BEHOLDERS BOTANICALS AND BEAUTY

TWO hours after Terrorist with a Trimmer, http://youtu.be/MTKfeW-_xK0, saw the light in feisbuk, out of the blue, a municipal policeman on a bike, appeared to take pictures and inquire about the abandoned,  house/garden featured.

It seems that pig headed Nuno, or whom ever was offended, wanted to ruffle me feathers. The officer stated that someone presented a complaint.  When I inquired regarding what, the vegetation on the photos is the culprit.

I have spent plenty of time pruning, trimming, cleaning on the premises during the last 44 months, them public servants assumed it was my property. When I informed the biked policeman the high yellows in laws of  Leo, are the owners, his smile disappeared and left.  


In Puerto Rico, almost everyjuan perceive any vegetation in general or vines as a hindrance, in particular those growing wild, spread by wind, birds or water.  This beholder declares vines are particularly attractive growing in any abandoned space
making difficult  the entering and exit to bums, providing
security If I may. 


In any fence, cyclone fences for example, vines hide the metal, dull ugliness, providing housing and nectar for birds and insects.  They reduce noise, heat with the added aesthetics of their flowers.  


I decided to post on these issues since vegetation is perceived as garbage, like any other garbage you could think of.  All this will be destroyed soon or later. I will keep you posted.  Meanwhile here is the inventory.

VINES

Vitis vinifera

Cannavalia maritima

Merremia aegyptiae

Passflora foetida/edulis

Clerodendrum thompsonae

Edibles

Cajanus Cajan

Trees

Acacia

Spathodea campanulata
Melicoccus bijugatus

Bushes

Tecoma stans

Gossypium herbaceum

Alternathera brasiliana

Ruellia britonniana

Ground covers

Syngonium

Pothos

The inventory does not include the vegetation shown  in the first photo.  However, some of the above, also hang out in this space..The last picture, is my favorite for the contrasts in light/shade, angles, textures and so on. If you want to 
check them with a better resolution, drop by flickr.

Words of wisdom

Beauty may be in the eyes of the
beholder, only if he/she
is not a blind, deaf, mute
hog, without any concept
of what beauty is or should be
in the urban context.
The concrete/asphalted one
surrounding, asphyxiating
your humble servant.

that is that

GARDEN ON THE ROOF

   GARDENING,  my way or the highway, requires constant reviewing. This garden is different. Nature created the adequate  situation.  Initially, my only significant collaboration was discarding a stem of one  Alocasia, Xanthosoma or Caledium..

http://antigonumcajaneveningpost.blogspot.com/2011/11/aerial-garden-moss-and-agave.html

There are a couple of posts on the subject, maybe more.
On  1 November 2011,  Pimped Pavement Anthology Post, I dealt with the subject. 


It may require some research in  terms of concepts. There are green roofs. Steve Martino, in Arizona, on his blog, Weeds and Walls,   http://stevemartino.blogspot.com/2011/12/arizona-green-roof.html, approaches it installing one with cacti and irrigation system.  


There is a whole culture, ideas, concepts dealing with  green roofs,  mostly in template climate contexts. In the tropics, where I practice, that is not the case.  The one on this clip has no irrigation at all. So far, there are between 10/20 species, some of which you could identify.  But time will tell how many will survive the hot/dry season.


In brief, Nature sets the example, the way to go.  On this concrete roof garage, falling leaves accumulate, clogging the drainage.  The water helps them leaves to decompose with time, sun, heat and wind. creating humus.

That explains the huge size of the Elephant ears, giving the impression of being on steroids.  Compare the leaves on the roof, with those in land in the same side of the garden. The soil is 95% sand.   Their size is almost 3 times as big.


The end is near. Vertical gardening is another subject for discussion. There is Paul Blanc, a French known for this kind of installation. I have mentioned it previously. Most of the time aesthetics predominate over irrigation, nutrients and maintenance issues. What is vertical, what is a hanging garden?

