) Belmonte’s garden is enough to surprise even the most avid gardener. His property, located in what some would consider the industrial portion of Cornwall, is an oasis of nature, where the grass calmly blows in the wind and where fruits and vegetables abound. The small road leading to the middle of the property is surrounded by healthy look- ing trees, all of themholding different sorts of fruits. Some hold pears, others plums, while most still have bright red apples on their branches, waiting to be picked. You see, Joe Belmonte is self-taught in the art of grafting apple trees. In essence, the 88-year-old man loves to experiment with his many apple trees. This creates several different sorts of apples.Theman has evenmanaged to create a pear/apple hybrid. “The fruit tastes very sweet,” he explains as he sits before a fire, enjoying a sausage he just cooked. “They are sweeter than juice!” Having purchased the lot in 1993, follow- ing his retirement, theman then proceeded to clear the whole land. “When I bought it, it was all bush,” he says proudly. “It tookme a whole year to clean it out.” He would dig around tree trunks until the roots were visible. He would then sit down and would proceed to cut off all the roots. It was long and hard work. “I would put a chain around the trunk and pull it with my van,” he expressed. “I finished my van but it got the job done,” he concludes, laughing. The lot was also full of big rocks. Belmonte used the same method to remove them as he did with trunks. Once all of it was completed, he set about planting all sorts of trees and plants. He also planted gardens, which now boast several different sorts of vegetables. His bigger garden is surrounded by a sturdy fence, which enables it to thrive without pests lurking within its boundaries. With his friend Mark Kaddie, he spends three to four days in the nature retreat. There, they talk of everything nature and cook an array of foods over the fire.They trim bushes, cut grass and of course pick apples. “I’ve known Joe for quite some time now,” says Kaddie. “He’s a great, hardworking guy. He’s truly got nature in his heart and soul.” When he’s not gardening, Joe Belmonte takes part in the annual river cleanup and is a proud member of the Lunker Club, Cornwall’s local fishing club. “I’ve always loved fishing,” he says. “I even used to fish back in Italy.” Although he couldn’t afford fishing equipment, Belmonte and some friends would fish using big rocks. Read the rest of Joe's captivating story on page 16
The man who is one with nature
Guiseppe Belmonte, locally known as Joe, is an 88-year-old man with a deep love of everything nature. Here he stands amidst one of his well kept gardens. — photo Francis Racine
Le Journal, Cornwall
6
Le mercredi 5 octobre 2016
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs