ONE BEE ANOLIS AND FLOWERS

THIS post was planned to be around the last two, but in the process, that lonely pollinator appeared out of the blue, changing the picture.  You probably heard about bee collapse. Well, in our garden from twenty regulars, there are probably four now.  Butterflies have remain steady, maybe 5 a month, but black beetles visit regularly in good numbers 5/8 twice a day.

Anolis lizards are beautiful company on my daily trips to every garden 
morning and evening.  At night, some sleep in particular leaves, waiting for lunch.  You may notice from the close distance in the photos, these are not shy.  How long that will be the case I can not say. The arrival of  Lalo, enjoying to jump on them  will change has changed that.

The good health of our garden is no doubt result of the abundance of this dinosaur looking reptiles of  many colors and size.  The are wise creatures that often keep close by yours truly while spraying to catch those insects taking flight when the water hits the fan.

Finally, the flowers are here for one reason. If you have read how acidity  in  soil changes color in certain species, here is one example.  The Plumeria with the light pink gave birth to the seeds of the dark one five years ago.

This is the only Plumeria variety I have seen with seed pods in Puerto Rico.  I kept some, giving the rest to some friends. Two survived, this is the first to bloom. 

There is not much else to add. If curious...inquire within.

 that is that 

 

USC 1RST DEGREE ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINALS IV

         
IT is hard,  perhaps impossible to understand, tolerate or accept most criminal behavior of any kind at any level. Take for example the global banking bankruptcy thanks to embezzlement and avarice.

The culprits are mostly in the free community except in very few cases.  On the contrary,  the majority of working people and and retired will have to pay it back.  The tax evaders get amnesty in Spain, those with a pension will pay more for everything;

In Puerto Rico the situation is the same and getting worse. Here, besides the financial bankruptcy,  a population close to 3.5 million and the whopping number of over 3 million vehicles in  a100 by 35 miles isle, you could  imagine the quality of the air in most urban and non urban contexts in addition to noise levels 24/7. 

The alienation from nature, flora and fauna is astounding. This post is a token of just one street.  One would expect the environmental fools over here paying more attention to this insane destruction every day, every week, month, year after year.


The killing and mutilation of our trees by individuals, groups, Universidad Sagrado Corazon, public and private sectors, particularly housing and highway developers, in addition to the butchers working for the electrical power company AEE seems to have no end.

Meanwhile every environmental jerk, individual, groups and government agencies waste their time educating children as if they could kill and mutilate as shown in the photos at left.

Giving away trees to every fool in a futile attempt to compensate the destruction of 30 year old trees, only add to the problems mentioned since most people have no idea of where to plant, which tree is adequate and even less to prune or eliminate it at the right time to avoid the problems presented here. 

NOW if you live in Puerto Rico, I suggest to take a walk by Ponce de Leon avenue in Santurce.  Nine out of 10 of the 800 trees standing in the sidewalks will probably have a similar end...soon or later.

that is that

      

GOT PALMS?

I HAVE a great love for flora and fauna in general, except palms, Ficus and many other over used vegetation in the urban context, without vision, forethought.

Most palms are hazardous in sidewalks or spaces with high pedestrian traffic. The amount of organic waste, fronds and seeds is overwhelming.

The pictures at left show two examples of palms. One is really ugly too big, dwarfing the residence and difficult in terms of maintenance. Imagine yourself  sharp machete in hand,  climbing a ten feet ladder cutting them ugly fronds and plenty of seeds.

I used some fronds for privacy in our north garden. Six months later, t they are coming apart and do not smell like roses. That is the only use for them. Now imagine, carrying them  out for the garbage people to collect them, after making the necessary phone call, waiting for the pick up. 

A shredder is the most intelligent solution for their disposal, unfortunately no one has ever done it. At least, I have not seen it.


In the case of the nice looking palms on top,  in adequate spaces you do not have the pedestrian traffic, but still, check the size of the fronds. If they  are in your own backyard,  as in this case, the residents in the apartment, will have to pay for the service.


Be wise. Leave them palms alone except for large spaces, where they will not bother anyjuan, except, perhaps when them fronds and seed bend dry and dead hanging until the day of the last judgement.

BLUES FOR CUCURBITA

iI AM  not  much of an edible gardener, never was, never will. My thing is the non edible department, yet I can theorize like anyjuan else on the merits, practice, means and ends of this area, fad among some, of horticulture.

Here is my first pumpkin. 15 and a half pounds, on the fifth attempt.  It grew over the branches of a few plants in the south garden, looking for the sun. They are gluttons for it.  Cucurbitas in me garden, have a great advantage over other edibles. You plant the seed and  forget them, they will do their thing.

Besides a historical moment in my garden, this vegetable, along Capsicum frutescens did something nice for me favorite tree, Coccoloba uvifera, their leaves became the favorite dinner  for some endemic brown beetles mentioned before in this space, allowing the latter to look nice and dandy. 

About the tittle, it was that or Pumpkin Blues....I prefer the other.

until then