It seems a simple issue. But it is not. I read about some future vertical forest recently, to be installed in balconies and roofs of high rise structures in Lebanon. The photo shop effect was nice, but the premise is totally absurd unless you also mention maintenance.  Will the trees in huge pots will be irrigated?


What about decay?  Trees have their way of getting rid of branches no longer useful to photosinthesize or transport nutrients. Maintenance gardeners will also need training in escalating and not afraid of heights to reach some of the branches .


I have 'planted'  quite a few on this roof. species. Planting implies digging or just spreading seeds. Here, they were placed on the concrete and covered with the available humus, leaves and organic matter. Most seeds are  Cosmos and other vines in the inventory.


The work is done. Now it is a matter of waiting patiently until the dry season arrives.  Then I propose to write a post on the surviving species, without irrigation.


One final note. To create a garden on a roof, not only you can not be afraid of heights. You need some stamina to carry the 15' ladder to perform your chores.


To complicate matters...let the record show...this garden is on an abandoned property next door to the most documented garden in the Caribbean..Therefore it also falls under the concept guerrilla gardening, or stretching it some what, pavement pimping,  since I requested no permit to do what I do best...dissent...my way.  Nature rules...one just have to keep them eyes opened. with a little understanding of the issues.

that is that

HANGING HABANEROS POST

THIS  plant was a present from one of me garden fans four buildings up the street.  It has been growing slowly, very slow. 

Capsicum chinense is the botanical.  Solanaceae, the family.  If you are wondering why they are hanging...take a wild guess...It is not for aesthetics, it is for health reasons.

It is one of the hottest among the Capsicums, but that is not important for yours truly.  As I get older and older, my tolerance to capsaicin decreases accordingly.


Every capsicum i have (there are two, frutescens the other) suffers from  pain in the arse sucking insects. I tried in vain to find the name, with no luck. Lets say it is similar to powdery mildew, under the leaves. A real pain, requiring constant monitoring since, either you watch what you do carefully,  (pest control has to be mild), or you will kill the plant.


For the record and as an experiment, weeks after I got the present, I propagated one stem with hormones. It is doing fine, but the pest is also around. Since both are hanging, 'I can see clearly now', as that old cool song, spraying with my secret capsicum/dish water soap formula as soon as they show up.

When you search in the web, I try to do it constantly to avoid dissidence and have arguments in either direction, you will notice that mine look like blue bonnets.. Do not ask me why. They look different that those in the web. What is important is not to confuse this with the sweet kind with so, so similar appearance.



The name Habanero requires some investigation on your part. In Puerto Rico we call chili, AJI (pronounced 'ahee'). There is no nahuatl term for this kind, therefore is not from Mexico.  The story is interesting, but I am not into that bag at the moment...You can go ahead. 

If you find the botanical name for the insect, and share it with your humble servant, thanks.  Besides, what is relevant is detecting the insect, to know type of damage,  if it chews or sucks.  The sucking, I remind you will kill whatever eventually, the constant chewing by beetles(Phyllophaga portorricensis), at least with my Coccoloba uvifera and Hibiscus, does not.

Words for thought previously shared...

Imagine what food would be like without salt...Condiments, besides all the legends and stories of muting the rotten taste of rotten meat when there was no refrigeration,  transform anything imaginable. 

 Mexico, China, Thailand and India have developed centuries old,

gastronomical schools known by their creative use

of capsicum and related condiments enhancing

what otherwise would be pretty much like 

boiled meat and potatoes. 
Gardeners with good sight
keep that in mind.

that is that

FAMILIES AND FLOWERS POST

I find very amusing, those scholarly written botanical papers, no matter what the theme/subject is, the reading is as fun as having an infected tooth pulled. Only the secret, initiated ones, can decipher the register.  I often wonder if they do any gardening at all...

In me country,  100/35, Enchanted Isle, Paradise and other ridiculous names, (noisy/concrete/asphalt isle is more accurate) there is a molecular biologist, who recently declared publicly his pride and ignorance regarding the botany and gardening I practice and write about.

HIS 'scholarly' post dealt about his young daughter and her passionate interest in some beautiful and glutton caterpillars (Pseudophinx tetrio) that once or twice a year arrive from nowhere munching on Plumeria or Allamanda leaves exclusively.  Find out by yourself. These caterpillars are black and green becoming huge moths once their life cycle is completed.

It is time to get to the tittle.  I have preached about the significance of knowing the botanical names of whatever is I plant.  Today will get into some families in my collection. But before that, let the record show that if you prefer to remain ignorant, that is also cool. With the web at hand, you could write the common name, in most cases, and find the botanical, if you want to have a pertinent inventory for people like yours truly.  However I still have difficulty  showing any kind of respect for those who do  not. Parque Donha Ines and Alberto Areces Mallea, Phd,  is one example. Check their site,
http://www.flmm.org. If you got the time, research, under Parque Donha Ines and Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin with this spelling to get the nitty gritty on these sinister characters.  After ten years,  over 8 million USA dollars spent,  this white collar  artist/biologist,  son of a beach' with worthy constituents; LUIS MUNHOZ MARIN FOUNDATION; a popular democratic party cave of thieves,  does not have a botanical inventory or any relevant information available in the web after a decade,  for guys like me yet.. I write/say more, the bastards do not even have a humble blog,..or any photos, beside the ones I have published mocking and denouncing the scam, here and elsewhere.

                          

the familes
some not
all

LILIACEAE\

Asparagus 
I II III

TURNERACEAE

Diffusa
Ulmifolia
Subulata

PASSSIFLORACEAE

Palida
Foetida l.
Edulis

ACANTACEAE

Barleria repens
Asystacia gangetica
Thumbergia
Pseuderantemun reticulatum

SOLANACEAE

Brunfelsia pauciflora
Cestrum diurnum
Datura stramonium

AMARILLIDACEAE

Crinum amabile
Eucharis amazonica
Proiphys amboinensis
Scadoxus
Tulbaghia violaceae
Zephirantes

ARACEAE

Aglaonema
Alocasia
Caladium
Dieffenbachia
Syngonium
Anturium

BIXACEAE

Bixa orellana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bixa_orellana

the juan and only
has no relatives, is
part and whole

Finally, some flowers arranged for 
a simple birthday present
  You can
figure them names by now...


that is that
PARQUE DONHA INES OPEN HOUSE
IS TOMORROW AT ONE PM.

if you live in Puerto Rico go on, visit Parque Donha Ines, Saturday
at 1PM.   Tell Alberto Aveces Marea and the Olmec wife, Antigonum, says hi!

BIXA ORELLANA ET GUAICUM OFFICINALE IN OLD SAN JUAN

IN 2012   I will go out once in a while to see what vegetation, in my collection or not,  I find worthy of posting.  In addition a series: Classical Pendejismo Paisajista in the private residential/commercial landscape scene in our concrete/asphalt isle.

Why these two?

 From my stiff view there is not much out there. 

Bixa orellana has an important place in our history, botanical and else.  Our, meaning American aboriginals in the Caribbean and the continent.

Bixa has other virtues, you could find them out yourself. One is significant, it has no relatives at all, is the juananonly...Individual and group, all in one.

Guaiacum officinale is similar...lots of history, incredibly hard wood, the architectural beauty of the crown/branches/ bark, medicinal uses. Find out.

What is pertinent is the rarity of finding them in any context. Even though I have visited the spots where they 

exist, I have never noticed the first one, before.  I have known these Guaicaums  as long as I  can remember.

WEED BEHAVIOR IN PLANTS

I have been  interested  in weeds, their behavior, history, aesthetic value and possibilities in  the garden, for quite some time. I will present a few examples from a wide and extended list in most urban, rural eco-regions  around  the isle.

Weed behavior could be defined as self seeding habits in the urban context where I live and practice gardening.  The taming of asphalt/concrete is part of the scheme, since these seeds  will grow in any imaginable crack, crevice or surface with little dust/soil/dirt, water or humidity, under light or shady conditions. Before I get there lets check this information, pertinent to the subject.

Weeds* often produce seeds in prolific numbers.  A good sized mullein or Canadian fleabane can release in excess of 400,000.  Weed seeds have evolved devices to ensure they get ferried to the widest range of new habitats. They can be armed with hooks, burrs, spines, ribs, hairs to help them stick to passing animals (or botanists legwear). There is also seed glue.** The common garden weed shepherd's purse is named  for its seeds heads, which resemble the little pouches or skrips worn by medieval peasants. Open up a purse and the seeds spill out like tiny gold coins.  They are covered with a thin layer of gum, which become stickier still when it's moistened--as for instance by contact with the soil--so that it can cling to the feet of birds. 

 WEEDS

RICHARD MABEY

PAGES 30-31

  

* Many plants also...** Mesquite, in me collection is one good example. 

Tecoma stans is very popular and pleasant. In the urban context is a pain the arse. The amounts of seeds are incredible, flying long distances and growing where they please. Bees love them, therefore, the mess they create is balanced when flora/fauna is concerned.  Bees and hummingbirds are fans.


Turnera ulmifolia.  The seeds are minuscule, blown by the wind they are moving up and down the vecinity...It can grow 5', a favorite of bees.

OTHER WEED BEHAVING SEEDS

IN SANTURCE

Pithelobium dulce

One of a few perfect trees for the right context/space. I has been featured before.It can reach a monster symmetric size with a round nice scaffold and crown. Birds love the sweet red/white pods.

Swetenia macrophylla

There are plenty of these trees around. Most of the time in too small back yards, sidewalks, planted in every wrong possibility one may think of.  The amusing difference is that nojuan ever plants Pithelobioums, it grows where it wants, like a weed if I may. 

These few exampless will suffice to get my drift. 

I made some comments recently about 

Guaiacum officinale in Feisbuk, in therms of their aesthetics and properties for the urban context.

In turn the photographer, in a futile attempt to be cute, added his view on the durability and hard wood quality. I added that since I am not a carpenter or woodworker..Juat the hell, what matters to me is the beauty having one at home since it was 5" and to enjoy the crown and scaffolding, perfect for the spot where is planted at 10', seven 7 years later.

that is that.

BETWEEN SANTURCE AND LONDON: PARIETARIA

IF you are sixty of age, you probably grew up in an agrarian culture, at least if you are in  the Caribbean.  If you had a mother, she probably had some notions about medicinal herbs.

Mine did and there are around ten names of medicinal plants I remember from conversations or for being cured with them. That is the background of this post.

I would have never expect to find the name of any plant from my context, concrete/asphalt in the Caribbean,  a weed, growing in London. It does not matter if it they are not related or even similar.

Richard Mabey, on page 287, mentions it. The book, WEEDS has been mentioned more than once.  I declare for the record,  that if you want to be a first division or great leagues gardener/collector, understanding weeds would be one of the credentials required.  

Pellitory of the wall:  A wall lover, this species tags older
walls all over London.  It will also grow on stony ground and gorgeous brownfield sites.  Old French and Latin are the origins of the words Pellitory and Parietaria (the scientific name) they mean wall. 

ALL was hunky dory in the beginning. Something was wrong. Plants growing in cold climates need that cold period to survive. That is when research left no doubts. The British Parietaria has nothing to do with what we call Parietaria.

Ours, is Pepperomia pellucida aka  Planetaria or Prenetaria. In me garden it grows on and off, where it wants, always a surprise. It is mentioned  in this poem by Hector Ruben Cardona, Phd, linguist, friend and former classmate.

Prenetaria

De la Noche Buena 

con la prenetaria,

tras una plegaria

se sirve la cena.

La mesa esta llena

de manjares ricos,

gratos, exquisitos,

con clavo y gengibre;

y que viva libre

siempre Puerto Rico.

Time to go.  Names can deceive, so  does perception. That is why a little research is always fun.